Caroline loves bubble gum. Her teacher gives bubble gum to every child who finishes their math facts work sheet in less than one minute. Caroline never finishes in one minute, and she cries when everyone gets bubblegum except for her. The faster she writes her answers, the more mistakes she makes. The most likely reason for the reinforcer not working is
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
The most likely reason the reinforcer (bubble gum) is not effectively motivating Caroline’s behavior is sensitivity to the consequence. This means that the reinforcement (bubble gum) is not effectively motivating Caroline’s behavior.
Explanation:
In behavioral psychology, a reinforcer is a stimulus or event that follows a behavior and increases the likelihood of that behavior occurring again in the future. For a reinforcer to be effective, it must be perceived as desirable and must be delivered contingent upon the desired behavior.
In Caroline’s case, the teacher offers bubble gum to students who complete their math worksheet in under one minute. Caroline, however, struggles to finish within this time frame. As a result, she does not receive the reinforcement, leading to feelings of frustration and sadness. This emotional response suggests that the reinforcer (bubble gum) is not effectively motivating Caroline’s behavior.
The concept of “sensitivity to the consequence” refers to how well a reinforcer motivates behavior. If a student is unable to achieve the criteria for receiving the reinforcer, or if the reinforcer does not align with the student’s needs or preferences, it may not effectively encourage the desired behavior.
In this scenario, Caroline’s emotional reaction indicates that the current reinforcement strategy is not effective. To enhance its effectiveness, the teacher might consider adjusting the criteria for receiving the reinforcer, offering alternative forms of reinforcement that align with Caroline’s preferences, or providing additional support to help Caroline improve her speed and accuracy in completing the worksheet.
By aligning the reinforcement strategy with Caroline’s abilities and preferences, the teacher can increase the likelihood of the desired behavior—completing the math worksheet efficiently—while also ensuring that the reinforcement is perceived as motivating and rewarding.