Which of the following is an example of positive reinforcement in operant conditioning?

• A. A teacher gives a student a gold star for completing their homework, increasing the likelihood the student will do homework again.
• B. A parent takes away a child's chores after they get good grades, making good grades more likely in the future.
• C. A teenager is grounded for missing curfew, reducing the chance of missing curfew again.
• D. A child is scolded for running in the hallway, decreasing the likelihood of running in the hallway.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the concept of operant conditioning, which involves learning through consequences that follow behavior, either increasing or decreasing the likelihood of that behavior occurring again.
2. Step 2: Recall that positive reinforcement involves presenting a pleasant stimulus after a behavior to increase the likelihood of that behavior happening again.
3. Step 3: Identify the option where a positive stimulus (something added) follows a behavior and results in an increased chance of that behavior repeating.
4. Step 4: Analyze each option to see if it fits positive reinforcement: adding a reward to increase behavior, removing something unpleasant (negative reinforcement), or applying punishment (positive or negative) to decrease behavior.
5. Step 5: Select the example where a reward (like a gold star) is given after completing homework, which increases the likelihood of the student doing homework again, illustrating positive reinforcement.