Question

A therapist challenges her client to journal daily as a part of her treatment plan. The therapist offers her client a new music download if she meets this challenge for one week. This is an example of

positive reinforcement
negative reinforcement
extinction
punishment

Answer 1

Positive reinforcement. This is because the music download would enable her have a more pleasant journaling experience and she would not see it as a chore.

Answer 2

Positive reinforcement. Extinction can be ruled out because the therapist is not trying to get rid of any behaviour. Punishment can also be ruled out because the therapist is not punishing her client for something that she did. Positive is always adding something in, while negative is taking something away, and reinforcement is helping to ensure that a behaviour continues. Therefore we can rule out the negative reinforcement and say that it is positive reinforcement.