In the context of learning theories, respondent behavior is to operant behavior as involuntary response is to voluntary response.

• A. involuntary response is to voluntary response
• B. reinforcement is to punishment
• C. stimulus is to consequence
• D. acquisition is to extinction

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the key terms in the problem. 'Respondent behavior' refers to involuntary, automatic responses to stimuli (classical conditioning), while 'operant behavior' refers to voluntary behaviors influenced by consequences (operant conditioning).
2. Step 2: Analyze the analogy structure: 'respondent behavior is to operant behavior as X is to Y.' The problem asks which pair (from the options) best matches the relationship between respondent and operant behavior.
3. Step 3: Evaluate each option by comparing the nature of the pairs. For example, 'involuntary response is to voluntary response' matches the difference between respondent (involuntary) and operant (voluntary) behavior.
4. Step 4: Consider the other options: 'reinforcement is to punishment' are types of consequences, 'stimulus is to consequence' relates to antecedents and outcomes, and 'acquisition is to extinction' are phases of learning. These do not parallel the fundamental difference between respondent and operant behavior as well as the involuntary vs. voluntary distinction.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the best analogy is 'involuntary response is to voluntary response' because it directly reflects the core difference between respondent and operant behaviors.