Which of the following is NOT one of the elements used in operant conditioning?

• A. Cue or command
• B. Dog's response
• C. Innate reflex
• D. Response rule (governs every operant conditioning training scenario)

Answer: (C)

In operant conditioning, you shape behavior by focusing on voluntary actions that a dog emits in response to a cue, and the consequences that follow these actions. The three core elements are the cue or command that signals what to do, the dog’s response (the operant behavior), and the response rule—the contingency that determines what consequence follows and thus how likely the behavior is to be repeated. An innate reflex, on the other hand, is an automatic, involuntary reaction that does not originate from choosing to perform a behavior in response to a cue and is not governed by the same kind of consequence-based contingency. In training a working dog, you’d cue the behavior, observe the voluntary response, and apply reinforcement or punishment according to a schedule to shape future performance. Reflexive responses belong more to reflexive, automatic processes (and are central to classical conditioning concepts), not to the operant framework. That’s why innate reflex isn’t considered an element of operant conditioning.