Four-month-old Simon quickly learns that he will be picked up if he cries. From a behaviorist perspective, picking up Simon whenever he cries is a ________ for the baby.
A) positive reinforcer
B) negative reinforcer
C) positive punisher
D) negative punisher

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In the behaviorist perspective, positive reinforcer refers to any stimuli that, when it follows a behavior, increases the likelihood that the behavior will occur again in the future. In this case, picking up the baby whenever he cries serves as a positive reinforcer that strengthens the behavior of crying because the baby learns that crying leads to being picked up.

Four-Month-Old Simon Quickly Learns That He Will Be Picked Up