Sandy had had a rough day, and his son's noisemaking was not helping him relax. Not wanting to resort to scolding, Sandy told his son in a serious manner that he was very tired and would like the boy to play quietly for an hour. This approach worked. For Sandy, the change in his son's behavior was a. positively reinforcing. b. negatively reinforcing.

Short Answer

Expert verified
The change in his son's behavior was 'b. negatively reinforcing' for Sandy.

Step by step solution

01

Understand the scenario

In this case, Sandy is exhausted and requests his son to play quietly. His son adheres and Sandy experiences relief from the noise. This change in behavior solves Sandy's problem.
02

Distinguish between positive and negative reinforcement

Two main elements define this scenario: there is no addition of positive stimuli but rather a removal of negative stimulus. This helps distinguish between positive (addition of positive stimuli) and negative reinforcement (removal of negative stimuli).
03

Match the scenario with the corresponding option

Given that Sandy's relief and potential satisfaction came from the cessation of his son's noise (a negative stimulus), this scenario aligns more with negative reinforcement rather than positive reinforcement. This is because the unwanted behaviour decreased due to the removal of the negative stimulus (noisy play), which is a typical characteristic of negative reinforcement.

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