Question

Two boys are fighting on school grounds during recess. fighting is against school rules, and the boys know this. even so, a teacher who sees them lets them continue to fight rather than punishing them for doing so. judging from what social cognitive theorists say regarding what happens when expected punishments don't occur, we can predict that these boys will be:
a. less likely to fight in the future.
b. more likely to fight in the future.
c. likely to feel guilty unless they stop fighting.
d. likely to imitate more appropriate social behaviors in the future.

Answer 1

The answer is b) more likely to fight in the future.

According to cognitive theorists, if people in a society do not get an expected punishment, they will be far more likely to repeat the same mistake.

In the above case, if a teacher does not stop them, the boys will understand that their behavior, no matter how bad, will go unpunished, making it highly likely for them to repeat it