U 4 SC Skinner's Operant Conditioning: The Carrot or the Stick? - Psychology Experiments Series | Academy 4 Social Change Skinner's Operant Conditioning: Worksheet Identify whether a positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment, or negative punishment is being given, and explain how you know. 1. Certain laws are in place to designate some actions as illegal - for example, vandalism of public property. In a certain city, however, the police department is slacking on cracking down on graffiti artists. Even though they've caught a few artists spray painting the side of a building late at night, the police didn't want to file the extra paperwork and just let them go without a fine. Although this probably wasn't the intention of the police, the vandals are now emboldened and spray paint more frequently, sometimes even during the day. 2. Natalia and Cam are a couple. Cam has previously mentioned that he does not enjoy talking about his past relationships and doesn't want to hear mentions of his exes' names. However, while they are at a party, Natalia jokes that Cam probably only started dating her in the first place because of her resemblance to his most recent ex-girlfriend, Hayley. After Cam refuses to talk to her for the rest of the night, Natalia finally decides to refrain from bringing up his exes. 3. Cornelia is a college student. She usually runs on an extremely late schedule and never goes to sleep before 3 A.M. Outside her window, construction is happening on a nearby building, creating a horrible racket starting every morning at the crack of dawn. Cornelia inevitably gets woken up by this racket and can't fall asleep again. Tired of sleep deprivation, Cornelia changes her sleep schedule - she stops going to sleep so late and starts getting to bed at 11 P.M. instead. U 4 SC Skinner's Operant Conditioning: The Carrot or the Stick? - Psychology Experiments Series | Academy 4 Social Change 4. Liana has just adopted a new puppy named Pistachio. Unfortunately, the puppy has yet to be potty-trained. Pistachio has already made multiple messes inside the house, but lately he's been scratching at the door to signal that he needs to go out for bathroom business. Each time Pistachio scratches at the door, Liana gives him a dog treat before taking him out on a walk. After a few months, Pistachio is now successfully potty-trained. 5. Terrence loves going for a run every morning. He has a choice between two routes: a slightly shorter track that crosses through the city and a slightly longer path through the forest with much more difficult terrain. Terrence normally takes the city route, but a factory has been newly constructed right by that track, and he really wants to avoid the smog released into the air by the factory. Thus, now he runs the city track less and less often in favor of switching to the forest track. 6. Aaron has just started playing New Super Mamma Mia Bros. While playing through each world, he makes it his mission to find the special, hidden Star Coin. When he finally finds each Star Coin, it gives him a huge rush of satisfaction. He ends up playing through the night, getting through world after world because whenever he finds a Star Coin, it makes him want to collect them all.