Clarence is a cat that is always fed in the same place, at the same time, every day. His food is taken out of the same cupboard before each meal, which has a particular sound when it opens that is loud enough to be noticeable. One day his owner forgets to feed him and Clarence opens the cupboard door with his paws to try to get at the food on his own. How could we explain the fact that he had never been reinforced to open the cupboard before, yet was still able to do so?
A)latent learning
B)law of effect
C)operant conditioning
D)insight
E)chaining

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Clarence's ability to open the cupboard despite not being reinforced to do so suggests latent learning, where he learned the behavior without immediate reinforcement and demonstrated it when motivated by hunger.

Clarence Is a Cat That Is Always Fed in the Same