In the past, every time a rat has pressed a lever it has received a piece of food. The rat's rate of pressing has reached a high level. What procedure would produce extinction of the response?

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Extinction involves reducing or eliminating a behavior by no longer reinforcing it. Choice C is the best option because it involves allowing the rat to continue pressing the lever without receiving any food reinforcement. Over time, the rat will learn that pressing the lever no longer results in a reward and will stop the behavior. Giving the rat a shock (Choice A) would be aversive punishment, which may suppress the behavior temporarily but does not address the underlying behavior. Presenting food outside of the context of the lever (Choice B) may confuse the rat and does not directly lead to a reduction in the lever-pressing behavior. Allowing a long time to pass (Choice D) may weaken the behavior but is not a deliberate extinction procedure that targets the behavior directly.

In the Past, Every Time a Rat Has Pressed a Lever