Kathy takes her 2-year-old son to the supermarket every Saturday. Each week, the same sequence of events unfolds: Her son screams, demanding that Kathy buys him treats. Although she refuses to give in to his demands, he continues to scream. Finally, Kathy yells at the top of her lungs, "QUIET!" He stops screaming instantly. What operant conditioning concepts are illustrated in this story?
A) Kathy is using negative reinforcement to increase her son's screaming.
B) Kathy is using punishment to suppress the screaming; her use of punishment is negatively reinforced by the cessation of screaming.
C) Kathy's son probably learned how to scream by observing his parents at home, and now he is reinforced on a variable-interval schedule of reinforcement.
D) Kathy's son probably learned how to scream by observing his parents at home, and now he is reinforced on a fixed-ratio schedule of reinforcement.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This story illustrates the use of punishment (yelling) to suppress the behavior of screaming. The cessation of screaming is negatively reinforcing for Kathy, as it leads to relief from the aversive noise. However, it is important to note that punishment can have unintended consequences, such as an increase in aggressive behavior or a decrease in the overall quality of the parent-child relationship. It may be more effective to use positive reinforcement techniques, such as praise or rewards, to encourage desired behaviors.

Kathy Takes Her 2-Year-Old Son to the Supermarket Every Saturday