Whenever baby Colin cries,his mother picks him up.This stops Colin from crying.In turn,this makes Colin's mother pick him up more often.In this example,his mother picking him up serves as a ________ reinforcer for Colin.Colin stopping crying is a ________ reinforcer for the mother.
A) negative; negative
B) negative; positive
C) positive; negative
D) positive; positive

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In this scenario, the mother picking up Colin is a positive reinforcer. Positive reinforcers increase the likelihood of a behavior recurring in the future because they involve adding a desirable consequence. Colin stopping crying is not a reinforcer for the mother, as it is not a desirable consequence for the mother; it is simply the absence of an aversive stimulus. Therefore, it is not a reinforcer, negative or positive.

Whenever Baby Colin Cries,his Mother Picks Him Up