Which of the following does NOT describe a process affected by operant conditioning?

• A. A person salivates when they smell food
• B. An employee increases productivity after receiving a bonus
• C. A child receives a sticker for completing their homework
• D. A dog learns to sit in response to a command after being given treats

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the concept of operant conditioning. Operant conditioning is a learning process where behaviors are influenced by their consequences, such as rewards or punishments, which increase or decrease the likelihood of the behavior occurring again.
2. Step 2: Identify the key feature of operant conditioning: it involves voluntary behaviors that are strengthened or weakened by consequences. For example, an employee increasing productivity after a bonus is operant conditioning because the behavior (productivity) is influenced by a consequence (bonus).
3. Step 3: Analyze each option to determine if the behavior is voluntary and influenced by consequences (operant conditioning) or if it is an automatic, involuntary response (classical conditioning).
4. Step 4: Recognize that salivating when smelling food is an automatic, involuntary response that occurs due to classical conditioning, not operant conditioning. It is a reflexive response learned through association, not through consequences of behavior.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the option describing salivation when smelling food does NOT describe a process affected by operant conditioning, while the other options involve behaviors shaped by rewards or consequences, fitting operant conditioning.