What behavioral outcome occurs when children fail to pay attention to a puppy that follows them home?

When children fail to pay attention to a puppy that follows them home, the behavioral outcome that occurs is extinction. Extinction in behavioral terms refers to the reduction or elimination of a behavior when the reinforcement for that behavior is no longer present. In this scenario, the puppy may have been reinforced for following the children due to their attention and engagement in the past. However, if the children ignore the puppy, denying it the social interaction it was previously receiving, the puppy's following behavior is likely to diminish over time.

The absence of attention serves as a lack of reinforcement, which leads to the eventual decrease in the behavior of the puppy trying to follow the children. This illustrates how behaviors can change based on the consequences that follow them and highlights the importance of reinforcement and attention in shaping behavior.