Natalie was trying to house train her new puppy, Beaux, so every time he went to the bathroom outside, she praised him for being such a good dog and gave him a treat. Beaux eventually learned the behaviour Natalie desired and was soon able to let her know when he had to go outside to relieve himself. What is the term for this type of conditioning through reinforcement?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Instrumental conditioning, also known as operant conditioning, is the process of learning through reinforcement or punishment to increase or decrease the probability of a particular behaviour occurring. In this case, Natalie reinforced Beaux's behaviour of going to the bathroom outside by giving him treats and praising him, which increased the likelihood of him repeating the behaviour in the future.

Natalie Was Trying to House Train Her New Puppy, Beaux