Which term describes a sequence of responses in which each response produces a stimulus change that functions as conditioned reinforcement for that response and as a discriminative stimulus for the next response in the chain?

• A. DRA
• B. DRO
• C. Behavior Chain
• D. Behavior

Answer: (C)

In a behavior chain, there is a sequence of responses where every step has a stimulus change that does two things at once: it serves as conditioned reinforcement for that step, and it acts as a discriminative cue for the next step in the sequence. The stimulus change produced by each response has become reinforcing for doing that step (often because it signals and leads toward the final reward), and it also signals to the learner which next response to emit. This combination of reinforcement for the current step and cueing for the next step is what defines a behavior chain. DRA and DRO describe reinforcement strategies for different behaviors or for withholding reinforcement, not a linked sequence of steps with advancing cues, and a generic behavior lacks the chaining structure.