Kylee has a desk right next to her manager's office.Whenever her manager is in his office, Kylee makes sure that she works hard at her computer.However, if her manager is away from his office, she often works much more slowly and takes more breaks.Based on what is known about operant conditioning, you should conclude that the manager being in his office is acting as:
A)a positive reinforcer for working hard
B)a negative reinforcer for working hard
C)a discriminative stimulus for working hard
D)an unconditioned stimulus for working hard

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The manager being in his office is acting as a discriminative stimulus for working hard. A discriminative stimulus signals when a certain behavior is likely to be reinforced. In this case, Kylee has learned through past experiences that her manager being in his office is a cue to work hard, as this behavior has been positively reinforced in the past. When her manager is away, this discriminative stimulus is absent, so Kylee is less likely to work hard.

Kylee Has a Desk Right Next to Her Manager's Office