Whenever Jan tries to talk on the telephone, her five-year-old daughter, Isabel, repeatedly interrupts her. If Jan wants to use the strategy of reinforcing the nonoccurrence of the problem behavior, she should:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Reinforcing the nonoccurrence of the problem behavior means rewarding the child for not engaging in the behavior. So, in this case, Jan should provide a positive reinforcement, such as praise or a small reward, to Isabel when she does not interrupt her during a phone call. This will encourage Isabel to continue the behavior and eventually reduce the frequency of interruptions. Option A is not effective as simply asking the child to stop may not be enough. Option B is a negative punishment method that is unlikely to be effective in the long-term. Option D reinforces the problem behavior as it immediately attends to the child's needs every time she interrupts.

Whenever Jan Tries to Talk on the Telephone, Her Five-Year-Old