What does Benny's behavior of eating vegetables only at his grandmother's house illustrate?

Study for the Reinforcement 101 Test with comprehensive questions and detailed explanations. Prepare effectively and confidently for your exam!

Benny's behavior of eating vegetables only at his grandmother's house illustrates the concept of single stimulus control. This type of control occurs when a behavior is triggered by a specific situation or context. In this case, Benny's willingness to eat vegetables is influenced solely by the presence of the unique setting of his grandmother's house.

When Benny is in that specific environment, the circumstances—such as perhaps the smell of his grandmother's cooking, the types of vegetables available, or positive associations he has with meals at her home—act as a discriminative stimulus prompting the specific behavior of eating vegetables. The situation at his grandmother's house provides the necessary cue that influences Benny's decision-making regarding food.

In contrast, if the control were multi-faceted, we would see Benny eating vegetables in various settings or due to numerous cues, which does not apply here. Similarly, social reinforcement may play a role in different contexts, such as peer influence or family dynamics, but the primary factor in this scenario revolves around the distinct influence of the grandmother's home on Benny's behavior.

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