When Erin was a little girl, she used to throw temper tantrums. At first, her parents showered lots of attention on her to get her to quiet down. Soon, though, her parents realized that her tantrums were becoming more frequent. As a result, they decided to completely ignore Erin's tantrums. Erin's tantrums first increased in both frequency and intensity. Gradually, though, they stopped altogether. Erin's parents had effectively employed what operant procedure in eliminating her tantrums?
A) positive reinforcement
B) punishment
C) response cost
D) extinction
E) negative reinforcement

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Erin's parents ignored her tantrums, which means they stopped reinforcing the behavior. This lack of reinforcement for the tantrums led to their eventual cessation, a process known as extinction in operant conditioning.

When Erin Was a Little Girl, She Used to Throw