Barney is late to work one morning,so he drives over the speed limit through a school zone.As a result,he gets pulled over by a police officer and receives a ticket.This scenario is an instance of
A) positive reinforcement.
B) negative reinforcement.
C) punishment.
D) extinction.
E) shaping.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This scenario exemplifies punishment, which is when a consequence is applied to decrease the probability of a behavior occurring in the future. In this case, the consequence is a ticket given by the police, and it is applied to decrease the probability of Barney driving over the speed limit in a school zone in the future. Positive reinforcement would involve adding a desirable consequence to increase the probability of a behavior occurring, while negative reinforcement involves removing an aversive stimulus to increase the probability of a behavior occurring. Extinction involves removing a reinforcing consequence to decrease the probability of a behavior occurring, and shaping involves reinforcing successive approximations to a desired behavior. None of these concepts apply to this scenario.

Barney Is Late to Work One Morning,so He Drives Over