Mary Sue is scolded by her father when she comes in late for her curfew, while her friend Patti is grounded for two weeks by her father for missing her curfew.Both teens received
A) negative reinforcement.
B) a punisher.
C) a primary threat.
D) a discriminative stimulus.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Both Mary Sue and Patti received a punishment (being scolded and being grounded) for their behavior, which means they both received a punisher. Therefore, the best choice is B. Choice A, negative reinforcement, would indicate that their fathers removed something aversive to increase the likelihood of their behavior, which did not occur. Choice C, a primary threat, does not accurately represent the situation, as there was no indication of a direct threat. Choice D, a discriminative stimulus, refers to a signal that indicates the likelihood of a particular consequence, but it is not clear from the information provided that this occurred.

Mary Sue Is Scolded by Her Father When She Comes