Question

Patrick has decided to teach his puppy a few new tricks. Each time the puppy responds correctly to Patrick's command, the puppy is given a treat. This is an example of a. habituation. d. imprinting. b. classical conditioning. e. orientation. c. operant conditioning.

Short answer

The correct answer is c. operant conditioning

Step-by-step solution

Understanding the terms

First, know the meanings of the given terms. \nHabituation is a form of learning where an organism reduces its responses to repetitive or harmless stimuli. \nImprinting is a type of learning occurring at a particular life stage that is rapid and independent of the species involved. \nClassical conditioning involves learning a new behavior via the process of association. \nOrientation refers to the position of an organism in relation to its surroundings.\nOperant conditioning is a method of learning that occurs through rewards and punishments for behavior.

Analyzing the scenario

Patrick is training his puppy so that, each time the puppy responds correctly to Patrick's command, the puppy is given a treat. This is a reward mechanism.

Applying the appropriate term

Among the provided options, Patrick's way of training is a direct example of 'Operant conditioning', where the action of the puppy (responding to the command) is followed by a reward (treat).

Key concepts

Habituation

Habituation is a fundamental form of learning that occurs when an organism decreases or ceases its responses to a repeated stimulus over time. Think of it like getting used to something so much that you stop noticing it. For instance, when you move into a new house by a busy road, the sound of traffic might be bothersome at first, but as time passes, you'll likely habituate and barely register the noise.

Habituation is crucial for survival, as it helps organisms conserve energy by not overreacting to non-threatening, repetitive stimuli. It's a form of non-associative learning – meaning, the repeated stimulus isn't paired with any particular consequence or reward.

Imprinting

Imprinting is a type of learning with a critical time window, usually seen in some bird and mammal species shortly after birth or hatching. During this sensitive period, a young animal forms attachments and develops a concept of its identity. Konrad Lorenz famously worked with geese and showed that they would follow the first moving object they saw, typically the mother, during this period.

Imprinting has lasting consequences and can influence behaviors such as mate selection later in life. Unlike habituation and classical conditioning, imprinting is rapid and often irreversible, taking place within a specific phase of early development.

Classical Conditioning

Classical conditioning, first examined by Ivan Pavlov in his experiments with dogs, is a learning process that occurs through associations between an environmental stimulus and a naturally occurring stimulus. It's about creating subconscious associations.

For example, in Pavlov's experiment, dogs learned to associate the sound of a bell (a neutral stimulus) with food (an unconditioned stimulus) that leads to salivation (an unconditioned response). Eventually, after multiple pairings, the bell alone (now a conditioned stimulus) could elicit salivation (a conditioned response) from the dogs. This kind of learning underpins much of human and animal behavior, explaining how phobias, tastes, and other responses can be formed through associations.

Orientation

Orientation in the context of learning and behavior refers to the way animals position or navigate themselves in relation to their surroundings. This can involve a range of behaviors such as the ability to locate oneself within an environment, the act of moving or traveling in a purposeful direction (taxis), or even adjusting body position in relation to stimuli (such as light or gravity).

Orienting responses are typically innate, meaning the organism is born with a predisposition to respond in certain ways to stimuli. These behaviors are essential for animals to find food, migrate, avoid predators, and engage in social behaviors that are necessary for survival and reproduction.