Final answer:
In an experiment by Honig and Slivka, shocking pigeons when they pecked a disc of a particular color led to reduced pecking of that colored disc only, demonstrating stimulus discrimination in operant conditioning. The correct answer of choice is a. reduced pecking on that disc, but not discs of other colors.
Step-by-step explanation:
Honig and Slivka trained pigeons to peck discs of various colors. After this, they began shocking the birds when they pecked a disc of a particular color. The result was that this method of operant conditioning reduced pecking on that disc, but not discs of other colors. This finding is consistent with the concept of stimulus discrimination, which is a part of the operant conditioning process. Much like Pavlov's dogs, which were trained to respond to a specific tone, the pigeons were conditioned to avoid a behavior (pecking) in response to a specific stimulus (the color of the disc that resulted in a shock).
The ability of the pigeons to discriminate between the punished color and other colors is a basic principle of learning that has practical implications in various fields, including animal behavior studies. It is an example of how an organism can learn to modify its behavior in response to consequences, as seen in B.F. Skinner's work with pigeons, where they learned complex behaviors through shaping in an operant conditioning chamber.