Question

Jason instigates more and more fights with younger children on the school playground because it gains him the attention and respect of his friends. This most clearly suggests that his aggression is:
a. instinctive.
b. learned response.
c. the result of displacement.
d. the result of frustration.

Answer 1

Answer:

b) learned response

Explanation:

In psychology, a learned response refers to a response that has been acquired by learning.

Usually, these responses have to do with conditioning learning theory in which a certain behavior gives us a desired response and a reward (either external like an actual prize or internal as praising and respect from others) and this makes us repeat the conduct to keep experimenting the reward and thus, this is how a learned behavior/response is learned.

Behaviorism states that one's environment causes one’s behavior.

In this example, Jason instigates more and more fights on the school playground and this gains him the attention and respect of his friends. His environment is reinforcing his conduct.

Therefore, by having this behavior he is getting a reward which is the respect of others, so he continues doing this behavior.

Thus, this is an example of learned response.