Some bears kept in the zoo allow veterinarians to routinely give them total body checkups. these bears open their mouths for teeth cleaning and present their paws for nail clipping. your friend wonders how anyone could ever get these dangerous animals to be so cooperative without anesthesia. you, however, a psychology student, quickly surmise that the bears had most likely undergone

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Some bears kept in the zoo allow veterinarians to routinely give them total body checkups. these bears open their mouths for teeth cleaning and present their paws for nail clipping. your friend wonders how anyone could ever get these dangerous animals to be so cooperative without anesthesia. you, however, a psychology student, quickly surmise that the bears had most likely undergone Operant Conditioning.

Operant Conditioning is a form of teaching in which the subject has more probabilities of repeating the conducts that carry positive consequences and fewer probabilities of repeating the conducts that carry negative consequences. The conducts are reinforced by the consequences and not by the stimulus, as in classical conditioning.

For the bears, their cooperation must have given them positive consequences like better health and quality of life, that's why they had most likely undergone Operant Conditioning. 

Have a nice day!