Which of the following scenarios is the best example of positive reinforcement?
A. Maria now buys a different brand of cigarettes to get two packs for the price of one.
B. Nate no longer arrives late at work following a reprimand from his boss.
C. Drake no longer cuts class now that his parents confiscated his iPod.
D. Vanna fastens her seatbelt as soon as she gets in her car to stop the annoying alert sound.
I think it should be A.
I was right.
The best example of positive reinforcement among the given scenarios is option D. Vanna fastens her seatbelt as soon as she gets in her car to stop the annoying alert sound.
To determine which of the scenarios is the best example of positive reinforcement, it's important to understand what positive reinforcement is. Positive reinforcement is a type of operant conditioning where a behavior is strengthened by the addition or presentation of a pleasant stimulus immediately following it. Essentially, positive reinforcement aims to increase the likelihood of a behavior occurring by providing a positive consequence.
Let's analyze each scenario to determine which one aligns with positive reinforcement:
A. Maria now buys a different brand of cigarettes to get two packs for the price of one.
This scenario does not involve positive reinforcement as it offers a discount on cigarettes. Positive reinforcement involves adding something pleasant to increase the likelihood of a behavior, so in this case, this scenario does not fit the definition.
B. Nate no longer arrives late at work following a reprimand from his boss.
This scenario does not involve positive reinforcement as it entails a reprimand or punishment. Positive reinforcement involves adding something pleasant, so a reprimand would not fit the definition.
C. Drake no longer cuts class now that his parents confiscated his iPod.
This scenario does not involve positive reinforcement either. In this situation, Drake's parents have taken away something (his iPod) as a consequence for cutting class, which falls under negative punishment, not positive reinforcement.
D. Vanna fastens her seatbelt as soon as she gets in her car to stop the annoying alert sound.
This scenario best exemplifies positive reinforcement. By fastening her seatbelt, Vanna removes or stops the annoying alert sound (pleasant stimulus) that occurs when she enters her car. This behavior (fastening seatbelt) is likely to be reinforced because it results in the immediate removal of something unpleasant, and thus the likelihood of Vanna fastening her seatbelt in the future is increased.
Therefore, the correct answer is D. Vanna fastens her seatbelt as soon as she gets in her car to stop the annoying alert sound.