Which of the following statements is true?
A) Positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, and punishment all serve to increase the occurrence of a given behavior.
B) Positive reinforcement serves to increase the occurrence of a given behavior whereas negative reinforcement and punishment serve to decrease its occurrence.
C) Positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement serve to increase the occurrence of a given behavior whereas punishment serves to decrease its occurrence.
D) Positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, and punishment all serve to decrease the occurrence of a given behavior.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement both serve to increase the occurrence of a given behavior by providing a reward or removing an unpleasant stimulus, respectively. Punishment, on the other hand, serves to decrease the occurrence of a given behavior by introducing an unpleasant consequence to the behavior. Therefore, choice C is the only statement that accurately reflects the effects of these forms of operant conditioning.

Which of the Following Statements Is True