Question

The parents of a 13-year-old boy would like him to help out more around the house, including doing his share of the dishes. After a meal at which it is his turn to do the dishes, he first refuses, pleading that he has other things to do that are more important. Frustrated, with his refusal, his parents start yelling at him and continue until he complies with their request. But as he washes, the dishes, his mother notices that he is doing a very poor job, so she relieves him of his duty and finished the job herself.

What type of reinforcement did the parents use to gain the boy’s compliance? What behaviors of the parents did the boy reinforce by complying with their request?
What behavior did the mother inadvertently strengthen by relieving the boy of his chores?
Based on your reading of the material, how would you suggest this family change these reinforcement patterns?

Answer 1

1. In this case, parents yell at the boy to do the dishes due to frustration with a refusal of their request. It is a negative reinforcement as the boy did the dishes after yelling by the parents to avoid yelled at by parents again

2. Boy's poor work in washing the dishes is noticed by the mother to avoid the unpleasant work mother relived him from the job he was assigned which strengthen behavior of the boy of doing his jobs poorly which is again a negative reinforcement.

3. Negative reinforcement to force the boy to do the dishes leads to a poor job from the side of the boy. To avoid this parents must apply negative reinforcement by stoping pocket money, Tv time, or other things.