Which of the following can best be described as an example of latent learning?
A)Deborah, who gives her four-year-old son a hug every time he puts his toys away.
B)Samantha, who has wandered through the downtown area a number of times without having a particular goal in mind. When she is asked to take a friend to a particular restaurant in that neighborhood, she almost immediately picks the shortest route.
C)Dr. Caruthers , who has been working on a particularly thorny problem in microbiology for a number of months. She then suddenly realizes the solution to her problem, seemingly without effort.
D)Jason, who has a flat tire while driving on a country road. He remembers having seen his dad change a flat tire before, so he doesn't hesitate to attempt the task himself. He is successful in the attempt and is soon on his way again.
E)Patrick, who is planning to spend the day at the beach. He packs sunscreen and applies it to himself every two hours while he is at the beach because he doesn't want to get a sunburn.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Latent learning occurs when an individual learns something without any immediate or apparent reinforcement or reward. Samantha's ability to navigate to a specific location without having been explicitly taught or rewarded for learning the route is an example of latent learning. She acquired knowledge of the area through her casual, unrewarded exploration and was able to use this knowledge when it became relevant.

Which of the Following Can Best Be Described as an Example