Sonia's mother is often busy and doesn't pay very much attention to her. When Sonia cries or screams, her mother comes over and scolds her. Though she doesn't like being scolded, Sonia prefers getting some attention to having no attention at all. Sonia learns that when she wants her mother's attention, she should scream or cry. What kind of learning is this?
A)operant conditioning
B)discriminatory
C)higher-order conditioning
D)classical conditioning
E)aversion conditioning

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Sonia is learning through operant conditioning, where her behavior (crying or screaming) is reinforced by the consequence of getting attention from her mother, even if it is negative attention. This type of learning involves an individual's behavior being shaped by the consequences of that behavior.

Sonia's Mother Is Often Busy and Doesn't Pay Very Much