Eight-year-old Amy always seems to be in "overdrive"-she has trouble sitting still for any length of time. Her teacher occasionally gives her short breaks in which she can get up and move around a bit as a way of releasing pent-up energy. Such breaks occur unpredictably, without regard for whether Amy is behaving appropriately or inappropriately at the time. Research indicates that such noncontingent reinforcement:
A) May improve Amy's behavior somewhat, but she will likely not replace the inappropriate behaviors with appropriate behaviors.
B) Is likely to make Amy's behavior worse
C) Will probably lead to behavioral contrast
D) Will confuse Amy and significantly increase her anxiety about classroom tasks

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Noncontingent reinforcement, which is given without regard to the behavior being exhibited, may provide some improvement in behavior by offering a break or a reward not directly tied to the behavior. However, it does not directly encourage the replacement of inappropriate behaviors with appropriate ones, as it does not specifically reinforce desired behaviors.

Eight-Year-Old Amy Always Seems to Be in "Overdrive"-She Has Trouble