In the television show The Office, Jim pranks his coworker Dwight by repeatedly playing a sound on his computer and then immediately offering Dwight a strong breath mint. After several days of this, Dwight immediately holds out his hand when the computer beeps and reports that he has a bad taste in his mouth. In this (fake) demonstration of learning:
A) Holding out his hand is a respondent behavior and salivating is an operant behavior
B) Holding out his hand is an operant behavior and salivating is a respondent behavior
C) Both holding out his hand and salivating are operant behaviors
D) Both holding out his hand and salivating are respondent behaviors

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Holding out his hand is an operant behavior because it is a voluntary action that has been learned in response to the environment (the sound). Salivating is a respondent behavior because it is an automatic, reflexive response to the stimulus (the taste of the mint).

In the Television Show the Office, Jim Pranks His Coworker