Which of the following is the best example of operant conditioning in everyday life?

• A. A toddler imitates an older sibling's behavior after watching them.
• B. A child learns to associate the sound of a bell with lunchtime at school.
• C. A person feels anxious when seeing a dog after being bitten once.
• D. A student receives praise from a teacher for completing homework, increasing the likelihood of doing homework in the future.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the definition of operant conditioning. Operant conditioning is a learning process where behavior is influenced by the consequences that follow it, such as rewards or punishments, which increase or decrease the likelihood of that behavior occurring again.
2. Step 2: Analyze each option to identify if the behavior is influenced by consequences (reinforcement or punishment) rather than by association or imitation.
3. Step 3: Recognize that imitation (modeling) is related to observational learning, not operant conditioning.
4. Step 4: Identify that associating a bell with lunchtime is an example of classical conditioning, where a neutral stimulus becomes associated with a meaningful event.
5. Step 5: Note that feeling anxious after being bitten is a conditioned emotional response, also related to classical conditioning, not operant conditioning. The example where a student receives praise (a positive consequence) for completing homework, which increases the likelihood of doing homework again, best fits operant conditioning.