Unbeknownst to the rest of the world, Roger was wearing green underwear when he aced his calculus test at the beginning of the semester. Ever since, Roger always wears green underwear on test days in his college classes. In operant conditioning terms, Roger's superstitious behavior is the result of:
A) accidental reinforcement.
B) a variable-interval schedule of reinforcement.
C) shaping.
D) behavior modification.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Roger's behavior is not intentionally reinforced, but rather accidentally reinforced (by the coincidence of his success on the test while wearing green underwear). This is an example of accidental reinforcement, which can lead to superstitious behavior in the absence of a true causal relationship.

Unbeknownst to the Rest of the World, Roger Was Wearing