Consider a mother who slaps her son whenever he engages in aggression. If negative reinforcement is responsible for her behavior, what likely happens after she slaps him?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Negative reinforcement involves the removal of an unpleasant stimulus to increase the likelihood of a behavior occurring again. In this scenario, the mother's behavior (slapping) is negatively reinforced if the son's aggression decreases (he behaves less aggressively), because the unpleasant behavior (her son's aggression) that prompted her action is removed or reduced, making it more likely she will slap again in the future to achieve the same outcome.

Consider a Mother Who Slaps Her Son Whenever He Engages