Which term describes the stimulus preceding an operant when reinforcement is not produced, and its presence reduces the probability of emitting the operant?

Which term describes the stimulus preceding an operant when reinforcement is not produced, and its presence reduces the probability of emitting the operant?

• A. S-Delta (S∆)
• B. Discriminative Stimulus
• C. Aversive Stimulus
• D. Generalization

Answer: (A)

In operant conditioning, stimuli that shape behavior fall into cues that signal reinforcement is available versus cues that signal reinforcement is not. The S-delta is the cue that tells you reinforcement will not follow that particular operant in the current situation, so its presence lowers the likelihood of emitting the behavior. This differs from a discriminative stimulus, which signals that reinforcement is available if the behavior occurs. An aversive stimulus is an unpleasant event that can motivate avoidance or punishment, not specifically a predictor of nonreinforcement for a given response. Generalization is when responses occur to stimuli that are similar to the one that was reinforced. Here, S-delta best fits the description.

In operant conditioning, stimuli that shape behavior fall into cues that signal reinforcement is available versus cues that signal reinforcement is not. The S-delta is the cue that tells you reinforcement will not follow that particular operant in the current situation, so its presence lowers the likelihood of emitting the behavior. This differs from a discriminative stimulus, which signals that reinforcement is available if the behavior occurs. An aversive stimulus is an unpleasant event that can motivate avoidance or punishment, not specifically a predictor of nonreinforcement for a given response. Generalization is when responses occur to stimuli that are similar to the one that was reinforced. Here, S-delta best fits the description.