If we drive through a red traffic light, we might receive a ticket. If the light is green, we will not receive a ticket. In operant conditioning terms, the red and green lights serve as __________
A) generalized stimuli.
B) negative stimuli.
C) discriminative stimuli.
D) unconditioned stimuli.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Discriminative stimuli are cues in the environment that signal the availability of reinforcement (or punishment) for a response. In this scenario, the red and green traffic lights are discriminative stimuli because they signal whether or not a response (driving through the intersection) will result in punishment (ticket) or not.

If We Drive Through a Red Traffic Light, We Might