The controlling function of an antecedent is acquired from pairing with stimulus changes following the behavior in operant conditioning and pairing with antecedent stimuli in respondent conditioning.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. It depends on reinforcement
• D. Only in one form of conditioning

Answer: (A)

At the heart of this idea is how stimuli come to control behavior through learning. In operant conditioning, a cue that signals reinforcement becomes a discriminative stimulus because it has repeatedly been present when a behavior is followed by a reinforcement or punisher. The consequence following the response acts as a stimulus change that strengthens the link between the behavior and the antecedent; when that cue is present, the behavior is more likely to occur, and when it’s absent, it’s less likely. In respondent (classical) conditioning, a neutral antecedent is paired with an unconditioned stimulus that naturally elicits a response. Through repeated pairings, the antecedent itself comes to elicit a conditioned response, giving it control over the behavior. So the antecedent’s controlling function is acquired both through pairing with consequences after a behavior (operant) and through pairing with another stimulus (classical), making the statement true.