Bill hates to clean up after dinner. One night, he volunteers to bathe the dog before cleaning up. When he finishes with the dog and returns to the kitchen, his wife has cleaned everything up for him. Which of the following statements is most likely true?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Negative reinforcement occurs when a certain behavior is strengthened because it removes or avoids a negative consequence. In this case, Bill was trying to avoid cleaning up the kitchen by offering to bathe the dog. His wife cleaning up the kitchen for him was the negative consequence that was removed, reinforcing his behavior of volunteering to bathe the dog. Therefore, Bill's wife has negatively reinforced him for bathing the dog.

Bill Hates to Clean Up After Dinner