Question

Whenever Stephanie changes the engine air filter in her car, she unscrews the two bolts that hold the filter cover on, then places the two bolts by the car's front tire to avoid dropping (and losing) them in the car's engine. Using operant conditioning terminology, placing the bolts by the tire is:

a. an operant (behavior) that is being reinforced on a fixed-interval schedule.
b. an unconditioned response that is being positively reinforced.
c. the operant (behavior) that is being positively reinforced.
d. the operant (behavior) that is being negatively reinforced.

Answer 1

Option d is the correct answer. Placing the bolts by the tire is the operant behavior that is being negatively reinforced, as it avoids the negative outcome of losing the bolts.

Step-by-step explanation:

Whenever Stephanie changes the engine air filter in her car, she unscrews the two bolts that hold the filter cover on, then places the two bolts by the car's front tire to avoid dropping (and losing) them in the car's engine. Using operant conditioning terminology, placing the bolts by the tire is d. the operant (behavior) that is being negatively reinforced.

In operant conditioning, behaviors are modified by their consequences. Negative reinforcement involves the removal of an unpleasant stimulus to increase a behavior. In this case, the unpleasant stimulus is the potential frustration or consequences of losing the bolts in the engine area. By placing them by the tire, Stephanie avoids this negative outcome, which reinforces her behavior to place the bolts by the tire each time she changes the air filter. This action doesn't involve a scheduled reinforcement; rather, it's reinforced by the avoidance of a negative outcome.