Olivia is punished for spilling her cereal. Her parents give her a spanking and send her to her room where she cries. Later, her puppy makes a mess on the floor. Olivia kicks her puppy and puts it out in the yard, where it whines sadly. Which of the following statements explains her behavior toward the puppy?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Olivia is likely modeling the aggressive behavior that was demonstrated to her by her parents when she was punished for spilling cereal. She is acting out their punishment on her puppy, which is inappropriate and potentially harmful to the animal. It is not an example of either negative reinforcement or negative punishment, and there is no information to suggest that her parents subscribe to the "spare the rod, spoil the child" philosophy.

Olivia Is Punished for Spilling Her Cereal