Question

which of the following would lead to optimal/ideal operant conditioning? (partial credit for each correct and each incorrect answer is deducted from total score) question 2 options: providing the person with a food they do not mind as a reinforcer teaching a behavior that is very difficult for the animal to engage in providing the person's favorite dessert as a reinforcer teaching a behavior that the animal is evolutionarily predisposed to engage in providing a quarter of a million dollars for running a marathon

Answer 1

For effective operant conditioning, it is important to use highly desirable reinforcers that align with the individual's preferences or natural behaviors, and provide significant rewards for complex tasks.

Step-by-step explanation:

The effectiveness of operant conditioning is influenced by the choice of reinforcer and the type of behavior being reinforced. For optimal conditioning, the following strategies are effective:

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• Providing a reinforcer that is highly desirable, such as the person's favorite dessert, will make the conditioning more effective.
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• Choosing a behavior that the animal is evolutionarily predisposed to perform can result in more successful conditioning since it aligns with the animal's natural inclinations.
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• Offering significant incentives, like a substantial monetary reward for completing a complex task such as running a marathon, can motivate and reinforce the behavior, assuming the reward is meaningful and proportional to the effort required.

However, using a food the person does not mind as a reinforcer or teaching a behavior very difficult for the animal to engage in are not optimal strategies, as they might not strongly motivate the subject or may set a level of difficulty that is too high for successful conditioning.