Delores could see a sock on the floor behind the clothes dryer. She straightened out a wire clothes hanger, fashioned a hook on the end, and used it to fish the sock out from behind the dryer. Using operant conditioning terminology, straightening out the wire hanger and poking it behind the dryer would be the _____ and the retrieved sock would be the _____, assuming this increased Delores' use of the clothes wire to retrieve socks in the future.
A) conditioned response; conditioned stimulus
B) unconditioned response; unconditioned stimulus
C) primary reinforcer; conditioned reinforcer
D) operant; reinforcing stimulus

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The straightening out of the wire hanger and using it to retrieve the sock is an example of an operant behavior, as Delores is actively manipulating her environment to achieve a desired outcome. The retrieved sock would be a reinforcing stimulus, as it increases the likelihood of Delores using the wire hanger to retrieve socks in the future. Therefore, the correct answer is D - operant; reinforcing stimulus.

Delores Could See a Sock on the Floor Behind the Clothes