Consider an Experiment in Which a Pigeon Is Placed in a Skinner

question 89

Multiple Choice

Consider an experiment in which a pigeon is placed in a Skinner box with a button on the wall. The cage contains a small green light that is turned on and off intermittently throughout the day. When the pigeon pecks the button when the green light is on, the behavior is reinforced with food. When it pecks the button when the green light is off, the behavior is not reinforced. The pigeon soon learns that button pecking will be rewarded only when the green light is on. In this scenario, the green light is a(n) __________.

• A)unconditioned stimulus
• B)discriminative stimulus
• C)unlearned stimulus
• D)aversive stimulus

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Definitions:

Lecithin

A fatty substance found in animal and plant tissues, widely used as an emulsifier in food products, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals.

Triglyceride

A type of fat (lipid) found in your blood, made up of a glycerol backbone attached to three fatty acid chains, the main form of fat stored by the body.

Wax

A diverse class of organic compounds that are malleable at slightly higher than room temperature, consisting mostly of hydrocarbons or esters of fatty acids.

Organic Compound

A chemical compound that contains carbon atoms covalently bonded to hydrogen atoms, possibly along with other elements such as oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, and halogens.