If a rat has learned to press a lever to obtain pellets of food and,all of a sudden,the response permanently ceases to produce any food,then _______ will occur.
A)shaping
B)discrimination
C)generalization
D)extinction

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Extinction refers to the decrease in a behavior when the reinforcement of that behavior is removed. In this case, since the response of pressing the lever no longer produces any food, the behavior of pressing the lever will likely decrease and eventually be extinguished. Shaping refers to the process of gradually developing a behavior through small steps of reinforcement, discrimination refers to being able to distinguish between different stimuli or situations, and generalization refers to the transfer of learning to new situations or stimuli. None of these concepts are applicable to the scenario presented.

If a Rat Has Learned to Press a Lever to Obtain