Dr. Sterling investigated operant conditioning using laboratory rats in a custom chamber. A continuous, irritating buzzing sound was played inside the chamber. Whenever a rat pressed a small lever, the buzzing sound stopped immediately for 30 seconds. Dr. Sterling recorded how quickly the rats learned to press the lever after being placed in the chamber.
Explain how Dr. Sterling used negative reinforcement in this investigation.
205 exam-style questions on Edexcel A Level Psychology Content, covering Main features of classical conditioning, Pavlov (1927) salivation in dogs, Main features of operant conditioning, Properties of reinforcement, Behaviour modification and shaping, Main features of social learning theory, Social learning stages, Bandura (1961, 1963) Bobo doll experiments, Bandura (1965) vicarious reinforcement, Learning theories and phobias, Treatments for phobias, Individual differences, and Developmental psychology. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.