Question

Larry, Steve's supervisor, has stopped responding to Steve's constant complaints that Larry is assigning too much work to him. As a consequence, Steve has stopped complaining to Larry, and this has also led to an improvement in his productivity. Which of the following techniques did Larry utilize?

A. Negative Reinforcement
B. Extinction
C. Punishment
D. Variable Reinforcement

Answer 1

Option (B), Larry used the extinction technique from operant conditioning by ceasing to respond to Steve's complaints, which reduced the frequency of Steve's behavior and subsequently improved his productivity.

Step-by-step explanation:

Based on the scenario with Steve and Larry, it appears that Larry employed the technique of extinction from operant conditioning. Extinction in operant conditioning refers to the decrease in the frequency of a behavior when it is no longer reinforced. In Steve's case, his complaints ceased when Larry stopped responding to them, hence the reinforcement (Larry's attention) was removed. As a result, Steve's productivity improved.

This is different from negative reinforcement, which would involve the removal of an aversive stimulus to increase a behavior. It is also distinct from punishment, which is aimed at decreasing a behavior by adding or removing a stimulus. Variable reinforcement, on the other hand, would involve reinforcing a behavior at unpredictable intervals, which is not applicable in Steve's scenario.