Mary learns that she can avoid a fight with her supervisor by not taking too long a lunch break. This is an example of which of the following in operation?
A) Negative reinforcement
B) Positive reinforcement
C) Punishment
D) Extinction

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Negative reinforcement involves the removal of an aversive stimulus to increase the likelihood of a behavior being repeated. In this case, Mary avoiding a fight with her supervisor (a negative stimulus) by taking a shorter lunch break (a behavior) is an example of negative reinforcement.

Mary Learns That She Can Avoid a Fight with Her