Deck 13: The Behavioralsocial Learning Approach: Theory, Application, and Assessment

Question 1

Positive and negative reinforcement are similar in that both processes

A) are used to increase the frequency of a behavior.
B) are used to decrease the frequency of a behavior.
C) take away something for inappropriate behaviors.
D) are ineffective unless backed up with classical conditioning.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

What did Watson use to explain human behavior?

A) Conditioning
B) Traits
C) Observational learning
D) Unconscious motives

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which classical conditioning procedure might you use if you wanted to decrease the frequency of a response?

A) Negative reinforcement
B) Extinction
C) Punishment
D) Shaping

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Marlene's desk becomes so messy that on occasion she cannot find an important paper she is looking for. After several incidents in which she suffered the consequences of not finding a paper she needed (e.g., a homework assignment), she learned to organize and straighten her desk. Now the distress of being unable to find what she needs has been eliminated. Marlene learned this new behavior through which operant conditioning procedure?

A) Positive reinforcement
B) Negative reinforcement
C) Punishment
D) Extinction

Question 5

From his observations of cats escaping from a "puzzle box" to obtain a piece of fish, Thorndike developed a theory that is known as the law of

A) operant conditioning.
B) effect.
C) consequences.
D) association.

Question 6

A teacher places a check mark on the chalkboard next to Henry's name whenever Henry speaks out in class without raising his hand. If he receives three check marks in one day, Henry gets no recess the following day. The teacher is using

A) classical conditioning.
B) operant conditioning.
C) extinction.
D) shaping.

Question 7

John's mother wants her son to stop crying every time something goes wrong. Following a psychologist's advice, she stops running to comfort John whenever the boy starts crying over some minor incident. After a few weeks, she notices that John cries much less frequently than he used to. This is an example of

A) positive reinforcement.
B) negative reinforcement.
C) punishment.
D) extinction.

Question 8

As a child, Mary always had an unpleasant time whenever she visited her cousins. In addition, most of the times she visited, her aunt would serve meatloaf for dinner. As an adult, Mary hates meatloaf. She doesn't even have a conscious recognition that she associates meatloaf with the nasty way her cousins treated her. If her dislike of meatloaf were classically conditioned, the meatloaf would be the

A) unconditioned stimulus.
B) unconditioned response.
C) conditioned response.
D) conditioned stimulus.

Question 9

After Pavlov conditioned his dogs to salivate upon hearing a bell, the bell acted as a(n)

A) unconditioned stimulus.
B) unconditioned response.
C) conditioned stimulus.
D) conditioned response.

Question 10

The behavioral approach to personality postulates that personality is

A) the combination of environmental circumstances and unconscious impulses.
B) a function of how we feel about conditions in the environment.
C) habitual behaviors that we learn to demonstrate.
D) the result of inherited predispositions to behave in certain ways.

Question 11

Researchers sometimes use second-order conditioning. This means that they

A) use operant conditioning to reinforce classically conditioned associations.
B) continue to pair the conditioned and unconditioned stimuli to avoid extinction.
C) use a newly created stimulus-response association as part of a new classical conditioning procedure.
D) begin to reinforce the behavior every other time it is emitted.

Question 12

Which of the following statements is not correct?

A) Punishment does not teach appropriate behaviors.
B) To be effective, punishment must be delivered immediately and consistently.
C) Punishment can have negative side effects, such as creating negative associations through classical conditioning.
D) In most cases, punishment is the most effective way to reduce an unwanted behavior.

Question 13

Every time a boy visited his grandfather, he would pass a house with a large dog in the yard that would bark and scare the boy. Years later, the boy becomes anxious whenever he visits his grandfather, even though the dog is no longer there. The boy learned to become anxious in this situation through which process?

A) Classical conditioning
B) Operant conditioning
C) Observational learning
D) Punishment

Question 14

The process of using one S-R association as a foundation on which to build another is called __________conditioning.

A) reverse
B) operant
C) associative
D) second-order

Question 15

According to B. F. Skinner, we are mistaken when we look to inner causes for our actions because

A) inner mental states have no impact on behavior.
B) we can't know if inner states cause or are caused by behaviors (or both).
C) only a few of the most obvious inner states, such as anxiety, can be a cause for our behavior.
D) subjective feelings are the result of our behavior, not the cause.

Question 16

A tennis coach works with players to improve the accuracy of their backhand stroke with successive attempts to produce more hits on target each week of the season. The coach slowly adjusts the form of the backstroke until it is the correct overall swing. The coach is using a form of conditioning known as

A) stimulus generalization.
B) shaping.
C) punishment.
D) discrimination.

Question 17

Which of the following was not advocated by John B. Watson?

