After his mother smiles, Jimmy's request for a snack is reinforced. But if his mother is not smiling, his subsequent request for a snack is not reinforced. By indicating that Jimmy's request for a snack will be reinforced, the mother's smile is a

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The mother's smile is a discriminative stimulus because it signals the availability of reinforcement (in this case, a snack). The smile sets the occasion for Jimmy's request for a snack to be reinforced. The other options do not accurately describe the function of the mother's smile in this scenario.

After His Mother Smiles, Jimmy's Request for a Snack Is