Janice has OCD. She is bothered by thoughts that she has left her apartment door unlocked. This thought pattern is best classified as :
A) a negatively reinforced operant.
B) a positively reinforced operant.
C) a respondent.
D) adjunctive behavior.

Question

Janice has OCD. She is bothered by thoughts that she has left her apartment door unlocked. This thought pattern is best classified as :
A) a negatively reinforced operant.
B) a positively reinforced operant.
C) a respondent.
D) adjunctive behavior.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This thought pattern is best classified as a respondent because it is an automatic response to a stimulus (the thought of the door being unlocked) rather than a behavior strengthened by its consequences, which would be characteristic of operant conditioning. Respondent behaviors are elicited by antecedent conditions, and in this case, the thought acts as the stimulus triggering anxiety or distress.

Janice Has OCD