Deck 1: Fundamental Themes in the Psychology of Learning and Memory

Question 1

Which factor plays a role in helping the individual concentrate allowing the brain to encode information in order to organize and store memories?

A) learning
B) sleeping
C) diet
D) exercise

Answer 1

B

Question 2

One problem with Ebbinghaus's studies was that:

A) he did not manipulate any variables.
B) he used a double-blind design.
C) he used a blind design.
D) there was a possibility of subject bias.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Who proposed the idea that learning relies on network connections between simple processing units?

A) Herbert Simon
B) W. K. Estes
C) Edward Tolman
D) David Rumelhart

Answer 3

D

Question 4

The process by which changes in behavior arise as a result of experience and interaction in the world is known as:

A) natural selection.
B) survival of the fittest.
C) learning.
D) sampling.

Question 5

Charles Darwin proposed three criteria for traits to evolve through natural selection. Which statement is an example of the criterion of relevance to survival?

A) Giraffe necks can range from short to long across members of the species.
B) Finch beaks range in shape from thin to thick.
C) Fawns with camouflaging spots will be protected from predators.
D) Neck length is a trait passed from giraffe parent to offspring.

Question 6

Edward Tolman's research on the formation of cognitive maps in rats was important because it:

A) demonstrated that learning is based on stimulus-response association.
B) emphasized the importance of studying the role of internal representations in learning.
C) enabled him to devise a comprehensive mathematical model of animal learning.
D) demonstrated the importance of insight in learning.

Question 7

George Miller demonstrated that short-term memory capacity for digits was:

A) between 10 and 20 digits.
B) virtually unlimited.
C) about 3 digits.
D) between 5 and 9 digits.

Question 8

In the movie Trading Places, a millionaire bets his brother that he can turn a beggar and thief into an upstanding citizen and turn a wealthy, moral man into a common criminal, just by altering the circumstances and environment of the two men. This view reflects the ideas of:

A) John Watson.
B) Charles Darwin.
C) Plato.
D) René Descartes.

Question 9

Which statement predicts the law of effect?

A) If a tone is played while the dog is given food, the dog will eventually salivate in response to the tone.
B) If a child is bitten by a large black dog, the child will start to fear all dogs, not just large black dogs.
C) If a teenager is grounded for staying out past his curfew, he will come home on time in the future.
D) If one can remember a list of words for a few hours after studying it, one will be less likely to forget the list later on.

Question 10

Behaviorism places the GREATEST emphasis on:

A) interpersonal relationships.
B) unconscious emotions.
C) observable behavior.
D) mental processes.

Question 11

In Ebbinghaus's studies of memory, what was the dependent variable?

A) length of delay between learning and relearning
B) length of time it took to relearn a list
C) length of the list being learned
D) amount of practice done before being tested

Question 12

If "black" is said, it might make one think of the word "white." The connection in one's memory between these concepts is known as:

A) associationism.
B) dualism.
C) empiricism.
D) nativism.

Question 13

_____ is a record of one's past experiences.

A) Memory
B) Learning
C) Experience
D) Motivation

Question 14

Which theorist was considered an empiricist?

A) Plato
B) Charles Darwin
C) Francis Galton
D) Aristotle

Question 15

If experimenters play a very loud buzzer, a rat will be startled. If they repeatedly flash a light before the buzzer is played, the rat will eventually be startled by the light alone. This is an example of:

A) generalization.
B) classical conditioning.
C) the law of effect.
D) instrumental conditioning.

Question 16

Which method is NOT a good way to remember something?

A) Repeat the information many times.
B) Pay attention when one is first learning the information.
C) Focus on just one sense, such as vision or hearing.
D) Get enough sleep.

Question 17

Emily believes that babies learn language simply by being rewarded for making the correct language-like sound in response to something they hear. Her idea about learning language is MOST similar to the ideas of:

A) B. F. Skinner.
B) Edward Tolman.
C) Herbert Simon.
D) George Miller.

Question 18

If one believes that all babies are born with the potential to become great musicians, one would agree with the ideas of:

A) Plato.
B) Gottfried Leibniz.
C) John Locke.
D) Francis Galton.

Question 19

Which statement is TRUE?

A) Philosophers gain insight through scientific experiments.
B) The study of learning and memory has always been a scientific pursuit.
C) Insights gained through philosophy are more important than those gained through science.
D) Today, people who study learning and memory consider themselves to be scientists.

Question 20

In experimental psychology, the group that receives the treatment is referred to as the:

A) control group.
B) independent variable.
C) correlational group.
D) dependent variable.

Question 21

Which description is an example of a stimulus in René Descartes' reflex arc?

