You want your son to quit picking up the cat by its tail,so you yell at him every time you see the behavior.Unfortunately,you do not see a decrease in the unwanted behavior.Rather,your son is increasing this behavior.Of the following,which is the BEST explanation?
A) When you see the behavior,you are not yelling soon enough.
B) Your yelling is serving as positive reinforcement.
C) Your yelling is serving as a punishment.
D) You are not using the proper reinforcement schedule.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Yelling is a form of attention, and attention is a form of positive reinforcement. Therefore, by yelling, you are unintentionally reinforcing the behavior you want to eliminate.

You Want Your Son to Quit Picking Up the Cat