Georgia Assessments for the Certification of Educators GACE Practice Test

A new manager with ABC Industries has noticed that many of his employees are chronically late to work. To remedy the problem, the manager decides to implement a bonus system that will financially reward employees who are on time to work for ten consecutive days. According to B.F. Skinner's Operant Conditioning theory, what type of behavior modification approach is the manager using?

1. Extinction

2. Negative reinforcement

3. Positive reinforcement

4. Punishment

The correct answer is: Extinction

The approach the manager is using aligns with positive reinforcement, which is a key concept in B.F. Skinner's Operant Conditioning theory. By providing financial rewards to employees who arrive on time for ten consecutive days, the manager is encouraging the desired behavior—being punctual. This type of reinforcement increases the likelihood that employees will repeat the behavior in the future, as they associate arriving on time with gaining a reward. Positive reinforcement is effective for modifying behavior because it provides a direct incentive for the behavior you want to see. In this case, the manager is not just discouraging lateness but actively promoting timeliness through a reward system, which can be more effective in changing behavior over time. The method fosters a positive work environment and motivates employees to adhere to the desired schedule. In this context, the other options do not accurately represent the approach used. Extinction relates to the removal of reinforcement to decrease a behavior, while negative reinforcement involves the removal of an unpleasant stimulus to increase a desired behavior. Punishment aims to decrease a behavior by applying an aversive consequence. None of these effectively describe the manager's method of providing incentives for punctuality.