A) Subjective inner feelings can be studied through scientific methods.
B) Only that which is observable is reasonable subject matter for science.
C) Subjective inner states and feelings have no place in an objective science.
D) If psychology is to be a science, psychologists must stop examining mental states.

Question 18

A woman experiences high levels of nervousness right before she is to speak in front of a large audience. She decides she can't go through with the speech. She later tells her husband she could not speak because she was anxious. If her husband were B. F. Skinner, how might he respond?

A) "Your feelings of anxiety indeed caused you to not speak because they acted like a punishment."
B) "The anxiety is unrelated to the change in your behavior."
C) "The change in your behavior my cause or be caused by your feelings of anxiety."
D) "Anxious feelings do not exist because we cannot observe them."

Question 19

Pavlovian conditioning, a form of learning first identified by Ivan Pavlov, is also called

A) instrumental conditioning.
B) classical conditioning.
C) operant conditioning.
D) behaviorism.

Question 20

After a new stimulus-response association is classically conditioned, it must be paired with the old stimulus occasionally or reinforced to avoid

A) second-order conditioning.
B) extinction.
C) stimulus generalization.
D) stimulus discrimination.

Question 21

Operant conditioning would be rather limited if every new situation required learning a new response. However, this is not the case because of __________, which allows us to "spread" learning from one situation to another.

A) generalization
B) partial reinforcement
C) second-order conditioning
D) discrimination

Question 22

With respect to the locus of control continuum, Sally has an external orientation. Which of the following statements would she least likely make?

A) "Hard work and perseverance pay off."
B) "I would be a better basketball player I if I were to spend more time practicing."
C) "I failed my psychology final because the professor doesn't like me."
D) "I got into a car accident because I was texting while I was driving."

Question 23

According to Rotter, all of the following are psychological variables that must be considered to account for behavior except one. Which one?

A) Locus of control
B) Expectations
C) Reinforcement values
D) Classical conditioning

Question 24

In Rotter's model, a behavior potential is determined in part by

A) the estimated likelihood that the behavior will lead to reinforcement.
B) the strength of other behavior potentials.
C) whether or not the role model was rewarded.
D) the distinction between learning and performance.

Question 25

Psychologists use shaping because of which of the following limitations of operant conditioning?

A) Punishment does not teach new responses, it only inhibits old ones.
B) Behaviors will extinguish if they are not reinforced occasionally.
C) One must wait for the organism's response before it can be rewarded or punished.
D) Operant procedures condition responses only to very specific stimuli.

Question 26

According to Bandura, we learn many behaviors by observing models. Whether or not we perform these behaviors depends on

A) the consequences we expect for those behaviors.
B) the reinforcement value of the rewards.
C) generalized expectancies.
D) whether we are children or adults.

Question 27

A man launches a campaign to change a law he does not like. According to Rotter, whether the man persists at this campaign depends on if

A) he is reinforced for his behavior.
B) he expects to be reinforced for his behavior.
C) he has seen a model that was reinforced for similar behavior.
D) the rewards he thinks he will receive really exist.

Question 28

Children in one study observed a model acting aggressively against an adult-sized plastic Bobo doll. The children were then given an opportunity to imitate the model on their own, followed by an opportunity to demonstrate the aggressive acts for rewards. The study was designed to demonstrate

A) that aggression can be learned through classical conditioning.
B) the distinction between learning and performance.
C) that children will behave aggressively for rewards.
D) that children will not imitate aggressive acts unless they are rewarded.

Question 29

Watson paired a loud noise with the appearance of a white rat to create a fear of the animal in a boy known as Little Albert. Watson performed this experiment to demonstrate that

A) phobias can develop through classical conditioning.
B) phobias can develop through operant conditioning.
C) learning can take place in the absence of language skills.
D) behaviors can be conditioned in children as young as 11 months old.

Question 30

People are more likely to engage in a behavior if it is followed by a reward. According to Rotter, this is because the reward

A) creates an association through operant conditioning.
B) is delivered immediately after the behavior is enacted.
C) changes the environment in which the behavior takes place.
D) changes the expectancy that the behavior will lead to rewards in the future.

Question 31

Tony's mother wants him to learn to play with other children. She begins by offering him a quarter whenever he plays with other children nearby, even if he plays by himself. Later, she gives him a quarter only when he plays on the same playground equipment other children are playing on. Finally, she gives him a quarter only if he actually plays with the other children. Tony's mother is demonstrating how to use

A) classical conditioning.
B) second-order conditioning.
C) shaping.
D) stimulus generalization.

