Peter Dews is known for studying conditioning on drug behavior with animals using the Skinner box method. Which option best describes this work?

Peter Dews is known for studying conditioning on drug behavior with animals using the Skinner box method. Which option best describes this work?

• A. He invented the Skinner box
• B. He studied human decision-making in pharmacology
• C. He studied conditioning on drug behavior with animals like rats and pigeons using the Skinner box method
• D. He discovered classical conditioning

Answer: (C)

The main idea is how operant conditioning shapes drug-seeking behavior in animals using a controlled experimental chamber. In Skinner boxes, a rat or pigeon performs an action, such as pressing a lever or pecking a key, to obtain a drug reward. Researchers manipulate the consequences—reward magnitude, frequency, timing, and reinforcement schedules—to see how these factors influence learning, motivation, and the stability of drug-taking behavior. This setup isolates how behavior is strengthened or weakened by its consequences, which is the essence of conditioning in this context. This description fits best because it specifies conditioning on drug behavior with animals and uses the Skinner box method, which is all about operant learning and reinforcement in animal models. The other options misrepresent the work: the Skinner box was invented by B.F. Skinner, not Peter Dews; the focus here is not human decision-making in pharmacology; and classical conditioning was discovered by Pavlov, not the area described.

The main idea is how operant conditioning shapes drug-seeking behavior in animals using a controlled experimental chamber. In Skinner boxes, a rat or pigeon performs an action, such as pressing a lever or pecking a key, to obtain a drug reward. Researchers manipulate the consequences—reward magnitude, frequency, timing, and reinforcement schedules—to see how these factors influence learning, motivation, and the stability of drug-taking behavior. This setup isolates how behavior is strengthened or weakened by its consequences, which is the essence of conditioning in this context.

This description fits best because it specifies conditioning on drug behavior with animals and uses the Skinner box method, which is all about operant learning and reinforcement in animal models. The other options misrepresent the work: the Skinner box was invented by B.F. Skinner, not Peter Dews; the focus here is not human decision-making in pharmacology; and classical conditioning was discovered by Pavlov, not the area described.