Shirley repeatedly ends up receiving bad grades in Algebra no matter how hard she studies.Eventually,Shirley stops studying for Algebra tests and accepts that nothing she does will help her get good grades.In this scenario,Shirley's behavior exemplifies _____ in operant conditioning.
A)habituation
B)instinctive drift
C)learned helplessness
D)preparedness

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Shirley has learned that no matter how hard she tries, she cannot achieve good grades in Algebra. This leads her to feel helpless and stop trying altogether. This is an example of learned helplessness, which is a behavior that arises from a belief that one cannot control the outcome of a situation. Shirley's behavior is not an example of habituation, which is a decrease in response to a repeated stimulus. It also does not represent instinctive drift, which occurs when an animal's innate behavior interferes with its training. Finally, Shirley's behavior is not an example of preparedness, which refers to the idea that certain behaviors are more easily learned than others due to evolutionary factors.

Shirley Repeatedly Ends Up Receiving Bad Grades in Algebra No