A respondent behavior refers to a spontaneous behavior that is triggered by a stimulus such as a sound, sensation, movement, image, etc. This type of behavior differs from operant behavior because it is spontaneous and occurs naturally which means it has not been reinforced or learned. Moreover, respondent behaviors are essential for survival as they occur automatically and help organisms to react to threats.
Liza's behavior is an example of respondent behavior because this occurs as a spontaneous behavior to a sound she heard for the first time rather than being a behavior that has been learned or reinforced. Besides this, her reaction occurs naturally and in response to a possible threat considering a loud noise might be an indicator of an explosion or similar dangerous situation.
