To efficiently train a rat to press a lever, you should reward
A)every response, even if the rat is not pressing the lever.
B)every response, even if the rat is moving away from the lever.
C)the first response that the rat makes in the direction of the lever.
D)all responses, even if the rat is grooming itself.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The best choice is to reward the first response that the rat makes in the direction of the lever. This will encourage the rat to approach the lever and associate its behavior with a reward. Rewarding every response, even if the rat is not pressing the lever or moving away from it, may confuse the rat and not lead to efficient learning. Similarly, rewarding all responses, even if the rat is grooming itself, will not help the rat understand that pressing the lever is the behavior that is being rewarded.

To Efficiently Train a Rat to Press a Lever, You