FTCE Professional Education Practice Exam

Is detention considered negative reinforcement?

1. True

2. False

3. Only in some scenarios

4. Only for certain age groups

The correct answer is: False

Detention is not considered negative reinforcement; rather, it is often seen as a form of punishment. Negative reinforcement involves the removal of an unpleasant stimulus in order to increase a desired behavior. For example, if a student studies to avoid failing a test, the avoidance of failure acts as negative reinforcement because it removes the anxiety of poor performance and encourages studying. Detention, on the other hand, is typically a consequence given for undesirable behavior, meant to discourage that behavior in the future. It does not remove an unpleasant condition; instead, it adds another one, which is fundamentally different from the principle behind negative reinforcement. In summary, the concept behind negative reinforcement revolves around encouraging a specific behavior by removing negative stimuli, which does not align with the intent and purpose of detention.