Which of the following best illustrates a negative reinforcer?
A. Carmine changes his major to English lit after failing a math exam.
B. On a hot day, Lindberg always drinks lemonade.
C. Copland gives up candy to stave off chronic acid indigestion.
D. Nancy learns that she prefers chocolate over vanilla.
This answer could be B or C
In negative reinforcement, a response or behavior is strengthened by stopping, removing, or avoiding a negative outcome or aversive stimulus.
I have given up candy because I get fat, which my cardiologist yells at me about.
Actually, the best illustration of a negative reinforcer would be option C: Copland gives up candy to stave off chronic acid indigestion. In this example, the removal of candy is acting as a negative reinforcer because it is used to alleviate or reduce the occurrence of acid indigestion, which is an aversive condition.
To identify the best illustration of a negative reinforcer, we first need to understand what a negative reinforcer is. A negative reinforcer is something that, when removed or avoided, increases the likelihood of a desired behavior occurring again in the future.
Let's analyze each option to determine which one best illustrates a negative reinforcer:
A. Carmine changes his major to English lit after failing a math exam.
This option does not involve removing or avoiding anything. Therefore, it does not represent a negative reinforcer.
B. On a hot day, Lindberg always drinks lemonade.
Here, Lindberg is drinking lemonade as a means to remove or alleviate the discomfort caused by the heat. By doing so, he is engaging in a behavior (drinking lemonade) to avoid the negative stimuli (hot weather). This aligns with the definition of a negative reinforcer.
C. Copland gives up candy to stave off chronic acid indigestion.
In this scenario, Copland is stopping his consumption of candy to avoid the negative consequence of acid indigestion. By avoiding candy, Copland is exhibiting a behavior to prevent the negative outcome, which is consistent with a negative reinforcer.
D. Nancy learns that she prefers chocolate over vanilla.
This option does not involve the removal or avoidance of any negative stimuli. Instead, it highlights Nancy's preference for chocolate over vanilla, which is unrelated to negative reinforcement.
Based on the analysis, options B and C best illustrate a negative reinforcer. Both options involve engaging in behavior to avoid or remove negative stimuli (drinking lemonade to avoid the discomfort of heat or giving up candy to avoid acid indigestion).