In operant conditioning, what effect does positive reinforcement have on a behavior?

• A. Increases behavior
• B. Decreases behavior
• C. Has no effect
• D. Causes a new behavior

Answer: (A)

Positive reinforcement strengthens a behavior by adding a desirable consequence after the behavior, making it more likely to occur again. For example, giving a child praise or a small reward after they complete their homework increases the chance they’ll do homework again. So the effect is an increase in the behavior.

The other options don’t fit because decreasing a behavior would require punishment, which aims to reduce it; having no effect would mean the reinforcement isn’t influencing the behavior; and while reinforcement can help shape or lead to new behaviors, its direct effect is to boost the frequency of the behavior that just occurred, not necessarily to create a brand-new behavior.