You are babysitting a toddler who wants a cookie before bed.You say "no" so the toddler begins to throw a tantrum.To get the toddler to stop throwing a tantrum you give in and give her a cookie.The toddler has (inadvertently)used ______ to shape your behavior.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The toddler has used negative reinforcement to shape your behavior. By throwing a tantrum (a negative condition), the toddler creates a situation that you want to escape from. When you give in and give the toddler a cookie, you are effectively removing the negative condition (the tantrum), which reinforces your behavior of giving in to stop the tantrum in the future.

You Are Babysitting a Toddler Who Wants a Cookie Before