When four-year-old Aislin goes on errands with her dad and whines for a treat, he stops somewhere and buys her a treat. But when she goes on errands with her mom, whining never ends up getting her a treat. Before long, Aislin only whines when she is going on errands with her dad. This is called:
A) extinction.
B) a phobia.
C) stimulus discrimination.
D) behaviourism.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Stimulus discrimination occurs when an individual responds differently to different situations or stimuli. In this case, Aislin has learned that whining only works with her dad during errands, but not with her mom, and has therefore discriminated between the two situations. Extinction refers to the process of reducing a behavior by withholding reinforcement. A phobia is an intense and irrational fear of a specific object or situation. Behaviorism is a psychological approach that emphasizes the role of environmental factors in shaping behavior. None of the other options accurately describe Aislin's learned behavior.

When Four-Year-Old Aislin Goes on Errands with Her Dad and Whines