A) a person being tapped on the shoulder
B) spirits flowing from the shoulder to the brain
C) spirits being reflected back from the brain to the muscles
D) a person turning around to see who has tapped him on the shoulder

Question 22

Sets of statements devised to explain a collection of facts are called:

A) data.
B) theories.
C) associations.
D) symbols.

Question 23

Who was a proponent of associationism?

A) Gottfried Leibniz
B) René Descartes
C) William James
D) Plato

Question 24

Charles Darwin observed that finches on different islands had different types of beaks that were most suited to coping with the environment of their particular island. From this insight, he concluded that:

A) life on Earth is immutably fixed.
B) life on Earth is evolving.
C) animals were created in their present form by God.
D) animals migrate to locations that are most suitable.

Question 25

The view that all the ideas are the result of experience is called:

A) associationism.
B) dualism.
C) empiricism.
D) nativism.

Question 26

Bonita believes that one learns about the mind mainly by using logic and intuition; Miguel believes it would be better to measure the activity of the brain. Bonita is following the philosophy of _____, while Miguel is following the philosophy of _____.

A) Aristotle; Locke
B) Plato; Aristotle
C) Descartes; Plato
D) James; Locke

Question 27

Gary attended a party and bumped into a friend he had not seen in years. Seeing the friend immediately triggered memories of things they had done together. Which idea about memory does this example demonstrate?

A) nativism
B) dualism
C) associationism
D) empiricism

Question 28

René Descartes:

A) was an empiricist.
B) introduced the idea of associationism.
C) claimed that a newborn's mind was a blank slate.
D) believed in dualism.

Question 29

René Descartes believed that the:

A) mind controls the body.
B) mind and body are governed by the same laws.
C) body works through a system of reflex arcs.
D) All of the answers are correct.

Question 30

Who believed that human ability is due to a combination of both nature and nurture?

A) Gottfried Leibniz
B) Plato
C) John Locke
D) Aristotle

Question 31

According to _____, attending a soccer game might activate a memory of having attended a hockey game the previous day because there would be an association between some of the components the two events have in common.

A) William James
B) Charles Darwin
C) René Descartes
D) Francis Galton

Question 32

According to Aristotle's principle of frequency, the ideas of "chair" and "table" are linked because people see chairs and tables together:

A) at the same time.
B) in the same place.
C) very often.
D) in kitchens.

Question 33

Who would argue that the complex idea of "dog" is comprised of a combination of simpler ideas such as "furry," "bark," and "friendly"?

A) René Descartes
B) Plato
C) John Locke
D) Gottfried Leibniz

Question 34

The principle that the mind and body exist as separate entities, each with different characteristics and governed by its own laws, is called:

A) associationism.
B) contiguity.
C) dualism.
D) nativism.

Question 35

Who believed that children are born a "blank slate"?

A) Gottfried Leibniz
B) Plato
C) John Locke
D) René Descartes

Question 36

Someone who believes that humans and animals are fundamentally different from each other would agree with the views of:

A) Plato.
B) Charles Darwin.
C) Aristotle.
D) Francis Galton.

Question 37

Barry was in a car accident in which he was not wearing a seatbelt. He was not injured, and now, based on this experience, he believes that seatbelts are unnecessary. Barry exhibits the views of:

A) empiricism.
B) nativism.
C) associationism.
D) dualism.

Question 38

Who was considered a nativist?

A) Aristotle
B) René Descartes
C) John Locke
D) William James

Question 39

Jenny has three children. She believes that, as long as she treats them exactly the same, they will all grow up to have the same personality and intelligence level. Jenny's idea resembles that of which philosopher?

A) Plato
B) René Descartes
C) Gottfried Leibniz
D) John Locke

Question 40

If I say "up," it might make one think of the word "down." The connection in one's memory between these concepts is known as:

A) nativism.
B) dualism.
C) associationism.
D) empiricism.

Question 41

Miriam has been studying the effects that different genres of music have on an individual's demeanor for 5 years now. According to her research, classical music seems to not elicit any type of aggressive behavior. As she conducts her screen, she makes sure that there are no individuals who like classical music in her group. This is an example of:

A) experimenter bias.
B) experimental design.
C) subject bias.
D) blind design.

Question 42

A pharmaceutical company has developed a new medication to treat anxiety. In order to check how well the medication responds, neither the experimenter nor the subjects know who received the medication. By doing this, the pharmaceutical company attempts to eliminate the chance of the subject's or experimenter's preconceived notions affecting the results. This is called:

A) experimenter bias.
B) double-blind design.
C) subject bias.
D) blind design.

Question 43

Charles Darwin proposed three criteria for traits to evolve through natural selection. Which statement is relevant to survival?

