You are taking a shower in your dorm and you hear a toilet being flushed nearby. You briefly step out of the flow of water because you have learned that the water becomes very hot for a few moments after this happens. In this example, which of the following would be considered to be the discriminative stimulus?
A)The avoidance of hot water
B)The exposure to hot water
C)Stepping out of the shower
D)The sound of the toilet being flushed
E)Exposure to the dorm bathroom

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The sound of the toilet being flushed acts as a discriminative stimulus because it signals that the water will become hot, prompting the behavior of stepping out of the shower to avoid the hot water.

You Are Taking a Shower in Your Dorm and You