Which of the following is an example of positive reinforcement?
a) Adding extra chores for misbehaving
b) Taking away screen time for not completing homework
c) Giving a sticker for completing a task
d) Ignoring a child’s tantrum
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is c) Giving a sticker for completing a task.
Positive reinforcement involves adding something pleasant or rewarding to encourage a desired behavior. The goal is to increase the likelihood that the behavior will occur again in the future. In this case, giving a sticker as a reward for completing a task is a classic example of positive reinforcement. The sticker is a positive stimulus that encourages the child to repeat the behavior of completing tasks.
To break it down further:
- Positive reinforcement works by introducing a positive stimulus after a behavior, making it more likely that the behavior will continue. For example, when a child completes their homework and receives a sticker, they are likely to feel encouraged and motivated to complete tasks in the future to earn more rewards.
- On the other hand, negative reinforcement involves removing something unpleasant to encourage a behavior. For instance, taking away an unpleasant consequence (like a chore) after the desired behavior occurs, but this is not an example of positive reinforcement.
- Punishment involves either adding something unpleasant (e.g., extra chores) or removing something pleasant (e.g., screen time) to decrease the occurrence of an undesired behavior. Both of these options (a and b) are examples of punishment, not reinforcement.
- Ignoring a child’s tantrum (d) is an example of extinction, which reduces undesired behavior by not reinforcing it. This is different from reinforcing positive behavior.
Thus, the act of giving a sticker for completing a task strengthens the positive behavior of completing tasks, which is the essence of positive reinforcement.