Which term refers to behavior that is learned by coincidental association of a response with a reinforcer?

• A. Superstitious Behavior
• B. Discriminative Stimulus
• C. Fixed-Interval Schedule
• D. Variable-Ratio Schedule

Answer: (A)

Coincidental reinforcement can shape behavior into superstition: a response is strengthened simply because it happens to occur just before a reinforcer, even though the action did not cause the reward. When reinforcement is delivered independently of the action, the learner may falsely attribute causality to that action and continue performing it to obtain more rewards. This idea comes from Skinner’s work with pigeons, where actions that coincided with food deliveries—like turning or other idiosyncratic movements—were repeated because the timing made them seem linked to the reinforcement. In contrast, a discriminative stimulus is just a cue that signals reinforcement is available, a fixed-interval schedule rewards after a set amount of time regardless of the behavior, and a variable-ratio schedule rewards after a changing number of responses; none of these describe learning caused by a coincidental connection between a response and the reward.