Which term refers to reinforcement provided by another person and consists of three words?

Which term refers to reinforcement provided by another person and consists of three words?

• A. Socially mediated
• B. Punishment
• C. Socially mediated reinforcement
• D. Extinction

Answer: (C)

Reinforcement delivered by another person is described as socially mediated reinforcement. This phrase captures both the source of the reinforcement (a social agent, i.e., someone else) and the functional outcome (reinforcement that increases the likelihood of the behavior). In real life, examples include a teacher praising a student, a parent giving attention or a small reward after a desired behavior, or peers offering a compliment contingent on doing something well. The other terms don’t fit as well: one option only describes the social aspect without naming reinforcement, while punishment and extinction refer to different processes (decreasing behavior or removing reinforcement, respectively). The three-word term precisely matches the idea of reinforcement that is provided by another person.

Reinforcement delivered by another person is described as socially mediated reinforcement. This phrase captures both the source of the reinforcement (a social agent, i.e., someone else) and the functional outcome (reinforcement that increases the likelihood of the behavior). In real life, examples include a teacher praising a student, a parent giving attention or a small reward after a desired behavior, or peers offering a compliment contingent on doing something well. The other terms don’t fit as well: one option only describes the social aspect without naming reinforcement, while punishment and extinction refer to different processes (decreasing behavior or removing reinforcement, respectively). The three-word term precisely matches the idea of reinforcement that is provided by another person.