Dr. Park replicates Tolman's classic maze studies with three groups of rats. Group A receives food at the goal box every trial. Group B never receives food. Group C explores the maze for 10 days with no reward, then on day 11 begins receiving food. Within two trials after reinforcement begins, Group C's error rate drops to match Group A's, far below Group B's.
Tolman's findings most directly challenged which assumption of strict behaviorism?
- A
That stimuli must be paired in close temporal contiguity
- B
That extinction follows the removal of reinforcement
- Ccheck_circle
That learning requires observable reinforcement to occur
- D
That punishment suppresses operant responses
Explanation
Strict behaviorists (e.g., Skinner) held that learning required reinforcement; Tolman showed learning occurred covertly without it, paving the way for cognitive approaches.