Susan is staying with some friends who have a dog.Each night,when she has turned off the TV and is heading for bed,she gives the dog a treat.Soon the dog gets very excited whenever Susan turns of the TV at night because he has learned what this signal means.When Susan eventually leaves her friends' house,the dog continues to get excited when the owners turn off the TV,but since the owners don't give the dog a treat at this time,the dog's behaviour soon returns to normal.The change in the dog's behaviour after Susan's departure best illustrates the concept of:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The change in the dog's behavior after Susan's departure, where the dog's excitement diminishes as the owners don't give a treat, best illustrates the concept of extinction. Extinction occurs when a learned behavior (in this case, the dog's excitement) gradually diminishes over time when the reinforcement (treat) is no longer provided. The behavior becomes extinct. This is different from punishment, which is the application of an aversive stimulus to reduce a behavior. There is no indication that Susan punished the dog, so D is not the correct answer. Habituation refers to the reduction in a response to a stimulus after repeated exposure, which is not the case here. Response cost is a form of punishment where a positive reinforcer is taken away to reduce behavior, but this concept does not apply here as the dog did not lose any reinforcement.

Susan Is Staying with Some Friends Who Have a Dog