Question

After being classically conditioned to salivate to a tone, a dog continues to hear a tone but does not receive food; as a result, salivation will decrease, then disappear. A dog owner may use operant conditioning to train a dog to "sit" by presenting a treat each time the dog sits. However, the behavior may diminish if the treats are discontinued. Both examples illustrate

a. extinction
b. spontaneous recovery
c. discrimination
d. generalization

Answer 1

The correct option in the final answer is a. Both examples illustrate the concept of extinction where a learned behavior diminishes or disappears when the associated stimulus is no longer presented.

Step-by-step explanation:

Extinction is the process of a conditioned response diminishing and eventually disappearing after the conditioned stimulus is repeatedly presented without the unconditioned stimulus. This can be seen in the example of a dog that has been classically conditioned to salivate to a tone but no longer receives food with it. Over time, the dog will stop salivating to the tone.

On the other hand, operant conditioning is a form of learning where behaviors are strengthened or weakened based on their consequences. In the case of training a dog to sit, the dog is reinforced with a treat every time it sits. However, if the treats are stopped, the behavior may diminish or disappear, which is an example of extinction.

Therefore, both examples illustrate the concept of extinction where a learned behavior diminishes or disappears when the associated stimulus is no longer presented.