Which one of the following is an example of vicarious punishment?
A) Johnny's teacher smiles at him when he turns in his homework on time. He now always turns his homework in one time.
B) Betty notices that her sister gets to watch TV after she finished her chores. Betty begins to finish her chores as well.
C) Jane sees her friend Olivia scolded by the teacher for talking out of turn in class. Jane stops talking out of turn in class.
D) Lauren notices Emily get in trouble by the teacher for not cleaning her desk, but Lauren doesn't want to clean out her desk.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Vicarious punishment is when the behavior of others is modified based on seeing the negative consequences of someone else's behavior. In this case, Jane sees Olivia get scolded for talking out of turn in class and modifies her own behavior to avoid the same negative consequence. Option A is an example of positive reinforcement because the behavior (turning in homework on time) is reinforced with a smile. Option B is an example of a natural consequence where completing chores leads to the reward of watching TV. Option D is an example of no observable behavior change due to observing someone else's punishment.

Which One of the Following Is an Example of Vicarious