The Internal Revenue Service threatens Chloe with a penalty if she fails to pay her back taxes. She pays, and the threat is withdrawn. In the future, she is more prompt in meeting her obligation. This is an example of the use of __________ to control behavior.
A) positive reinforcement
B) negative reinforcement
C) positive punishment
D) negative punishment

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The IRS withdrawing the threat of a penalty after Chloe pays her back taxes is an example of negative reinforcement, which is the use of the removal of an unpleasant stimulus to increase the likelihood of a behavior being repeated in the future. In this case, the unpleasant stimulus is the threat of a penalty and the behavior being reinforced is Chloe promptly paying her taxes.

The Internal Revenue Service Threatens Chloe with a Penalty If