Question

Ames is the manager of an office. In order to terminate the activities of music and dancing at work, according to researchers, the most effective form of reinforcement is __ and by ___, the activities can be terminated.

A) Positive reinforcement; providing rewards for not engaging in the activity
B) Negative reinforcement; taking away privileges until the activity stops
C) Extinction; not reinforcing the behavior, letting it naturally fade away
D) Punishment; implementing penalties for engaging in the activity

Answer 1

The most effective form of reinforcement for terminating behaviors like music and dancing at work is extinction, where the behavior naturally diminishes when it is no longer reinforced.

Step-by-step explanation:

In operant conditioning, if James, the manager of an office, wants to terminate music and dancing at work, the most effective form of reinforcement is extinction; by not reinforcing the behavior, it should naturally fade away. Extinction involves the decrease in the conditioned response when behavior is no longer reinforced. In the case of the activities James wants to stop, not giving any attention or consequences might lead to the gradual reduction and eventual termination of the music and dancing.

In order to terminate the activities of music and dancing at work, the most effective form of reinforcement is extinction and by not reinforcing the behavior, letting it naturally fade away. This means that you would no longer provide any rewards or incentives for engaging in the activity, and over time, the behavior will decrease and eventually stop altogether.