A kindergarten teacher wants to reduce the amount of aggressiveness children display in her class and on the playground. Using operant conditioning principles, the teacher should ____.
A) use negative reinforcers to decrease the behavior
B) pair aggressiveness with some pleasant stimulus
C) eliminate the reinforcement associated with aggressiveness
D) encourage the children to get the aggressiveness out of their systems

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Operant conditioning principles suggest that behaviors can be increased or decreased through reinforcement or punishment. By eliminating the reinforcement (positive outcomes or attention that children might be receiving for aggressive behavior), the behavior is less likely to be repeated, thus reducing aggressiveness. Choices A, B, and D do not directly apply operant conditioning principles to decrease aggressive behavior.

A Kindergarten Teacher Wants to Reduce the Amount of Aggressiveness