The Greek Philosopher Empedocles Recognized That Plant Life Preceded Animal

question 12

Essay

The Greek philosopher Empedocles recognized that plant life preceded animal life. Xenophanes (570-470 B.C.) studied fossils in sedimentary rock and concluded that the rocks must have been under water at one time. Explain why these were important shifts in logical thinking.

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Definitions:

Operant Conditioning

A learning process through which the strength of a behavior is modified by reinforcement or punishment.

Classical Conditioning

A learning process that occurs when two stimuli are repeatedly paired; a response that is at first elicited by the second stimulus is eventually elicited by the first stimulus alone.

Spontaneous Recovery

A phenomenon in learning and conditioning where a previously extinguished response re-emerges after a period of no exposure to the conditioned stimulus.

Unconditioned Response

An automatic, natural reaction to a stimulus that occurs without prior learning or conditioning.