"Understanding Tony's Behavior: Calling Mommy vs Daddy"
Tony's Behavior towards his Parents
Tony often gets the attention of his mother by saying, "Mommy!" when he sees her. After saying, "Mommy!", his mother comes over and gives him a hug. Now, Tony also says "Mommy!" when he sees his father. His father does not respond. What is the likely result?
Final answer:
Tony has learned that saying "Mommy!" results in his mother coming over to hug him, but when he uses the same word with his father to no effect, he will likely learn that this approach doesn't work with his father and adapt his behavior accordingly.
Explanation:
Tony often gets the attention of his mother by saying, "Mommy!" and as a result, she comes over to give him a hug. This action becomes associated with receiving attention and affection. However, when Tony uses the same strategy to gain his father's attention by saying "Mommy!" and does not receive a similar response, it's likely that Tony will gradually learn that this particular way of calling does not work with his father. Given time and repeated lack of response from the father, Tony may cease to use "Mommy!" to get his father's attention or he might try different strategies to engage with him.
What behavior has Tony learned through his interactions with his mother and father? Through his interactions, Tony has learned that calling out "Mommy!" is an effective way to get his mother's attention and receive affectionate responses like hugs. On the other hand, he has discovered that using the same method with his father does not yield the same results, indicating that he understands the need to adapt his behavior based on individual responses.