Question

Although Skinner and other behaviorists did not think that it was necessary to refer to thoughts or expectations when explaining human learning, findings from experiments with rats suggest otherwise. Which of the following findings suggests that cognitive processes are involved in operant learning:________.
A. Children learn from observing their parents, and exhibit the learning immediately.
B. Rats do NOT seem to develop a cognitive map of mazes.C. Learning is merely the association of a response with a consequence.
D. Rats appear to experience latent learning while exploring mazes.

Answer 1

Answer: D. Rats appear to experience latent learning while exploring mazes.

Explanation:

An experiment by Edward C. Tolman showed that organisms can learn especially latently without immediate reinforcement like Skinner opined even though the learned behavior will not manifest itself unless there is sufficient stimuli to do so.

Rats in his experiment were put in mazes without food as a reinforcement and as a result they developed a sort COGNITIVE MAP of the maze such that when food was eventually put there they were able to get the the food quickly.