Which of the following scenarios is the best example of negative reinforcement? a. Vanna fastens her seatbelt as soon as she gets in her car to stop the annoying alert sound. b. Drake no longer cuts class now that his parents confiscated his iPod. c. Maria now buys a different brand of cigarettes to get two packs for the price of one. d. Nate no longer arrives late at work following a reprimand from his boss.
Actually, the correct answer is D. Nate no longer arrives late at work following a reprimand from his boss. Negative reinforcement occurs when a behavior is strengthened by removing or avoiding a negative stimulus. In this scenario, Nate's behavior of arriving late at work is strengthened by the removal of a reprimand from his boss. In option A, Vanna fastening her seatbelt to stop an annoying alert sound is an example of negative punishment, not negative reinforcement.
Yes, you are correct. Scenario A, where Vanna fastens her seatbelt to stop the annoying alert sound in her car, is the best example of negative reinforcement. Negative reinforcement involves the removal or avoidance of an aversive stimulus to increase the likelihood of a behavior being repeated in the future. In this scenario, the annoying alert sound serves as the aversive stimulus, and Vanna fastening her seatbelt removes or avoids that stimulus, reinforcing the behavior of fastening her seatbelt.
