Deck 6: Behavioural Views of Learning

Question 1

Which of the following is a practical implication of contiguity theory?

A) Avoid the use of punishment whenever humanly possible.
B) Make sure that the last response to a stimulus is the correct response.
C) Use continuous reinforcement rather than intermittent reinforcement.
D) Use intermittent reinforcement instead of continuous reinforcement.

Answer 1

Make sure that the last response to a stimulus is the correct response.

Question 2

In the above example involving Lisa, feeling ill at the prospect of going to the music class served as the

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

Answer 2

conditioned response.

Question 3

During music class, Lisa enthusiastically sings aloud with her class, but the teacher comments, "Lisa, please...you sound like an owl in a torture chamber." Lisa turns bright red. The next week she feels ill when it is time to go to music class again. Feeling anxiety at the prospect of going to music class is an example of

A) an unconditioned stimulus.
B) classical conditioning.
C) cognitive learning.
D) social learning.

Answer 3

classical conditioning.

Question 4

In classical conditioning, the conditioned stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus must be

A) dependent upon reward.
B) equivalent stimuli.
C) in a contiguous relationship.
D) in a noncontiguous relationship.

Question 5

The essential difference between negative reinforcement and punishment is that

A) negative reinforcement decreases misbehaviour rather quickly.
B) punishment decreases the behaviour while negative reinforcement increases it.
C) punishment is more effective in bringing about a positive change in behaviour.
D) punishment is presented after, and reinforcement before, the behaviour has occurred.

Question 6

B. F. Skinner is to ________, as Ivan Pavlov is to ________.

A) classical conditioning; cognitive learning
B) classical conditioning; operant conditioning
C) cognitive learning; classical conditioning
D) operant conditioning; classical conditioning

Question 7

A neutral stimulus is paired with an unconditioned stimulus that brings about an unconditioned response. Through repeated pairings of the neutral stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus, the

A) conditioned stimulus will trigger a conditioned response.
B) neutral stimulus will come to be ignored.
C) unconditioned response will become extinct.
D) unconditioned response becomes its own stimulus.

Question 8

Removing an aversive stimulus to increase the frequency of a behaviour exemplifies

A) negative reinforcement.
B) positive reinforcement.
C) presentation punishment.
D) removal punishment.

Question 9

Operant conditioning differs from classical conditioning by

A) dealing primarily with reflexive types of responses.
B) focusing on animal behaviour to a much greater extent than on human behaviour.
C) focusing on the consequences of voluntary behaviour.
D) treating learners as passive rather then active agents.

Question 10

Behavioural theories of learning emphasize

A) development.
B) nature over nurture.
C) observable actions.
D) thinking.

Question 11

You finally take out the garbage in order to get your father to stop pestering you. Your behaviour is being influenced by

A) negative reinforcement.
B) positive reinforcement.
C) presentation punishment.
D) removal punishment.

Question 12

A consequence is defined by Skinner as a reinforcer or a punisher depending on whether it

A) increases or decreases the frequency of the behaviour that it follows.
B) is designed to promote desirable behaviour or suppress undesirable behaviour.
C) is pleasurable or uncomfortable for the subject receiving the consequence.
D) occurs antecedent to or as a consequence of the behaviour.

Question 13

Mr. Smith uses a token economy system in his history class. Whenever Bill breaks a rule, he lose a "chip." If the infraction is major, Bill loses several chips. This is an example of

A) cueing.
B) presentation punishment.
C) removal punishment.
D) satiation.

Question 14

Ray's temper tantrums have finally driven his mother to her "wits' end." Ray's mother resolves that she will ignore the tantrums no matter what. This plan is an example of

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

Question 15

In an experiment, an electric can opener is used to open a can, and no salivation by the subject is detected. After a number of pairings between the can opener's operation and food, any time the can opener is used, the subject salivates. The conditioned response in this study is the

A) can opener.
B) food.
C) salivation to the can opener.
D) salivation to the food.

