Six-year-old Jack has recently learned to appreciate the value of money, so his father assigns him some simple housekeeping chores to be performed throughout the week.He tells Jack that completion of these chores will earn him an allowance of one dollar every Saturday.Jack rarely completes his chores.From a behaviorist perspective, which one of the following is most likely to be the reason why Jack is not doing his chores?
A)Reinforcement is not immediate.
B)Reinforcement is not contingent on the desired response.
C)Money is not an effective reinforcer for most six-year-olds.
D)The reinforcer is presented before the response.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to the behaviorist perspective, reinforcement needs to be immediate in order for it to be most effective in shaping behavior. In this case, Jack only receives his allowance once a week, which may not be immediate enough for him to make the connection between completing his chores and receiving the reward.

Six-Year-Old Jack Has Recently Learned to Appreciate the Value of Money