Akia rubbed some cortisone cream on the spot where a mosquito had bitten her and the itching stopped. The next time a mosquito bit her, she reached for the cortisone cream. In terms of operant conditioning, this is an example of
A)positive reinforcement.
B)negative reinforcement.
C)aversive punishment.
D)response cost.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Negative reinforcement occurs when a behavior is strengthened as a result of stopping or avoiding a negative condition. In this case, Akia's use of cortisone cream to stop the itching (a negative condition) reinforces the behavior of using the cream after a mosquito bite.

Akia Rubbed Some Cortisone Cream on the Spot Where a Mosquito