Mitzi's Cat Has Learned to Meow Every Time It Hears

question 394

Multiple Choice

Mitzi's cat has learned to meow every time it hears the can opener because Mitzi opened the cat food using an electric can opener. The cat food now comes in pull-top cans, so the cat never receives food after hearing the can opener. Mitzi's cat stops meowing to the can opener, illustrating that which of the following has taken place?

• A)shaping
• B)extinction
• C)a spontaneous recovery
• D)negative reinforcement

Recognize the biological, psychological, and social factors involved in the development of psychological disorders.

Identify the treatment and assessment methods for psychological disorders.

Differentiate among various personality and anxiety disorders.

Explain the concepts of reliability and validity in psychological testing.

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Definitions:

Negative Reinforcement

A psychological principle involving the removal of an unpleasant stimulus to increase the likelihood of a desired behavior occurring again.

Law of Contingent Reinforcement

A principle stating that the effectiveness of reinforcement depends on its delivery contingent upon the occurrence of a specific behavior.

Organizational Behavior Modification

Organizational behavior modification is the use of extrinsic rewards to systematically reinforce desirable work behavior and discourage undesirable behavior.

Reinforcement

The delivery of a consequence as a result of behavior.