A child always chooses to ask mother over father when seeking special privileges. The father is more apt to disagree than agree with the child's requests while the mother usually consents. The child's choice is the result of which component of operant conditioning?

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The child's choice is based on discriminative stimuli, which are the cues or signals that indicate the availability of reinforcement or punishment. In this case, the child has learned through past experiences that the mother is more likely to provide reinforcement (special privileges) than the father, and therefore discriminates between the two parents when making requests.

A Child Always Chooses to Ask Mother Over Father When