A) The shape of the finch beak ranges from thick to thin.
B) The neck of the giraffe ranges in length across the species.
C) The eagle's eyes allow it to see prey from very far distances.
D) The moth's colors allow it to camouflage in with the tree bark.

Question 44

In Ebbinghhaus's retention curve:

A) the greatest savings occurred with short delays between learning and relearning.
B) most forgetting occurred when relearning took place after about 150 hours.
C) forgetting occurred very gradually over several days.
D) the greatest savings occurred when relearning took place after about 100 hours.

Question 45

Which statement is NOT one of Charles Darwin's proposed criteria for traits to evolve through natural selection?

A) The trait must be inheritable.
B) The trait must be able to be learned.
C) The trait must vary.
D) The trait must make the individual more fit to survive.

Question 46

Why was Charles Darwin's view of natural selection controversial?

A) It suggested that there was not a major distinction between man and other species.
B) Darwin had no data to back up his claims.
C) Nobody believed that traits could be inherited.
D) All of the answers are correct.

Question 47

Who conducted the FIRST rigorous experimental studies of human memory?

A) William James
B) Francis Galton
C) Charles Darwin
D) Hermann Ebbinghaus

Question 48

Which statement is TRUE about subject bias?

A) It is possible to gain insight through scientific experiments.
B) The subject is asked to verify the results.
C) The insights gained are more accurate and specific.
D) The participants prior knowledge can influence the current experiment.

Question 49

Hermann Ebbinghaus measured forgetting by:

A) measuring how long it took him to relearn a previously learned list.
B) measuring how long it took him to learn a list perfectly.
C) seeing how long a list he could remember after hearing the list just once.
D) counting the number of times he needed to hear a list before he could recall it perfectly.

Question 50

In Ebbinghaus's studies of memory, the length of delay between learning and relearning was the _____ variable.

A) independent
B) dependent
C) confounding
D) extraneous

Question 51

That Ebbinghaus served as his own participant was problematic because:

A) his expectations might have influenced the results.
B) he could not manipulate an independent variable.
C) his studies were double-blind.
D) he didn't have any experimenter bias.

Question 52

When subjects are given two drinks but not told what they are drinking in order to get accurate results on which is the better tasting one-this is an example of what type of experimental design?

A) blind
B) double-blind
C) unethical
D) subjective

Question 53

In studying memory, Ebbinghaus was concerned that his data would be affected by the fact that he was more familiar with some words than others. He avoided this problem by using:

A) real words that were familiar but very short.
B) real words that were unfamiliar to him.
C) three-letter nonsense words.
D) strings of digits.

Question 54

Suppose one is trying to learn a list of words. It takes eight minutes to learn the list the first time. One studies the list again the next day and finds that it takes only two minutes. How much of a time savings has occurred?

A) 25 percent
B) 75 percent
C) 100 percent
D) 125 percent

Question 55

The theory of evolution is relevant to the study of learning and memory because:

A) learned information is passed on to offspring.
B) the type of information people learn varies across individuals.
C) people are born as "blank slates."
D) learning is useful in allowing organisms to adapt to the environment.

Question 56

In a double-blind experimental design:

A) the participant knows the hypothesis being tested.
B) the experimenter knows the hypothesis being tested.
C) both the participant and the experimenter know the hypothesis being tested.
D) neither the participant nor the experimenter knows the hypothesis being tested.

Question 57

Suppose two moths are colored such that they blend in with the trees in the forest where they live. If one moth's coloring blends in much better than the other, that moth will have less chance of being eaten by predators, and will therefore be more likely to reproduce, thus passing its beneficial coloring on to its offspring. This is an example of:

A) natural selection.
B) a reflex arc.
C) eugenics.
D) the law of effect.

Question 58

In Ebbinghaus studies of memory, what was the dependent variable?

A) the length of delay between learning and relearning
B) the amount of practice done before being tested
C) the length of the list being learned
D) the length of time it took to relearn the list

Question 59

While most bacteria are eliminated by antibiotics, some can possess mutations that are resistant to antibiotics, leading to more drug-resistant strains of bacteria. Such a mutation is an example of which of Charles Darwin's proposed criteria for traits to evolve through natural selection?

A) The trait must be inheritable.
B) The trait must be able to be learned.
C) The trait must vary.
D) The trait must make the individual more fit to survive.

Question 60

In order to compile and accurately measure its effectiveness, the subject pool for a new antidepressant was about 200 subjects. The pharmaceutical company prescribes 100 subjects the new medication X and a sugar pill for the remaining 100 individuals. To ensure effectiveness, the subjects are unaware of who has taken medication X and who has taken the sugar pill. This practice is known as:

A) experimenter bias.
B) pharmaceutical design.
C) placebo.
D) subject bias.