Question 16

Slot machines that pay off after an indeterminate number of uses illustrate what schedule of reinforcement?

A) Fixed-interval
B) Fixed-ratio
C) Variable-interval
D) Variable-ratio

Question 17

The principle of contiguity involves an association between

A) a negative and a positive stimulus.
B) emotion and behaviour.
C) two events through pairing.
D) two events through reinforcement.

Question 18

Mr. Lynch always uses his "mean" face to stop undesirable behaviour in his first-period class. However, even though he looks at Tommy with his mean face each time Tommy talks out of turn, Tommy is talking out of turn more and more frequently. For Tommy, the mean face is apparently a

A) cue.
B) model.
C) negative reinforcer.
D) positive reinforcer.

Question 19

Yancey turns on the water faucet to get a drink. What schedule of reinforcement typically prevails?

A) Continuous
B) Fixed-interval
C) Variable-interval
D) Variable-ratio

Question 20

17-year-old Kelly receives a ticket for speeding. Her parents take away the privilege of using the car. Her parents are using

A) negative reinforcement.
B) positive reinforcement.
C) presentation punishment.
D) removal punishment.

Question 21

Which one of the following statements is an example of cueing?

A) "Please remember to put your name on each page."
B) "Today's lesson was much too noisy."
C) "Why didn't you remember to do your homework?"
D) "Why didn't you clean up before you left?"

Question 22

Kathy frequently makes faces at her classmates. Instead of punishing her for making faces, the teacher has the students totally ignore Kathy. This example illustrates the teacher's attempt at

A) cuing.
B) extinction.
C) modeling.
D) shaping.

Question 23

The schedule of reinforcement that is the most appropriate to use in the classroom because it encourages persistence and high rates of response is what type of schedule?

A) Fixed-interval
B) Fixed-ratio
C) Variable-interval
D) Variable-ratio

Question 24

The Premack Principle states that

A) a less-preferred activity is postponed until after a preferred activity.
B) a preferred activity is withheld until rewards are earned.
C) a preferred activity is a reinforcer for a less-preferred activity.
D) less-preferred activities can be very effective as punishment activities.

Question 25

The teacher says to Marty, "Good job," but frowns as he looks at her. According to O'Leary and O'Leary, the teacher's praise is NOT

A) believable.
B) contingent.
C) identified with the behaviour.
D) salient.

Question 26

During math lessons, Ms. Olson continually observed Jim reading stories from his English anthology. She has probably found

A) a short attention span to be a problem for Jim.
B) an effective reinforcer for Jim.
C) that her lessons are too hard for Jim.
D) that Jim dislikes authority figures.

Question 27

During the first few days of class, Mr. Brackman noticed some isolated instances of minor misbehaviour such as talking out of turn. His initial approach to dealing with this should probably be to use

A) praise-and-ignore techniques.
B) prompting and cueing.
C) response cost.
D) shaping.

Question 28

What schedule of reinforcement is most likely to be involved when teachers give "pop" quizzes?

A) Fixed-interval
B) Fixed-ratio
C) Variable-interval
D) Variable-ratio

Question 29

Bart uses an old cigarette lighter that has become unreliable. It usually takes from one to 10 flicks to make it work. When the lighter is out of fluid, it will not work at all. By the time that Bart figures out the problem, he has tried flicking it 15 to 20 times. This situation illustrates the principle that

A) fixed-reinforcement schedules will produce the fastest performance.
B) intermittent-reinforcement schedules will aid prior learning.
C) interval-reinforcement schedules will produce the fastest performance.
D) variable-reinforcement schedules will produce the greatest persistence.

Question 30

Mr. Lunette sends students to a "time-out" box when they become too physically aggressive during hockey practice. Once they have been seated quietly for at least five minutes, they are allowed to re-enter the game. The chance to leave the "time-out" box is an example of what type of consequence?

