Julie watches her sister swing her pet cat by the tail and sees her gets punished by her parents for that behavior. Consequently, Julie learns not to swing her pet cat by the tail. Which term best describes this scenario?

Question

Julie watches her sister swing her pet cat by the tail and sees her gets punished by her parents for that behavior. Consequently, Julie learns not to swing her pet cat by the tail. Which term best describes this scenario? ​

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This scenario is an example of counterimitation, where Julie learns what not to do after observing the negative consequences her sister faced for swinging the cat by the tail. It is not negative reinforcement trap as there is no reward involved, not indulgent parenting as there is punishment involved, and not direct instruction as Julie is not explicitly taught to not swing the cat by the tail.

Julie Watches Her Sister Swing Her Pet Cat by the Tail