Bubba, a very smart german shepherd, has learned that if he barks at the neighbors while they're grilling, they will throw him a candy. however, his owner, paul, does not want bubba to eat candy as it is not good for his health. he does not allow bubba to eat candies from the neighbor. when paul is in the yard, bubba never barks at the neighbors. according to operant-conditioning principles, bubba is demonstrating that he can:

According to operant-conditioning principles, Bubba is demonstrating that he can "learn".

Explanation:

Operant conditioning also known as instrumental conditioning is a process of learning either by getting rewarded or by getting punished for an action.

In operant conditioning, a certain behavior or action is associated with a certain consequence.

If the consequence is positive, there is a tendency for that behavior to be repeated but if the consequence is negative, then there it is more likely that that behavior will be avoided.

Bubba barking at the neighbors when Paul isn't in the garden shows a learning behavior due to certain circumstances repeating themselves over time.