Latent learning is a type of learning that occurs without any obvious reinforcement or reward, and is not immediately reflected in behavior. It can be demonstrated when an individual acquires knowledge or skills but does not show them until the conditions are right.
For the given options, the correct example of latent learning would be:
a) Knowing where the emergency exits are in a theater even though you have never used them.
This example illustrates latent learning because the individual has acquired knowledge about the location of the emergency exits without needing to use them or be rewarded for knowing this information. It is knowledge that is stored away and can be recalled when necessary.
The other options do not represent latent learning:
- b) Becoming emotional in the presence of bees after you receive a bee sting relates more to classical conditioning, as it shows a learned emotional response based on a past experience.
- c) Pavlov’s dogs learning to salivate at the sound of a bell is also a form of classical conditioning, where the dogs learn to associate the sound with the presentation of food.
In summary, the correct example of latent learning is knowing where the emergency exits are in a theater without ever having to use them.