Which of the following is a quadrant of operant conditioning?

• A. Positive Reinforcement
• B. Positive Punishment
• C. Negative Reinforcement
• D. Negative Punishment

Answer: (A)

In operant conditioning, behavior is influenced by consequences that are categorized by whether they increase or decrease the behavior and whether something is added or removed. The quadrant that increases the likelihood of a behavior by adding something desirable is Positive Reinforcement. It strengthens the behavior by presenting a reward after the target action, like giving a treat when a dog sits. The other terms describe different combinations: Positive Punishment adds an unpleasant outcome to decrease a behavior; Negative Punishment removes something desirable to decrease a behavior; Negative Reinforcement removes an aversive stimulus to increase a behavior. The key idea is that reinforcement, not punishment, is about increasing behavior, and adding a positive stimulus is the classic example, which is why Positive Reinforcement is the best answer.