The birds that were eating at the bird feeder initially flew away when the shadow of Charlie's kite passed over the feeder.However, after Charlie had been flying the kite for 15 minutes, the birds had all returned and didn't stop feeding when the kite passed overhead.The birds' change in responsiveness illustrates the learning process known as:
A)sensitization
B)habituation
C)second-order conditioning
D)negative reinforcement

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Habituation is the process of learning to stop responding to repeated, harmless stimuli. In this case, the birds initially flew away in response to the new and scary presence of the kite's shadow, but after repeatedly seeing it without harm, they learned to ignore it and continue feeding. Sensitization refers to an increase in responsiveness to a stimulus, while second-order conditioning involves pairing a neutral stimulus with a previously learned stimulus. Negative reinforcement involves removing a negative stimulus to increase the likelihood of a behavior. None of these processes fit the scenario described.

The Birds That Were Eating at the Bird Feeder Initially