Question

Although Jonah's teacher is ignoring his bad behaviour in the classroom, Jonah is still receiving reinforcement because of the laughter reaction from his classmates. What should the teacher do?

Select one:
a. send Jonah to "time-out" to separate him from the reinforcement of his peers
b. continue to ignore the behaviour until it disappears
c. punish Jonah's peers for giving him their approval
d. punish Jonah harshly in the presence of his peers

Answer 1

The teacher should use a a) time-out as a form of negative punishment by removing Jonah from the reinforcing environment to decrease his unwanted behavior.

Step-by-step explanation:

In response to Jonah's behavior, the teacher should consider implementing a time-out as a form of negative punishment. This strategy involves removing Jonah from the reinforcing environment, in this case, the presence of his peers who are laughing at his behavior.

The concept of behavior modification suggests that removing the individual from the desirable activity, or the source of reinforcement, can effectively decrease unwanted behaviors. An example would be if a child is removed from playing with friends after displaying bad behavior, similar to Jonah being separated from his class.

Positive punishment could also be used but should be administered carefully to avoid negative side effects such as fear and increased aggression. A more constructive approach beyond punishment would be to catch Jonah doing something good and reward him for it, promoting positive reinforcement.