which of the following is an example of vicarious punishment? group of answer choices jeong observes his sister bronwyn getting spanked for spitting out her carrots. because he does not like getting spanked, he chews and swallows the carrots even though he hates them. job wants to avoid being fired, so he follows the shop rules and does not smoke in the bathroom. laurie wants to receive a smiley sticker and she knows from reading the rulebook that she will receive one if she behaves herself. belinda saw mavis receive a hug for cleaning his room. she is careful to clean her room because she saw mavis get a reward for doing it.
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
The correct example of vicarious punishment is:
Jeong observes his sister Bronwyn getting spanked for spitting out her carrots. Because he does not like getting spanked, he chews and swallows the carrots even though he hates them.
Explanation
Vicarious punishment occurs when an individual learns to avoid a behavior after observing someone else being punished for that behavior. In this scenario, Jeong witnesses his sister Bronwyn being spanked for her action of spitting out her carrots. This observation influences Jeong’s behavior, as he realizes that spitting out carrots leads to an undesirable consequence (spanking).
As a result of this observation, Jeong decides to chew and swallow the carrots, even though he dislikes them, to avoid the same punishment. His decision is not based on a direct experience of punishment but rather on his understanding of the consequences that his sister faced. This reflects the concept of observational learning, where individuals learn behaviors through the actions and consequences experienced by others.
In contrast, the other scenarios provided do not exemplify vicarious punishment:
- Job follows shop rules to avoid being fired. This is a case of direct reinforcement or punishment, as Job is acting to avoid the direct consequence of losing his job.
- Laurie wants to receive a smiley sticker for behaving well. This example involves positive reinforcement, as Laurie is motivated by the potential reward rather than the observation of punishment.
- Belinda cleans her room because she saw Mavis receive a hug for doing it. This is also an example of observational learning but relates to vicarious reinforcement, where Belinda is motivated by the positive consequence Mavis received.
In summary, Jeong’s behavior illustrates vicarious punishment as he modifies his actions based on the observed consequences faced by his sister.