Question

In instrumental conditioning, What does the process of acquisition lead to ________.

1) The formation of a contingency between a stimulus and a biologically important event
2) The formation of a contingency between a stimulus and its consequences.
3) The formation of a contingency between a response and a biologically important event.
4) The formation of a contingency between a response and its consequences.

Answer 1

In instrumental conditioning, acquisition leads to the formation of a contingency between a behavior and its consequences, strengthening the likelihood of that behavior being repeated.

Step-by-step explanation:

In instrumental conditioning, the process of acquisition leads to the formation of a contingency between a response and its consequences. This means that during acquisition, an organism learns to connect a certain behavior with a resulting consequence, which can be either a reward or a punishment. This is the basis for modifying behavior in operant conditioning, as proposed by B.F. Skinner. Acquisition involves the strengthening of the behavioral response through positive or negative reinforcement, increasingly making that behavior more likely to be repeated in the future.