A mental patient is ignored by staff except when she misbehaves, and then she is scolded for bad behavior. Strangely, the misbehavior continues and even increases its rate. What reinforcer operates here?未知题型
A
being ignored
B
attention given by the staff
C
being fed three times daily
D
scolding by staff

Question

A mental patient is ignored by staff except when she misbehaves, and then she is scolded for bad behavior. Strangely, the misbehavior continues and even increases its rate. What reinforcer operates here?未知题型

A

being ignored

B

attention given by the staff

C

being fed three times daily

D

scolding by staff

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Attention given by the staff is the reinforcer because the patient’s misbehavior is followed by social attention (even if it is negative attention), and the rate of misbehavior increases as a result.

1. Relevant knowledge points and concepts
- Operant conditioning: behaviors that are followed by reinforcing consequences increase in frequency.
- Positive reinforcement: adding a stimulus after a behavior that increases that behavior’s future probability.
- Social reinforcement: attention, approval, or contact from others can function as a potent reinforcer.
- Intermittent reinforcement: occasional attention can make behavior persistent and resistant to extinction.

2. Step-by-step reasoning
- Identify the contingency: The patient is ignored most of the time; when she misbehaves, staff respond (scold/attend to her).
- Observe the effect: Misbehavior continues and even increases.
- Apply the reinforcement definition: If a consequence increases a behavior, that consequence is a reinforcer.
- Determine what consequence follows the misbehavior: Staff deliver attention (scolding is a form of attention).
- Conclude that attention is the reinforcing stimulus because its delivery reliably increases misbehavior.

3. Intermediate steps (conceptual)
- Baseline: Ignoring provides no added attention, so no reinforcement for normal behavior.
- Event: Misbehavior -> staff intervene -> attention delivered.
- Outcome: Behavior frequency rises, indicating the attention functions as a reinforcer.

4. Why the correct answer is correct
- Although the staff’s response is scolding (aversive in tone), it still provides attention. Because the behavior increases after receiving that attention, attention is functioning as a positive social reinforcer. The critical point is the function (increasing behavior), not the affective quality (positive/negative) of the stimulus.

5. Why other options are incorrect
- Being ignored: This is the baseline condition, not a consequence that increases misbehavior.
- Being fed three times daily: Irrelevant; no feeding contingency is described.
- Scolding by staff: While scolding describes the form of the response, the operative reinforcer is the attention that scolding provides. The answer choice "attention given by the staff" names the functional reinforcer.

6. Conclusion
The functional reinforcer operating is attention given by the staff, which matches the provided correct answer.

A mental patient is ignored by staff except when she misbehaves, and then she is scolded for bad behavior. Strangely, the misbehavior continues and even increases its rate. What reinforcer operates here?未知题型

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