A) Negative reinforcement
B) Positive reinforcement
C) Presentation punishment
D) Removal punishment

Question 31

Shaping is an appropriate method for developing new behaviour when

A) no appropriate reinforcers can be found.
B) performance is otherwise too poor to gain reinforcement.
C) students are capable of the behaviour but seldom perform it.
D) there is no one available to model the appropriate behaviour.

Question 32

An example of the use of positive practice is having students

A) develop sentences using commonly misused words.
B) ignore mistakes and practice the items they know.
C) study a list of commonly misspelled words.
D) write "I will not chew gum" 100 times.

Question 33

Ms. Johnson's sixth graders complained about diagramming sentences, and they were able convince her to show a movie first. Ms. Johnson made the common error of

A) bribing the students in order to gain their cooperation.
B) promising a reward for an unflavoured activity.
C) providing an incompatible alternative to the lesson.
D) using a reinforcer before a low-frequency behaviour.

Question 34

Mr. Saunders hates sending in his income tax forms each year and constantly worries that his return will be the "one" selected for auditing. Therefore, he completes the forms carefully and honestly in order to avoid a possible penalty, but he continues to worry about being audited. What reinforcement schedule is most likely to be involved?

A) Fixed-interval
B) Fixed-ratio
C) Variable-interval
D) Variable-ratio

Question 35

Mrs. Lever allows Nathaniel to be the first to leave the uncomfortable bus because he has behaved so well on the trip. The technique being used is

A) cuing.
B) negative reinforcement.
C) positive practice.
D) shaping.

Question 36

Each time Robert fails to do his homework, five points are deducted from his total course points. The procedure being used by the teacher is

A) negative reinforcement.
B) presentation punishment.
C) response cost.
D) satiation.

Question 37

Persistence in responding is increased by what type of reinforcement schedule?

A) Fixed
B) Interval
C) Ratio
D) Variable

Question 38

According to Woolfolk, the best way to determine potential reinforcers is to

A) ask the experienced teachers for their suggestions.
B) establish a student committee and have them vote.
C) observe what students choose to do in their free time.
D) set up activities to see if students enjoy them.

Question 39

The most effective reprimands are those that are

A) sharp and private.
B) sharp and public.
C) soft and private.
D) soft and public.

Question 40

Which one of the following is a major advantage of task analysis?

A) Allows for creativity in student responses.
B) Describes the sequence of skills leading to a goal.
C) Reduces the need for expository presentations.
D) Requires only minimal time to use.

Question 41

Negative reinforcement introduces an aversive stimulus to decrease the frequency of a behaviour.

Question 42

Lionel was humiliated when he forgot his lines in a play. Now he refuses to take part in any function of the speech class. Based on the behavioural principles discussed by Woolfolk, the best strategy for Lionel's teacher would be to

A) assign Lionel jobs that do not involve any speaking.
B) assign Lionel to work with another student until the feeling becomes extinguished.
C) bring Lionel back into class participation in small steps.
D) help Lionel regain his confidence by assigning him a major role in a play.

Question 43

Woolfolk suggests that programs for promoting group responsibility may be particularly hard on

A) popular students who must perform well for everyone.
B) students who try to sabotage the system.
C) teachers who must monitor the entire class.
D) unpopular students who are unable to perform well.

Question 44

Detention after school is an example of both presentation and removal punishment.

Question 45

Positive practice involves having students give correct responses several times immediately following errors.

Question 46

Extinction in classical conditioning occurs when the conditioned stimulus is presented repeatedly without the unconditioned stimulus.

Question 47

Rewards to be purchased with earned tokens should be

A) gradually decreased in cost over time.
B) limited to consumable items.
C) limited to school-related items and supplies.
D) varied in price so that all students may be rewarded.

Question 48

The concluding step of the self-management process is

A) evaluating progress.
B) goal-setting.
C) recording progress.
D) self-reinforcement.

Question 49

"Reward" and "Reinforcer" may be used synonymously in psychology.

