What is the training result when the dog’s scratching against the refrigerator door does not lead to any consequences?

When a dog scratches against the refrigerator door and does not receive any consequences for that behavior, it can lead to extinction. Extinction occurs when a previously reinforced behavior is no longer reinforced, which results in the gradual decrease in that behavior.

In this scenario, if the dog was previously rewarded for scratching the door—perhaps by getting attention or food from the refrigerator—but that reward is no longer given, the dog is likely to stop scratching over time. The absence of a reinforcing consequence leads to the behavior fading away. This aligns with the principles of operant conditioning, where behaviors are modified based on the reinforcement or lack thereof, ultimately supporting the idea of extinction in the absence of reinforcement.

The other options represent different processes in behavior modification: negative punishment involves removing a pleasant stimulus to reduce a behavior, positive reinforcement involves adding a pleasant stimulus to encourage a behavior, and positive punishment involves adding an aversive stimulus to decrease a behavior. In this case, since there is no consequence affecting the scratching behavior, extinction is the correct interpretation.