Which contingency describes a situation in which the response terminates an ongoing stimulus?

• A. Exclusion time out
• B. Duration
• C. Escape contingency
• D. Ecological assessment

Answer: (C)

Escape contingency occurs when the response terminates an ongoing aversive stimulus, so the individual learns to emit that response in order to end the discomfort. In this situation, the consequence directly ends the stimulus that was present, which reinforces the response and makes it more likely to occur again in similar contexts. For example, if a loud noise stops as soon as the person performs the behavior, that behavior is being reinforced by escape from the noise. The other options don’t describe ending a stimulus: an exclusion timeout removes access to reinforcement for a period after a behavior, rather than ending something ongoing; a duration contingency links reinforcement to how long a stimulus or response lasts rather than terminating it; and an ecological assessment is a broad evaluation of the environment, not a contingency shaping behavior.