A 4-year-old boy interrupts his mother every time she talks on the phone. The family pediatrician recommends that whenever the child interrupts her, the mother should pay no attention to him. The pediatrician has recommended

In this scenario, the pediatrician has recommended extinguishing the interruptions by non-reinforcement. This means that the child's interrupting behavior will no longer be reinforced or rewarded by attention from the mother and will diminish over time. Intermittent, positive, and negative reinforcement all involve rewarding the desired behavior. Although punishing the child for the interruptions will be effective initially, the results of punishment are not as long-lasting as the results of extinction. Reference: Kaplon and sadock, 11 th edition, synopsis of psychiatry, 11 th edition, pg no. 1042