QPractice question
Which of the following best describes Operant Conditioning?
  1. A.Attitudes have three components — cognitive (beliefs), affective (feelings), and conative (intentions) — each requiring different marketing interventions to shift.
  2. B.The process by which consumers select, organize, and interpret marketing stimuli — the bridge between an ad in the world and a meaning in the mind.
  3. C.Skinner's theory: behavior followed by reward is repeated; behavior followed by punishment is extinguished — used in loyalty, gamification, and pricing. ✓
  4. D.Skinner's theory: behavior followed by reward is repeated; behavior followed by punishment is extinguished — used in loyalty, gamification, and pricing.
Why this answer:

Operant Conditioning is skinner's theory: behavior followed by reward is repeated; behavior followed by punishment is extinguished — used in loyalty, gamification, and pricing. The other options describe related but distinct concepts in Consumer Behavior — see the deep-dive guide for the full distinction.

How to think about questions like this

Reward schedules shape long-term behavior. Questions like this test whether you can distinguish Operant Conditioning from neighboring concepts. The most common trap is choosing a closely-related concept that sounds similar but applies in a different context.

When you see a definition question on an exam, do two things: (1) translate the question into your own words, then (2) generate the answer in your own words before reading the options. This avoids the cognitive bias of recognizing a familiar phrase as correct just because it is familiar.

Editor's note Want a deeper walkthrough? Our editors recommend pairing this with Operant Conditioning for a worked example you can adapt to your assignment.