Question 61

Behaviorism focuses on the study of:

A) brain processes.
B) internal thoughts.
C) intentions.
D) observable behaviors.

Question 62

If dogs are presented with a bell followed by food, they quickly learn to salivate in response to the bell. If the bell is then presented without any food, what happens to the salivation response?

A) It becomes gradually stronger.
B) It becomes gradually weaker.
C) It stops immediately.
D) It continues at the same strength.

Question 63

If a rat receives a food reward whenever it presses a lever, the likelihood of the rat pressing the lever will increase. This is an example of:

A) classical conditioning.
B) generalization.
C) the law of effect.
D) the learning curve.

Question 64

After a pigeon learns to peck at a green light, the pigeon also pecks at a light that is a slightly different shade of green. This is an example of:

A) the learning curve.
B) the law of effect.
C) extinction.
D) generalization.

Question 65

John Watson's studies of rats running through mazes demonstrated that rats had learned to use their _____ to navigate.

A) vision and hearing
B) automatic set of motor habits
C) sense of smell
D) whiskers

Question 66

In Watson's studies, what was found to impair rats' ability to navigate through mazes they had previously learned?

A) blinding the rats
B) removing the rats' whiskers
C) eliminating all odors in the maze
D) rotating the maze

Question 67

The law of effect predicts which statement?

A) If a tone is played while the dog is provided food, the dog will eventually salivate in response to the tone.
B) If a child is scratched by a black cat, the child will fear all cats, not just black ones.
C) If one remembers a couple of phone numbers a few hours after being told, one is less likely to forget them later.
D) If a teenager is grounded for taking the car without permission, he will ask for permission next time.

Question 68

Who proposed the law of effect?

A) Ivan Pavlov
B) John B. Watson
C) Edward Thorndike
D) B. F. Skinner

Question 69

The person who FIRST attempted to develop a comprehensive mathematical model of animal learning was:

A) Edward Thorndike.
B) Ivan Pavlov.
C) John B. Watson.
D) Clark Hull.

Question 70

B. F. Skinner discovered that, when animals are given intermittent reinforcements, they:

A) respond less than when they are rewarded on every trial.
B) do not respond at all.
C) respond for the first few trials but then stop responding.
D) respond at least as well as when they are rewarded on every trial.

Question 71

Mary wants to encourage her son to work harder in school. She has decided to reward him with money for good grades and punish him by adding extra chores for bad grades. Mary's approach is MOST similar to the ideas of:

A) Edward Thorndike.
B) Ivan Pavlov.
C) Herbert Simon.
D) David Rumelhart.

Question 72

Pavlov paired a bell with food until a dog learned to salivate in response to the bell. To produce extinction, Pavlov:

A) rang the bell more quietly.
B) paired the bell with a different kind of food.
C) stopped ringing the bell.
D) paired the bell with the absence of food.

Question 73

Who is considered a behaviorist?

A) Gordon Bower
B) George Miller
C) David Rumelhart
D) Clark Hull

Question 74

Marty's dog always sits when Marty opens the cupboard to get the dog a biscuit. How would a behaviorist describe the dog's behavior?

A) The dog thinks that, if he sits, he will get a biscuit.
B) The dog is hungry, so his instincts tell him to sit.
C) The dog expects to get a biscuit when Marty opens the cupboard.
D) The dog sits when Marty opens the cupboard.

Question 75

Classical conditioning involves:

A) learning that one stimulus predicts an important event.
B) studying lists of short nonsense words.
C) learning to make responses in order to obtain rewards or avoid punishment.
D) studying how to build computers to perform behaviors requiring human intelligence.

Question 76

Cancer patients can develop an aversion to foods they eat right before undergoing chemotherapy. Although the foods themselves do not initially cause feelings of illness, pairing them with chemotherapy, which does cause patients to feel sick, leads to the foods becoming associated with these same feelings. This is an example of:

A) classical conditioning.
B) instrumental conditioning.
C) the law of effect.
D) extinction.

Question 77

The person who developed the form of learning known as classical conditioning is:

A) Francis Galton.
B) Ivan Pavlov.
C) Hermann Ebbinghaus.
D) John B. Watson.

Question 78

Who was the founder of behaviorism?

A) John B. Watson
B) Edward Thorndike
C) B. F. Skinner
D) Ivan Pavlov

Question 79

In which type of learning do organisms learn to respond in order to obtain or avoid important consequences?

A) classical conditioning
B) instrumental (operant) conditioning
C) latent learning
D) connectionist learning

Question 80

The specifics of Clark Hull's equations for learning:

A) have never been very influential.
B) were rejected early on but are highly relevant today.
C) were important early on and continue to be influential today.
D) are not considered relevant today.