Molly is sometimes loud and disruptive in class, and her teacher thinks she acts this way when she wants attention. The teacher worries that yelling at Molly might serve as a positive reinforcer for her bad behavior because it is giving Molly the attention she wants. One behavior modification that might help with this child is ________.
A) use of partial reinforcement
B) use of classical conditioning by shocking the child so that she stops speaking out
C) use of instinctive drift therapy
D) use of time-outs to remove the positive reinforcement that even a scolding gives the child

Question

Molly is sometimes loud and disruptive in class, and her teacher thinks she acts this way when she wants attention. The teacher worries that yelling at Molly might serve as a positive reinforcer for her bad behavior because it is giving Molly the attention she wants. One behavior modification that might help with this child is ________.
A) use of partial reinforcement
B) use of classical conditioning by shocking the child so that she stops speaking out 
C) use of instinctive drift therapy
D) use of time-outs to remove the positive reinforcement that even a scolding gives the child

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Using time-outs can be an effective punishment for disruptive behavior because it removes the positive reinforcement of attention that even a scolding from the teacher can provide. This teaches the child that disruptive behavior will not result in obtaining the attention she wants. The other options (partial reinforcement, classical conditioning by shocking, and instinctive drift therapy) are not appropriate or ethical solutions for this problem.

Molly Is Sometimes Loud and Disruptive in Class, and Her