Jim had a bad habit of arriving to work late. His boss Carlos, wanted Jim to arrive on time. Carlos decided to have Jim make up the time he missed by working late. When Jim arrived on time, he had 15 minutes added to his lunch hour. It didn't take long for Jim to begin arriving on time so that he could have extra time for lunch and not have to work late. Which of the following best explains what happened in this situation?
A) Jim learned that arriving late had consequences
B) Jim experienced action learning
C) Jim wanted a promotion
D) Carlos changed Jim's behavior through operant conditioning

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

D) This situation demonstrates operant conditioning. Carlos introduced a new reward that was given every time Jim arrived on time. Conversely, when Jim was tardy, the new policy of making up the time during lunch was introduced. As a result, Jim's behavior was changed via the rewards and punishments Carlos applied.

Jim Had a Bad Habit of Arriving to Work Late