Question

(2) Decide which of the following concepts are most applicable to each scenario: differential reinforcement of other behavior, avoidance contingency, punishment by prevention of reinforcer, punishment by loss of reinforcer, or avoidance of loss.

Sally makes the 7th-grade track team by finishing before another girl by less than 0.05 seconds in her event—the 400 meter relay. Sally is proud of making the team but needs to work harder in the practices that follow. The first track meet does not go well. Out of the four girls on the relay team, she has the slowest time, so her track coach removes her from the team, and makes her sit as an alternate.

Answer 1

In the above scenario, the best concept that apllies is the Punishment by Prevention of Reinforcer. The definition of this following contingecy is "its an immediate, response contingent, by preventing a reinforcer that results in a decrease in a frequency of that response". In the above scenario, Sally is removed from her team, therefore the reinforcer is removed- (remember she was extremely proud of joining the team, even though her timing wasn't high). Thus, by preventing the reinforcer, and making Sally only as an alternate, the coach is trying to decrease the slow running track time of Sally.