Two-year-old Hannah says the word hell in the middle of dinner,and her parents immediately stop talking to each other and scold her.They spent the rest of the meal paying close attention to what Hannah said.Later,Hannah says hell repeatedly,and each time,her parents spend time talking to her and paying attention to her.In this situation,the parents' attention is a ____ and Hannah's inappropriate language is a(n)____.
A) positive reinforcer; conditioner
B) negative reinforcer; operant
C) positive reinforcer; operant
D) punishment; operant

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The parents' attention acts as a positive reinforcer because it encourages Hannah to repeat the behavior (saying "hell") by providing her with attention each time she does it. Hannah's inappropriate language is an operant because it is a behavior that is modified by its consequences (receiving attention).

Two-Year-Old Hannah Says the Word Hell in the Middle of Dinner,and