A teacher proposes exempting students from some homework to read more books. This behavior-modification technique is best described as:

A teacher proposes exempting students from some homework to read more books. This behavior-modification technique is best described as:

• A. Positive reinforcement
• B. Negative reinforcement
• C. Punishment
• D. Extinction

Answer: (B)

Reading more books is encouraged because it leads to the removal of an unpleasant task—homework. The student learns that doing the reading behavior will take away some of the homework, so the reading is more likely to occur in the future. That removal of an aversive stimulus to increase a behavior is negative reinforcement. It’s not positive reinforcement (which would add a reward), not punishment (which would add something aversive to reduce a behavior), and not extinction (which would remove reinforcement to weaken a behavior).

Reading more books is encouraged because it leads to the removal of an unpleasant task—homework. The student learns that doing the reading behavior will take away some of the homework, so the reading is more likely to occur in the future. That removal of an aversive stimulus to increase a behavior is negative reinforcement. It’s not positive reinforcement (which would add a reward), not punishment (which would add something aversive to reduce a behavior), and not extinction (which would remove reinforcement to weaken a behavior).