Differentiate positive versus negative reinforcement with an example.

• A. Positive reinforcement adds a reward after a desired behavior; negative reinforcement removes an aversive condition to strengthen behavior
• B. Positive reinforcement adds a reward after a desired behavior; the removal of a punishment is not involved
• C. Positive reinforcement punishes undesired behavior; negative reinforcement rewards desired behavior
• D. Positive reinforcement means ignoring misbehavior; negative reinforcement means time-out

Answer: (A)

Reinforcement is about increasing the chances that a behavior will happen again, and the difference lies in what happens after the behavior. Positive reinforcement adds something desirable after the behavior, making it more likely to occur again. For example, giving praise or a sticker when a student turns in their homework increases the likelihood they’ll do it again next time.

Negative reinforcement removes something aversive as a result of the behavior, which also strengthens the behavior. An example is stopping a loud buzzer when a student starts working, so the relief from the noise makes it more likely the student will start work again to avoid the aversive sound in the future.

That choice captures both parts clearly: it defines positive reinforcement as adding a reward and negative reinforcement as removing an aversive condition to strengthen the behavior. The other statements either miss the idea that something aversive is removed, confuse reinforcement with punishment, or describe actions like ignoring misbehavior or time-outs, which are not reinforcement.