John and Bill have both learned that when they whine and complain, their teacher will hurry over to see what's wrong. John's teacher gives him attention every time he complains. However, Bill's teacher gives him attention only on some of the occasions he complains. Both teachers eventually realize that they are reinforcing the boys for inappropriate behavior and so both stop attending to the boys when they whine and complain. From a behaviorist perspective, we can predict that:
A) Both boys will whine and complain even more than before.
B) Both boys will stop their whining and complaining almost immediately.
C) Bill's complaining will decrease more rapidly than John's.
D) John's complaining will decrease more rapidly than Bill's.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Since John's teacher consistently gives him attention when he complains, he has likely become more strongly reinforced for that behavior than Bill has. This means that John's complaining behavior may take longer to decrease than Bill's, but once it does start to decrease it will likely decrease more rapidly.

John and Bill Have Both Learned That When They Whine