FTCE Professional Education Practice Exam

What is positive reinforcement?

1. Removing undesirable conditions to impact behavior

2. Adding a consequence to increase a desired behavior

3. Encouraging behavior through negative consequences

4. Simply ignoring a behavior to see if it improves

The correct answer is: Adding a consequence to increase a desired behavior

Positive reinforcement refers to the practice of adding a stimulus after a desired behavior occurs, thereby increasing the likelihood that the behavior will happen again in the future. By providing a rewarding consequence when a specific behavior is exhibited, individuals are encouraged to repeat that behavior, as they associate it with the positive result. For example, if a teacher praises a student for completing their homework on time, the student may be more motivated to complete future assignments promptly, due to the positive feedback received. The key to positive reinforcement is that it introduces something pleasant following a desired action, thus reinforcing that action and fostering its recurrence. The other options describe different concepts in behavior management. Removing undesirable conditions relates to negative reinforcement, which seeks to increase a behavior by eliminating a negative circumstance. Encouraging behavior through negative consequences aligns with punishment, which aims to decrease undesirable behaviors rather than promote desirable ones. Ignoring a behavior can sometimes lead to extinction, where the behavior fades away due to lack of attention, but does not actively encourage the desired behavior.