Giving a dolphin a treat when it does a summersault would be considered a(n):
A) reinforcement.
B) punishment.
C) unconditioned response.
D) conditioned response.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Reinforcement is a consequence that increases the likelihood of a behavior being repeated in the future. Giving a dolphin a treat when it does a summersault is a form of positive reinforcement, as the dolphin is being rewarded for performing the desired behavior. Punishment would involve adding a negative consequence to decrease the likelihood of a behavior being repeated, which is not the case here. Unconditioned response refers to an innate or automatic response to a stimulus, which is not applicable in this scenario. Conditioned response is a learned response to a conditioned stimulus, which is also not applicable here as the dolphin is not being trained to associate a particular stimulus with a specific behavior.

Giving a Dolphin a Treat When It Does a Summersault