Chapter 23

Some television shows featuring people helping families cope with their disruptive children have become popular in the United States. Have you ever seen them? Is disruptive behavior in children on the rise? If so, what factors do you think are responsible?

How do positive and negative reinforcement work in a coercive cycle? Have you ever seen a parent and a child engaged in such an interaction? If so, identify what was being positively and negatively reinforced, and how.