Operant and respondent antecedent stimulus control function in the same manner.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. It depends on the learner
• D. Not enough information

Answer: (B)

The way antecedent stimuli influence behavior differs between operant and respondent (classical) conditioning, so they don’t function in the same manner. In respondent conditioning, an antecedent stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus that elicits a reflexive response after being paired with an unconditioned stimulus. The response is automatic and elicited, not emitted as a result of a reinforcement history.

In operant conditioning, an antecedent stimulus acts as a discriminative cue that signals whether a reinforcement is available for a voluntary behavior. The organism emits the behavior in response to that cue because of past reinforcement, and the cue can also signal that reinforcement is unavailable (S-delta). Here, the behavior is emitted and its likelihood is controlled by reinforcement contingencies, not by automatic elicitation.

Because one process hinges on stimulus-stimulus pairing producing reflexive responses, while the other hinges on reinforcement-based control of voluntary behavior, the statement is not correct.