Exam 6: A: Learning

Noel's skill at hitting a baseball gradually improves as his attempts produce more frequent and longer-distance hits. Which of the following processes is this an example of?

One Saturday, Adhar was sitting at home when the telephone rang. A local company was making promotional calls and told Adhar he had just won a $500 gift certificate. He felt a rush of excitement at the thought of what he could do with $500. Now Adhar finds that whenever he hears a telephone ring, he feels a little surge of excitement. What is the conditioned response in this example?

Maarit takes a course in which she is tested every two weeks. Her studying falls off right after a test, followed by a gradual increase to a rapid rate of studying as the next test approaches. On which reinforcement schedule does her studying conform to the typical pattern of responding ?

What is the term for a species-specific predisposition to be conditioned in certain ways and not others?

Which of the following would result in a decrease in the effectiveness of punishment?

Thorndike found that the cats in his puzzle boxes learned to escape from the box, and that the time required to escape decreased gradually over trials. Thorndike believed that this was evidence that cats were not necessarily thinking or understanding (even though they were learning). What pattern of results would provide evidence that cats were "thinking", according to Thorndike?

A woman reported feeling very happy whenever she smelled cigarette smoke and Beemans gum because of the association of these smells with her first love. What is her happiness, in this example?

What principles are you applying if you devise a self-modification program in which you systematically reward yourself for studying?

Hamish and Dougal have noticed some examples of conditioning in the border collies that they use on their farm. For example, the dogs have learned to herd sheep toward the barn if they hear a short blast on a whistle. The dogs also start drooling whenever they are allowed into the kitchen of the farmhouse, where they get really juicy scraps to eat. Which of the following describes their dogs' conditioning?

Airi learns to associate the sight of a bee with the pain of a bee sting. After learning this association, she runs into the house every time she sees a bee, avoiding the possibility of a sting. What is the sight of the bee according to Mowrer's two-process theory?

As Randy was waiting for the bus one day, a car pulled up and the driver asked him for directions to the nearest gas station. Randy provided clear directions to a station a few blocks away, even though he doesn't drive and has never actually stopped at that gas station for any reason. What term would Tolman have used to describe Randy's knowledge about the gas station?

Which of the following is a conclusion we can draw as a result of decades of research on animal models of learning?

You have conditioned a fear response to a 1000-Hz tone. Now the tone is paired with a green light. Later, the green light alone elicits fear. What is this process called?

Bart used to go to his health club every day after work because he almost always saw Abigail there. For two full weeks Abigail wasn't at the club when Bart went there for his workout, and now Bart has stopped going to his health club. Which process does this example illustrate?

When would you expect the greatest degree of stimulus generalization in classical conditioning?

What does positive reinforcement involve?

What is it called when an animal's innate response tendencies interfere with the conditioning process?

What does negative reinforcement involve?

Micah really liked his mom's homemade apple pie, and he would eat a huge slice whenever she made some. When he went to visit with a friend, he tried some apple pie that the friend's brother had made, and it tasted terrible. Now Micah will eat only his mom's apple pie; if anyone else offers him apple pie he politely turns that person down. What does this example illustrate?

Regarding applications of the principles of learning and conditioning, which of the following is most accurate outside the laboratory?