Question 50

The Good Behaviour Game is based on the application of

A) contingency contracts.
B) group consequences.
C) peer tutoring.
D) primary reinforcers.

Question 51

The position taken by Woolfolk on token reinforcement systems is they should be used primarily

A) as an incentive program to reward classes that have met unit objectives.
B) by science or math teachers, due to the objective nature of their subjects.
C) in situations where students are not making progress with conventional methods.
D) with gifted classes or older students who are self-motivated.

Question 52

Which one of the following statements is TRUE regarding the use of peer pressure in applying group consequences? Peer pressure

A) can be effectively monitored by the teacher.
B) has little effect on most misbehaviour.
C) may be both a positive and a negative influence.
D) should be eliminated as much as possible.

Question 53

An antecedent is an event that follows an action.

Question 54

In a contingency contract program, teachers set up

A) a group performance contract with each class.
B) individual performance contracts with each student.
C) "reward contracts" as models for misbehaving students.
D) punishment contracts with students who misbehave.

Question 55

The act of providing an antecedent stimulus immediately before a particular behaviour is to take place is called prompting.

Question 56

Learning is defined as a deliberate action that produces a positive result.

Question 57

Which one of the following in the correct sequence of phases for Bandura's model of observational learning?

A) Attention, retention, motivation, and production
B) Attention, retention, production, motivation
C) Motivation, attention, production, retention
D) Motivation, retention, reduction, attention

Question 58

In Pavlov's experiment the conditioned stimulus was the tuning fork tone.

Question 59

Mr. Bennett's student teacher suggested using a token reinforcement strategy with his disruptive sixth-grade class. The token system was received well by students and soon the class was following the classroom rules. Now that this strategy is working well, the tokens should be distributed

A) by the students rather than the teacher.
B) on a continuous schedule.
C) on an intermittent schedule.
D) so that they gradually increase in value.

Question 60

In using the Premack Principle, it is important that the higher frequency behaviour happens first.

Question 61

Over time, student-set goals tend to become higher with regard to performance standards.

Question 62

Mr. Matin interviews a student about her disruptive behaviour to learn about her reasons for the behaviour. This approach is an example of doing functional behavioural assessment.

Question 63

Researchers agree goal-setting is most beneficial for self-management when students keep their goals private.

Question 64

The schedule of reinforcement that produces the highest and most consistent response rate is the ________ schedule.

Question 65

When an aversive stimulus is removed following a behaviour and the reinforcement behaviour increases, the type of consequence that occurs is ________.

Question 66

A contingency contract is an example of a system for rewarding positive group consequences.

Question 67

The influences of external events or behaviour are the focus of ________ learning theories.

Question 68

When a particular tone is presented repeatedly but is not followed by a conditioned stimulus, ________ has occurred, if there had been no response earlier with no previous conditioning.

Question 69

Reinforcement is an important concept in operant conditioning theory but is irrelevant to Bandura's social cognitive theory.

Question 70

Bandura's observational learning includes four elements: attention, retention, production, and motivation.

Question 71

Losing time at recess for bad behaviour is best described by the behavioural method of social isolation.

Question 72

Removing something aversive as soon as the desired behaviour occurs is an example of punishment.

Question 73

The association between a stimulus and a response that occur together is the basis for ________ learning.

Question 74

Ethical questions related to the use of the strategies described in this chapter are comparable to those raised by any process that seeks to influence people.

Question 75

When teachers take away privileges for students' inappropriate behaviour, they are applying ________ punishment.

Question 76

Any consequence that strengthens the behaviour it follows is a(n) ________.

Question 77

Removal of a given reinforcement leads to ________.

Question 78

Ms. Tolleson is effectively using social isolation when she removes Mark, who is being disruptive, for a period of 60 minutes.

Question 79

A relatively permanent change in a person's knowledge or behaviour that results from experiences is called ________.

Question 80

In classical conditioning, the response made to the unconditioned stimulus before conditioning occurs is the ________ response.