1.

Write the definition of negative reinforcement and provide an example of

negative reinforcement that has not been discussed in class or presented in the
textbook. When giving your example, write it in the form of the diagrams found in
the textbook, and be sure to include all four components of the diagram.

Negative reinforcement is when a response or behavior is strengthened by stopping, removing,

reduction of an outcome or postponement of a stimulus.

EO: It’s raining really hard. SD: A sign on the highway states: “reduce speed to 35 mph due to
weather. Strictly enforced.” R: You drive the new speed limit. Sr: You avoid getting a ticket.

2. ​What are some stimuli that might serve as negative reinforcers? Identify at
least one negative reinforcer that is unconditioned and one negative reinforcer that
is conditioned.
Then, select one and show how that negative reinforcer could be used to teach a
behavior (the behavior can either be socially appropriate or socially inappropriate).
Use the diagramming notation presented in class to illustrate the negative
reinforcement contingency.

Some stimuli that serve as negative reinforcers: The light being on at night during sleep. Being
thirsty.

1. Light on at night during sleep. (conditioned)

2. Thirst (unconditioned)
EO: Your thirsty Sd: Water fountain R: Drink Sr: No longer thirsty

When someone is thirsty, they can drink from the water fountain, instead of throwing
themselves on the ground screaming that they’re thirsty.

3. ​What is the key difference between an escape contingency and an avoidance

contingency?

Escape contingency is when whatever behavior occurs terminates the aversive stimulus
and the behavior is reinforced.

Elopement is a prime example.

Avoidance contingency is whatever behavior occurs it prevents the presentation of an
aversive stimulus.

A student doesn’t want to do work so instead, they destroy their work.

4. ​ ​Explain the difference between social negative reinforcement and automatic negative
reinforcement.
Social negative reinforcement requires another individual to deliver or mediate the
reinforcement. For example, if it is very cold outside, an individual may ask a person near an
open door to close it. When the other person closes the door, the loud cold is terminated. In
this case, another person delivered (mediated) the reinforcement.
In automatic negative reinforcement, the reinforcer is delivered as a function of engaging in
the target behavior. For example, if I run and close the door, this is an automatic
reinforcement. My response to closing the door produced the reinforcement.

5. What are four things you can do to increase the effectiveness of

negative reinforcement?
(a) the stimulus change must follow the occurrence of the target response
immediately, (b) the magnitude of the reinforcement must be large, (c) the
negative reinforcer must be provided consistently when the target behavior
occurs, and (d) reinforcement should be unavailable for competing
(nontarget) responses.

6. ​You are working with a child with autism, who engages in problem
behavior to escape completing daily living tasks, such as washing his
hands before lunch. You would like to teach this student to politely say,
"Don't want wash hands," rather than to tantrum when told to wash his
hands. You set up an instructional program where you will make several
hand-washing requests throughout the day in order to provide the child
with opportunities to practice saying "Don't want to wash hands." Each
time the child makes this request, you allow him to escape washing his
hands. What are the ethical issues that might arise from such a plan and
how can you plan for and/or decrease these negative effects?

One ethical issue is that to implement it, an aversive event must be present. In
this example, the aversive event is a request for the child to wash his hands.
There are other aversive events more noxious like for example getting burned
by a hot stove, or receiving an electric shock, or drowning. The ethical issues
involved in presenting the aversive stimulus (watching hands) are not as
significant as they would be with more noxious events like I just mentioned.
The presentation of the aversive stimulus may generate worst behaviors while
you are trying for the client to acquire the target behavior, and that could be
another ethical issue. Asking the client to wash his/her hands may produce a
tantrum, which could interfere greatly with the verbal request, and with the
acquisition of the hand-washing behavior.