Mandy has learned that whenever her father comes home drunk, he is likely to yell at her, so she usually goes to her friend's house before he has the chance. In this situation, the father's coming home drunk is:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The father coming home drunk is a pre-aversive stimulus because it signals the possible onset of an aversive stimulus (her father yelling at her) which then motivates Mandy to engage in behavior (going to her friend's house) to avoid the potential punishment. It is not a punishment because it is not a consequence of Mandy's behavior, but rather an external event. It is also not an unconditioned stimulus as it did not elicit any response at the start and needs conditioning.

Mandy Has Learned That Whenever Her Father Comes Home Drunk