Which of the following experiments involves the use of operant conditioning?

• A. B.F. Skinner training rats to press a lever for food rewards
• B. John Watson conditioning a fear response in Little Albert using a loud noise
• C. Albert Bandura showing children a model behaving aggressively toward a Bobo doll
• D. Ivan Pavlov pairing a bell with food to make dogs salivate

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the concept of operant conditioning. Operant conditioning is a learning process through which the strength of a behavior is modified by reinforcement or punishment. It involves voluntary behaviors and consequences that follow those behaviors.
2. Step 2: Review each experiment and identify the type of conditioning involved. For example, classical conditioning pairs two stimuli to elicit an involuntary response, while operant conditioning involves behaviors and their consequences.
3. Step 3: Analyze B.F. Skinner's experiment where rats press a lever to receive food. This involves the rat performing a voluntary action (pressing the lever) and receiving a reward (food), which is a classic example of operant conditioning.
4. Step 4: Compare this with John Watson's Little Albert experiment, which involves pairing a neutral stimulus with a loud noise to create a fear response, an example of classical conditioning, not operant.
5. Step 5: Recognize that Albert Bandura's Bobo doll experiment focuses on observational learning (modeling), and Ivan Pavlov's experiment involves classical conditioning by pairing a bell with food to elicit salivation.