Positive reinforcement typically leads to what outcome for a behavior?

Positive reinforcement is a fundamental concept in behavioral psychology that refers to the process of increasing the likelihood of a behavior by introducing a rewarding stimulus following that behavior. When a desirable outcome or reward follows a specific behavior, it reinforces that behavior, making it more likely to occur again in the future.

For example, if a student receives praise from a teacher for handing in their homework on time, the praise acts as a positive reinforcement that encourages the student to continue submitting homework in the future. This increase in the frequency of the behavior as a result of the reward is the key characteristic of positive reinforcement.

In contrast, other outcomes listed do not align with the principles of positive reinforcement. A decrease in frequency would imply punishment or extinction, no change would suggest that the behavior is indifferent to reinforcement, and a random response does not reflect the systematic approach that reinforcement seeks to establish. Thus, the correct outcome associated with positive reinforcement is indeed an increase in the frequency of the behavior.