A pigeon is reinforced for pecking a key whenever a particular tone is sounded but never reinforced if the tone is absent. Pigeons discriminating these conditions will:

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The pigeon will quickly learn to engage in vigorous key pressing whenever the tone sounds, but will eventually stop when it turns off since it is not reinforced in the absence of the tone. This is known as discrimination learning, where the pigeon can discriminate between the presence and absence of the tone and respond accordingly. Choice B is incorrect as the pigeon is only reinforced for pecking the key when the tone is sounded, not when it turns off. Choice A is also incorrect since the pigeon will learn something under these conditions. Choice C is incorrect as the pigeon will eventually stop pressing the key when the tone turns off.

A Pigeon Is Reinforced for Pecking a Key Whenever a Particular