Question

Which of the following is true of operant conditioning?

a) it occurs because of the mental evaluation of a situation
b) it occurs because of the pairing of two stimuli to produce a response
c) it occurs as a result of innate processes
d) it occurs as a result of the effects a behavior causes

Answer 1

In operant conditioning, an animal learns to associate a voluntary behavior with its consequences, leading to the strengthening or weakening of the behavior based on the effects it causes.

Step-by-step explanation:

In operant conditioning, the animal learns to associate a voluntary behavior with its consequences. This means that the behavior is strengthened or weakened based on the effects it causes. For example, if a behavior leads to a pleasant consequence, like receiving a reward, the behavior is more likely to be repeated in the future. On the other hand, if a behavior leads to an unpleasant consequence, like punishment, the behavior is less likely to occur again.