When Jose tells a joke sometimes people laugh, sometimes they change the subject, and sometimes they provide disapproving feedback. This is an example of a:
A Stimulus class based on formal characteristics
B Response class
C Stimulus class based on functional characteristics
D Stimulus class based on temporal location
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is B. Response class.
A response class refers to a group of behaviors that share a common function or outcome, even though the behaviors themselves may differ in form. In this case, Jose’s joke elicits different responses from people: laughter, a change in subject, and disapproving feedback. All of these reactions are responses to the same stimulus (Jose’s joke), but they differ in how people respond. These reactions form a response class because they are different forms of behavior, but they are all functionally related to the stimulus of the joke.
In behavioral psychology, understanding response classes is important for analyzing how people behave in response to certain stimuli. For example, in the scenario with Jose’s joke, the reactions (laughter, a change of subject, and disapproving feedback) all fall under the category of responses to a social stimulus. Each person’s reaction may differ, but they are all intended to provide some form of response to the same situation.
The other options are not suitable because they refer to different ways of classifying stimuli or responses.
- A. Stimulus class based on formal characteristics refers to stimuli that share similar physical properties, like size, shape, or color.
- C. Stimulus class based on functional characteristics refers to a group of stimuli that share a similar effect or function, but are not necessarily similar in physical appearance.
- D. Stimulus class based on temporal location refers to a group of stimuli that occur in similar times or situations.
In this case, since we are focused on how people react to the joke, the classification of the reactions as a response class is most accurate.