Question 32

Early social learning theorists introduced the notion of behavior environment behavior interactions. By this, they meant that

A) our behavior is a function of the environment in which we interact.
B) we are influenced by both the environment and the behavior of others.
C) we change our style of interaction depending on our environment.
D) the environment influences our behavior, and our behavior influences the kind of environment in which we find ourselves.

Question 33

Which of the following is not part of Bandura's reciprocal determinism model?

A) Behavior influences internal factors.
B) Behavior influences external factors.
C) External factors influence internal factors.
D) Reinforcement value influences behavior potential.

Question 34

A person can learn a behavior without ever performing it. This concept is part of which approach to personality?

A) Skinner's radical behaviorism
B) Bandura's social-cognitive theory
C) Rotter's social learning theory
D) Watson's behaviorism

Question 35

Bandura argued there are internal determinants as well as external causes of behavior. Which of the following is not an internal influence?

A) Thoughts
B) Experiences
C) Beliefs
D) Expectancies

Question 36

In Rotter's model, the behavior that is most likely to be performed in a given situation is

A) the one that has been reinforced.
B) the one with the strongest behavior potential.
C) the one for which a model has been reinforced.
D) the one most consistent with the person's self-concept.

Question 37

Bandura's concept of reciprocal determinism is different from Skinner's radical behaviorism in that radical behaviorism

A) uses a one-way model in which external events cause behavior.
B) maintains that behavior influences external events.
C) includes internal factors in its explanation of behavior.
D) identifies more ways to change behavior.

Question 38

Colleen is trying to decide which of two events to enter in the school track meet. She thinks she would have a better chance of winning the 100-meter race but decides to enter the 10,000-meter race instead. According to Rotter's theory,

A) her generalized expectancies determined this decision.
B) the reinforcement value of winning the 10,000-meter race is greater than the expectancy of winning the 100- meter race.
C) the decision illustrates that the behavior potential does not always determine behavior.
D) she must have been reinforced for winning the 10,000-meter race in the past.

Question 39

From Bandura's research on observational learning in children, we can conclude that whether a child performs an aggressive act depends on

A) the amount of social encouragement the child has received to be aggressive.
B) how extremely aggressive the behavior is.
C) whether the model's behavior is observed to be reinforced or punished.
D) whether the model is the child's parent or another respected adult.

Question 40

Which of the following is advocated by Bandura in his social-cognitive theory?

A) Most behavior is performed in the absence of external reinforcements and punishments.
B) People can be induced through external reinforcements to perform just about any behavior.
C) We can determine how people learn by observing the behavior of rats in controlled laboratory investigations.
D) External forces are almost always more powerful than internal forces in determining behavior.

Question 41

A psychologist teaches a client who has a pathological fear of snakes to relax. She then has the client imagine increasingly vivid scenes about snakes while relaxing. The psychologist is using which type of therapy technique?

A) Systematic desensitization
B) Aversion therapy
C) Reinforcement therapy
D) Biofeedback

Question 42

Aversion therapy is based on which concept?

A) Negative reinforcement
B) Punishment
C) Shaping
D) Classical conditioning

Question 43

Therapy based on self-efficacy is designed to help people

A) learn to interact better with others.
B) develop their skills and natural abilities.
C) make the effort necessary to change their behaviors.
D) deal with the environment more efficiently.

Question 44

Systematic desensitization is used by behavior therapists to help clients suffering from which problem?

A) Phobia
B) Depression
C) Shyness
D) An undesirable behavior, such as a bad habit

Question 45

According to self-efficacy theory, the extent of people's beliefs that they can bring about particular outcomes is referred to as

A) reinforcement value.
B) efficacy expectation.
C) outcome expectation.
D) performance accomplishments.

Question 46

According to Bandura, behavior therapy procedures

A) are most effective when used in conjunction with other types of treatments.
B) provide people with a method to change themselves once they have decided to do so.
C) are not as effective as behavior therapists claim.
D) are no more effective than providing clients with no treatment.

Question 47

A woman complains to her therapist that lately she hasn't "felt like herself." The therapist plans to use a behavior therapy treatment by altering the rewards and punishments in the woman's environment. What is likely to be the first step the therapist takes in setting up this treatment?

A) Define the woman's problem in terms of observable behaviors.
B) Interview people the woman knows to determine the extent of the problem.
C) Obtain baseline data for how often and when the problem occurs.
D) Determine what in the woman's past has been responsible for causing this problem.

Question 48

A behavioral therapist wants his client to record for a week how often and under what circumstances the client bites his fingernails. The therapist is using which assessment procedure?

A) Direct observation
B) Observation by others
C) Self-report
D) Self-monitoring

Question 49

Which of the following treatments for problem behaviors would be an application of operant conditioning?

