Question

Ryan shows up for work 30 minutes late. Michael takes away his social media for the day. Now Ryan never shows up late to work. What is the reason for Ryan never showing up late to work?

1) Ryan learned his lesson and became more punctual
2) Michael threatened Ryan to never be late again
3) Ryan found a new job where he doesn't have to be on time
4) Ryan's alarm clock broke and he got a new one

Answer 1

Ryan likely never shows up late to work again due to behavioral modification; after a negative consequence (losing his social media access), he becomes more punctual. This is analogous to other scenarios where people adjust their behavior after facing or anticipating undesirable outcomes.

Step-by-step explanation:

The reason for Ryan never showing up late to work after the instance where Michael took away his social media for the day could most reasonably be tied to a change in behavior to avoid a negative consequence. The process resembles a behavioral modification technique, where an undesirable behavior (in this case, lateness) is discouraged through a punitive consequence.

From the information provided, the reason that seems to fit this scenario is option 1, wherein Ryan learned his lesson and became more punctual. This is similar to the examples provided where individuals alter their behavior to avoid negative outcomes (like being reprimanded or missing a party) or as a result of planning and decision making (such as Amy finishing her projects ahead of time).

In the case of meeting a friend at a designated time and the friend being late due to a misbelief about how time works at different altitudes, this is not a valid excuse. Scientifically speaking, while time does indeed run slightly slower at higher altitudes due to the effects of gravity on time (a facet of Einstein's theory of General Relativity), the difference is imperceptible to humans and cannot account for someone's tardiness.