Joanne does not want to go to school because she didn't do her calculus homework and isn't ready for her test. She tells her mother that she has a terrible headache. Her mother shows concern, agrees to let her stay home, and makes Joanne her favorite breakfast. Define all of the following terms and explain how each applies to this situation.
In this situation, operant conditioning refers to the process in which Joanne's behavior of pretending to have a headache in order to avoid going to school is reinforced by her mother's response of allowing her to stay home. By showing concern, making her favorite breakfast, and agreeing to let her stay home, Joanne's behavior is being reinforced. The primary reinforcement in this scenario is Joanne's mother making her favorite breakfast, as it serves as a reward for Joanne's behavior of pretending to be sick. Negative reinforcement can be seen in Joanne's avoidance of the aversive situation of going to school by claiming to have a headache, which results in her mother allowing her to stay home and not having to face the consequences of being unprepared for her calculus test.
