Every time Paul's neighbor upstairs plays loud music, Paul bangs on his ceiling with a broom and the music stops. Paul's behavior of banging on the ceiling to get the music to stop is an example of

• A. punishment by application.
• B. positive reinforcement.
• C. negative reinforcement.
• D. punishment by removal.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the behavior in question: Paul bangs on the ceiling with a broom.
2. Determine the consequence of the behavior: The loud music stops.
3. Understand the concept of negative reinforcement: It involves the removal of an unpleasant stimulus (in this case, the loud music) following a behavior, which increases the likelihood of that behavior occurring again.
4. Analyze the situation: Paul's behavior (banging on the ceiling) results in the removal of the unpleasant stimulus (loud music), which is consistent with negative reinforcement.
5. Conclude that Paul's behavior is an example of negative reinforcement because the removal of the loud music (unpleasant stimulus) reinforces his behavior of banging on the ceiling.