Some teachers have reduced the disruptive classroom behavior of students by imposing a time-out following disruptive behavior.In this case,the time-out is a
A) conditioned reinforcer.
B) negative reinforcer.
C) primary reinforcer.
D) punishment.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A time-out is a form of punishment, as it involves removing a student from the situation, thereby decreasing the likelihood of the behavior being repeated in the future. A conditioned reinforcer would typically involve pairing a neutral stimulus with a primary reinforcer to eventually become reinforcing on its own, but a time-out is not reinforcing in and of itself. A negative reinforcer would involve the removal of an aversive stimulus to increase the likelihood of a behavior being repeated, but again, a time-out involves the removal of a student from a situation as a form of punishment. A primary reinforcer is a stimulus that is inherently reinforcing, such as food or water, but a time-out is not inherently reinforcing. Therefore, the best choice is D.

Some Teachers Have Reduced the Disruptive Classroom Behavior of Students