It is late and 3-year-old Betty is alone in her room. Her parents had just put h

Question

It is late and 3-year-old Betty is alone in her room. Her parents had just put her to bed not 10 minutes earlier. Her parents are quietly watching television downstairs. Betty begins to cry and after a short time the crying turns into more screaming than crying. Her parents hear her crying and screaming and run up to her room to see what is the matter. Her mother holds Betty in her arms and tells her she is alright. She stops after a few minutes, but when her parents leave her room, she starts crying again. Her father thought that it may be good to bring her down with them and let her lay on the couch while they watch television. Betty is quiet for the rest of the evening, falling asleep on the couch. Betty continues to cry each night for a week and each time her parents take her down to the living room with them until they go to bed or when she falls asleep. Betty's parents are concerned that she will be unable to sleep in her room anymore. Learning (i.e., operant conditioning) has taken place for Betty and her parents.

Explain how learning has taken place.

If Betty's parents asked you for advice (in operant conditioning terms) on how to get Betty to stay in her room and not cry, what would you tell them?

Explanation / Answer

When Betty's parents contantly gets her downstaire with them whenever she cries, the child started learning that if she cries, a positive response from her parent is received that she is not left alone. Similarly parents learned that if betty is taken with them then it helps them to stop her crying. So both betty and parents are conditioned and learned how to get a desirable response from each other.

here to make Betty sleep in her room without crying, her parents can give her reinforcement to get a desirable response from her for example giving child a toy which she loves only when she sleeps in her room for particular number of days or a pleasure giving objects like such as a toy or mobile phone which betty love can be taken away from her and given back only when she starts sleeping alone in her room. Variable ratio interval works better here In variable ratio interval the reinforcement is given at different time and not in acccordance with number of responses, So Betty's parents should tell betty that she will be given chocolates and cookies whenever they feel pleased by her doings ie) sleeping in her room alone. this technique can work well.

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