A child learned to get candy by crying.What would extinguish this response?
A)Punish the child for crying.
B)Stop giving candy.
C)Give candy before the child starts crying.
D)Explain to the child why crying is inappropriate.

Question

A child learned to get candy by crying.What would extinguish this response?​
A)Punish the child for crying.
B)Stop giving candy.​
C)Give candy before the child starts crying.​
D)Explain to the child why crying is inappropriate.​

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Extinction involves ceasing to reinforce a behavior that was previously reinforced. In this scenario, the behavior of crying previously led to the child receiving candy, but if the candy stops being given when the child cries, eventually the behavior of crying should decrease and be extinguished. Punishing the child for crying may lead to other negative effects and does not directly address the candy-seeking behavior. Giving candy before the child cries would still reinforce the behavior of crying, and explaining to the child why crying is inappropriate may not be effective if the primary motivation is to get candy.

A Child Learned to Get Candy by Crying