203k views
0 votes
Jorge wants to motivate Linda to stop taking overly long lunch breaks. Which of the following would serve as an example of extinction?

a) Rewarding Linda for shorter breaks
b) Acknowledging Linda's behavior
c) Providing positive feedback to Linda
d) Ignoring Linda's behavior

1 Answer

4 votes

Final answer:

In operant conditioning, extinction of behavior occurs when it is no longer reinforced, and in the scenario with Jorge and Linda, the example of extinction would be ignoring Linda's overly long lunch breaks.

Step-by-step explanation:

The concept being described in the question pertains to forms of operant conditioning, a type of learning in which behaviors are controlled by consequences. Extinction in operant conditioning refers to the decrease in the frequency of a behavior when it is no longer reinforced, meaning the behavior's consequences are removed. In Jorge's situation with Linda, the example of extinction would be ignoring Linda's behavior (d). By not acknowledging or rewarding her long lunch breaks, the reinforcement that might have been maintaining the behavior is stopped, which should eventually lead to its decrease in frequency. This approach contrasts with continuous reinforcement, where a behavior is rewarded every time it occurs, thus strengthening the behavior.

User Brettbuddin
by
7.9k points