Question 1

Contrast classical and operant conditioning in terms of (a) the nature of the behavior, (b) the role of stimuli that precede the response, and (c) the role of consequences.

Accepted Answer

The answer should provide the following information: (1) Conditioned responses often are reflexive in nature, whereas operant responses are seemingly purposive. Conditioned responses are reactions to stimuli that evoke them. Operant responses are active attempts to procure reinforcers; (2) In classical conditioning, initially neutral stimuli acquire meaning through their association with unconditioned stimuli that naturally elicit the response. Thereafter, these conditioned stimuli are able to elicit the response. In operant conditioning, stimuli preceding the response Operant behavior is, by definition, behavior controlled by its consequences. Consequences of behavior are not involved in classical conditioning. For example, in Pavlov's preparation, dogs do not have to salivate at the sound of a tone in order to receive the food. The food is coming one way or the other. The behavior of Pavlov's dogs is under the control of the preceding CS. The lever-pressing behavior of Skinner's rats, in contrast, is controlled by consequences. If the lever press produces a food pellet, they will press again. Note that the food pellet only will be presented if the animal presses the lever.

Question 2

Bob has contracted a stomach virus and will be extremely sick in 6 hours. At the moment, however, Bob is completely unaware of his condition. In fact, he is starving for his favorite food, pizza. His roommate wants anchovies on the pizza; although Bob never has eaten anchovies, he agrees. Bob eats six slices of pizza and likes the taste of the anchovies. A few hours later, Bob becomes extremely sick to his stomach. Describe the likely taste aversion that Bob will experience. Be sure to identify the US, CS, UR, and CR. Finally, discuss how the conditioning process might differ if Bob was a pigeon in Central Park instead of a college student.

Accepted Answer

The answer should provide the following information: (1) The US is the virus, and the UR is the stomach sickness; (2) The CS is the smell or taste of the anchovies. Because Bob has eaten pizza many times and has never gotten sick, it would be difficult to form a taste aversion to the pizza. The anchovies, however, are new to Bob. It is fairly easy to condition a taste aversion to a new food for evolutionary reasons. If our ancestors ate a particular food frequently and one time got sick, it probably wasn't due to that food. If, on the other hand, they ate a new food and got sick, there's a good chance that the food was the culprit; (3) The CR probably would take the form of stomach queasiness from the smell of anchovies. Bob would avoid anchovies in the future; (4) Note that this occurs even though the anchovies were not the reason that Bob got sick! (5) If Bob was a pigeon, the sight of anchovies, instead of their smell, would elicit the CR. Birds are biologically prepared to form sight-sickness associations, whereas mammals are biologically prepared to form taste/smell-sickness associations.

Question 3

How would you train a puppy to turn in a complete clockwise circle to receive a doggie treat using shaping through successive approximations?

Accepted Answer

The answer should provide the following information: (1) Shaping through successive approximation involves providing reinforcers for closer and closer approximations to the desired behavior; (2) First, provide reinforcement for any clockwise movement. Then provide reinforcement only if the dog engages in a quarter-clockwise turn. Then provide reinforcement only if the dog engages in a half-clockwise turn. Then provide reinforcement only if the dog engages in a three-quarters-clockwise turn. Finally, provide reinforcement only if the dog turns in a complete circle.

Question 4

Review some effective and ineffective techniques for learning academic material. When are difficulties in studying desirable?

Accepted Answer