Question

While being employed at Wal-Mart, Gregg outperformed all of his co-workers and was given a bonus on his next paycheck at the end of the month. Identify the consequential stimulus.

Answer 1

The consequential stimulus for Gregg at Walmart is the bonus given for outperforming his co-workers, which acts as a positive reinforcement for his performance and aligns with the efficiency wage theory.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the scenario provided, the consequential stimulus for Gregg's behavior of outperforming his co-workers is the bonus he was given on his next paycheck. This bonus serves as a positive reinforcement for his excellent performance. In behavioral psychology, a consequential stimulus is something that happens after the target behavior and increases the likelihood that the behavior will occur again in the future. In this case, the bonus is expected to motivate Gregg to maintain or improve his performance at work.

Efficiency wage theory suggests that by providing better pay or bonuses, employers can enhance worker productivity. When employees receive higher compensation than the market average, they are generally more motivated to perform well and have a greater incentive to stay with the company, which benefits both the employees and the employer.