After he is spanked, Terrence feels angry, frustrated, and hostile, and goes immediately outside and picks a fight with his younger brother. What is most likely to occur in the future?
A) Picking a fight with his brother will be an isolated event in the future, although he will still misbehave and receive spankings.
B) Because Terrence releases some of his anger on his younger brother, his aggression will be rewarded by being the stronger one and this behavior will tend to occur again in other frustrating situations.
C) Because Terrence releases his anger on his younger brother, he will be less likely to be aggressive toward any other children in the future due to the cathartic effect.
D) Terrence's overall aggression will decline, and he will become a model child at home, in the neighborhood, and at school.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Terrence's behavior of picking a fight with his younger brother after being spanked and feeling angry is likely to be reinforced because he releases his anger and may feel a sense of power or relief from doing so. This reinforcement can make it more likely that he will repeat this behavior in future frustrating situations.

After He Is Spanked, Terrence Feels Angry, Frustrated, and Hostile