Whenever Billy cries at the supermarket, his mom and dad buy him a candy bar, and find that with each trip to the store, Billy cries more and more. What is happening?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Billy's behavior of crying is being reinforced by the positive outcome of receiving a candy bar, which is negative reinforcement. As a result, he is more likely to cry in the future to receive the same outcome, which can lead to an increase in his crying behavior over time.

Whenever Billy Cries at the Supermarket, His Mom and Dad