A) Aversion therapy
B) Systematic desensitization
C) Biofeedback
D) All of these are correct

Question 50

Which problem with self-monitoring methods can be overcome by using observation by others as a data-collection method?

A) Some people are unwilling or unable to provide accurate information about themselves.
B) The technology used for self-monitoring is confusing and tricky.
C) People can't take the time to monitor their own behaviors.
D) Clients don't have a clear understanding of what behaviors need to be self-monitored.

Question 51

Which of the following has not been shown to be a result of self-efficacy beliefs?

A) Reducing drunk driving
B) Overcoming paranoid schizophrenia
C) Overcoming childhood depression
D) Improving job performance

Question 52

A woman shows no interest in socializing with other people. How might a behaviorist explain this behavior?

A) The woman does not believe that she can interact effectively with other people.
B) The woman has not been reinforced enough for engaging in social behavior or she has been reinforced for keeping to herself.
C) The woman experiences anxiety in social situations and uses her asocial style as a defense against this anxiety.
D) The woman is either high in social anxiety or low in sociability.

Question 53

A behavioral therapist wants to teach a client to relax. The therapist wants to teach the client to pay attention to when his muscles are tense. However, the client complains that he cannot tell when his muscles are tense. What type of treatment will the therapist probably try?

A) Systematic desensitization
B) Aversion therapy
C) Shock therapy
D) Biofeedback

Question 54

The conditioned stimulus (CS) and unconditioned stimulus (UCS) in Watson and Rayner's experiment with a baby known as Little Albert were, respectively,

A) a white rat and a slap on the wrist.
B) a loud noise and crying.
C) fear responses and a loud noise.
D) a white rat and a loud noise.

Question 55

When the consequence of a behavior increases the behavior's frequency, the consequence is referred to as a response.

Question 56

Critics of behaviorism point out that

A) behaviorists give too much attention to the role of heredity.
B) there are limits on the usefulness and effectiveness of basic conditioning principles.
C) behaviorists need to do more research with lab animals and less with human participants.
D) behaviorists have failed to test many of their ideas with empirical studies.

Question 57

Critics of behaviorism have raised each of the following points except one. Which one?

A) Studies with laboratory animals have limited use when explaining human behavior.
B) Heredity plays a larger role in personality than behaviorists acknowledge.
C) The therapeutic procedures derived from conditioning principles appear to be ineffective.
D) Cognition plays a larger role in behavior than strict behaviorists acknowledge.

Question 58

A woman suffers from stage fright. If you were to use the most effective method to change her efficacy expectation for overcoming this problem, you would probably

A) help her to have a successful experience speaking in front of a group.
B) have her watch models who do well speaking in front of groups.
C) give her a persuasive speech to convince her she can perform the behavior.
D) point out to her that she does not appear anxious just before taking the stage.

Question 59

The self-monitoring method may have problems due to the fact that

A) it cannot be used to assess the progress of treatment.
B) it may be contaminated by self-report measures.
C) the client is not a trained psychotherapist.
D) the client may be dishonest about his or her behavior.

Question 60

Behaviorists believe that conditioning principles can be examined to understand the processes that shape our personalities.

Question 61

Define observational learning and distinguish between learning and performance. Name the basic assumptions of Bandura's social-cognitive theory and give your own comparison to the strict behaviorist approach. Describe Bandura's experiment with nursery school children that investigated television and aggression. What are the implications from this research for observational learning?

Question 62

Define operant conditioning and contrast it with classical conditioning. State the law of effect and describe the nature of the observations made by Thorndike to formulate the law. Give two examples of your own that illustrate the reinforcement strategies used in operant conditioning to increase desired behaviors.

Question 63

Discuss the origins of social learning theory and explain how it expands upon the behavioral approach to personality. What are the basic tenets of Rotter's theory? Discuss the relationships among behavior potential, expectancy, and reinforcement value. In your discussion, explain how different personality characteristics are related to differences in locus of control and reinforcement value.

Question 64

Many complex human behaviors cannot be learned through classical or operant conditioning but are acquired through observational learning.

Question 65

A basic tenet of Rotter's social learning theory is that the strength of expectancy is determined by the value we place on reinforcement.

Question 66

Using the Q-sort procedure, a therapist arranges a situation so that a successful experience for the client is virtually guaranteed.

Question 67

Give your own example of shaping. State the circumstances under which shaping is particularly useful. Explain the meaning of behavior therapy and discuss the basic operant conditioning procedures typically used in it.

Question 68

Explain from where our expectations come for behaviors we have never performed before, according to Bandura. Define self-efficacy and efficacy expectations and give your own examples of mastery experiences and vicarious experiences.