Question

Dakota is using operant conditioning to get his dog Rover to bring him his slippers. He sounds a bell, has Rover bring the slippers, and reinforces the behavior with a dog biscuit. One day, a church bell sounds outside and Rover brings Dakota his slippers. Rover’s behavior illustrates:

Answer 1

Answer:

Generalization

Explanation:

In the conditioning process, the concept of generalization refers to the fact that the conditioned stimulus evokes similar responses when there's a similar stimulus present (once the response has been conditioned).

This means that once the response has been conditioned and it occurs in presence of certain stimulus, when a similar stimulus to the one the response now reacts to, appears, it creates the same conditioned response.

In this case, the stimulus used is the ringing of a bell that has now the effect on Rover of bringing Dakota his slippers. However, the church bell sound is pretty similar to the bell that Dakota uses and therefore Rover has the same conduct (of bringing the slippers) when the church bell sounds.

Thus, this is an example of generalization.