Questions: A stroke victim rarely talks. So each time she says something sensible, you smile and make sure to answer them. As a result, she says more and more things. This illustrates which of the following? Bribery. Punishment by the addition of an aversive stimulus (positive punishment). Reinforcement by the presentation of a reinforcer (positive reinforcement). None of the above.

A stroke victim rarely talks. So each time she says something sensible, you smile and make sure to answer them. As a result, she says more and more things. This illustrates which of the following?

Bribery.

Punishment by the addition of an aversive stimulus (positive punishment).

Reinforcement by the presentation of a reinforcer (positive reinforcement).

None of the above.

Transcript text: A stroke victim rarely talks. So each time she says something sensible, you smile and make sure to answer them. As a result, she says more and more things. This illustrates which of the following? Bribery. Punishment by the addition of an aversive stimulus (positive punishment). Reinforcement by the presentation of a reinforcer (positive reinforcement). None of the above.

Solution

Answer

The answer is Reinforcement by the presentation of a reinforcer (positive reinforcement).

Explanation

Option 1: Bribery

Bribery involves offering something desirable to persuade someone to act in a certain way, often in a context that is unethical or illegal. In this scenario, the act of smiling and responding to the stroke victim is not unethical or illegal, and it is not intended to persuade in a manipulative way, so this option is not applicable.

Option 2: Punishment by the addition of an aversive stimulus (positive punishment)

Positive punishment involves adding an unpleasant stimulus to decrease a behavior. In this case, the behavior (speaking) is increasing, not decreasing, and there is no aversive stimulus being added. Therefore, this option does not fit the scenario.

Option 3: Reinforcement by the presentation of a reinforcer (positive reinforcement)

Positive reinforcement involves presenting a pleasant stimulus after a behavior to increase the likelihood of that behavior occurring again. In this scenario, the act of smiling and responding positively to the stroke victim's speech acts as a reinforcer, encouraging her to speak more. This aligns with the principles of positive reinforcement.

Option 4: None of the above

Since option 3 accurately describes the situation, this option is not correct.

Was this solution helpful?