In her fifth grade classroom, Ms. Latimer has several students who don't cooperate when she tells the class to get into group formation. These students are vocal about disliking group work. Ms. Latimer told them today that they may shorten their group task time by getting into groups quickly and completing cooperative tasks according to the ten-minute schedule she has planned. Ms. Latimer is using which of the following methods to get her students to cooperate?

(A) Response cost

(B) Negative reinforcement

(C) Reprimands

(D) Social isolation

The correct answer is: Negative reinforcement.

Explanation:

Negative reinforcement is an operant-conditioning technique that consists of the strengthening of response or behavior by eliminating or removing the stimulus that is aversive, negative or annoying to the reinforced.

When the aversive stimulus is removed the reinforced feels compelled to elicit the behavior deemed positive by the individual conducting the reinforcement.

In this particular case, Ms. Latimer told her students that if they got into groups quickly and completed some cooperative tasks (Goal behavior), they may shorten their group task time. (Removal of aversive stimulus).

This method is called b. Negative reinforcement.