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 off 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
A)habituation
B)response cost
C)extinction
D)punishment

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The dog's behavior of getting excited when the TV is turned off stops when the treat (the reinforcement) is no longer given, illustrating the concept of extinction. Extinction occurs when a conditioned response decreases in frequency and eventually disappears after the conditioned stimulus is repeatedly presented without the unconditioned stimulus.

Susan Is Staying with Some Friends Who Have a Dog