Which scenario is the best example of operant conditioning?

• A. A child cleans their room to earn extra screen time, and the cleaning behavior increases.
• B. A dog salivates when it hears a bell that has been repeatedly paired with food.
• C. A student remembers a list of words better by repeating them over and over.
• D. A person suddenly feels afraid after a loud noise startles them for the first time.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the definition of operant conditioning: it 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. Analyze each scenario to identify if the behavior is being modified by consequences (rewards or punishments) following the behavior.
3. In the first scenario, a child cleans their room and receives extra screen time as a reward, which increases the cleaning behavior. This fits operant conditioning because the behavior is strengthened by a positive consequence.
4. In the second scenario, a dog salivates to a bell paired with food, which is an example of classical conditioning, where a neutral stimulus becomes associated with an unconditioned stimulus to elicit a response.
5. The third and fourth scenarios involve memory repetition and a sudden fear response, which do not involve behavior modification through consequences, so they are not examples of operant conditioning.