Deck 7: Behavioral Learning Theory: Operant Conditioning

Question 1

A teacher decides to praise Imad's progress on the long-division workbook problems every twenty minutes. This teacher is using a _______________ schedule of reinforcement.

A) variable interval
B) variable ratio
C) fixed ratio
D) fixed interval

Answer 1

fixed interval

Question 2

Ian tends to be very shy about participating in class discussions. You decide to try to promote greater participation in class discussion by first smiling encouragingly at him when he merely looks interested in saying something, then smiling at him when he raises his hand, and then praising him when he actually makes a contribution. The technique you are using is referred to as

A) spontaneous recovery.
B) shaping.
C) extinction.
D) positive reinforcement.

Answer 2

shaping.

Question 3

James frequently seems to act out in the classroom. When the teacher has stopped paying attention, James's acting-out behavior has decreased considerably, but occasionally this behavior returns unexpectedly. The return of this unwanted behavior can be explained by the process of

A) extinction.
B) shaping.
C) negative reinforcement.
D) spontaneous recovery.

Answer 3

spontaneous recovery.

Question 4

If you want your students to work on an assignment at a steady rate, the best thing for you to do is to

A) circulate around the room and praise students at frequent but unpredictable intervals.
B) tell them that they have thirty minutes to complete the assignment.
C) let them reward themselves with a break after completing each set of five problems.
D) every ten minutes, check on how many problems have been completed.

Question 5

​Jerald, a budding young artist of four, decides to use his mother's new white shag carpet as a canvas for his peanut butter and jelly impressionist piece. When his mother (who does not appreciate art) discovers his work, she grabs Jerald by the collar, pulls him toward her, and give him a stern smack on the bottom. Jerald ceases smearing the carpet with peanut butter and jelly. This treatment of Jerald is a good example of

A) ​negative reinforcement.
B) ​Type I punishment.
C) ​extinction.
D) ​Type II punishment.

Question 6

If you praise a child for learning that the plural of sheep is sheep and the plural of deer is deer and the child cries excitedly, "Look at all the goat!" on seeing a herd of goats, this illustrates the learning theory principle of

A) extinction.
B) discrimination.
C) reinforcement.
D) generalization.

Question 7

Students for whom English is a second language need to understand the difference between words such as for and four . That is, they must learn to

A) generalize.
B) extinguish.
C) discriminate.
D) reinforce.

Question 8

A high school student taking a class in Japanese is faced with learning a new symbol system in order to communicate in this language. He remarks to his teacher, "I'll never be able to read Japanese because these symbols all look the same to me!" Obviously, this student's _______________ is/are not well developed at this point in the class.

A) discrimination skills
B) generalization skills
C) perception
D) motivation

Question 9

When Charlie the cat was a kitten, he just happened to be near the kitchen when his owner used an electric can opener to open a can of tuna for him to eat. Curious about this strange sound, Charlie went to the kitchen and found the tuna in his dish. Now, no matter how deep his coma-like sleep is when someone uses the electric can opener for any reason, Charlie scrambles to his feet and sprints to the kitchen. This story about Charlie is an example of

A) social learning.
B) information processing.
C) operant conditioning.
D) simple conditioning.

Question 10

A teacher decides not to pay attention to Robert's wild hand-waving and calls on another student. Robert always launches into long, involved stories that change the direction of the class discussion. This teaching technique is most related to

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

Question 11

A student on a class field trip misbehaves on the bus and is told to sit by herself for ten minutes. This technique represents an attempt at implementing

A) negative reinforcement.
B) Type I punishment.
C) extinction.
D) time-out.

Question 12

Removing a child's name from the detention list after late homework was completed is an example of

A) Type I punishment.
B) negative reinforcement.
C) positive reinforcement.
D) spontaneous recovery.

Question 13

Completing homework assignments in order to avoid being given an undesirable required assignment in school is an example of the operant conditioning technique of

A) negative reinforcement.
B) positive reinforcement.
C) punishment.
D) time-out.

Question 14

A good example of a variable ratio schedule is

A) a mother who checks her son's room every fifteen or twenty minutes to make sure he is cleaning it.
B) a gambler who plays a slot machine for hours after winning twenty dollars.
C) a teacher who checks her students' progress after they have completed five problems each.
D) a family that sits down to dinner every day at 5:30, without exception.

Question 15

You choose to respond positively to every other correct math problem that Susan completes. You are using a _______________ schedule of reinforcement.

A) continuous
B) fixed ratio
C) variable ratio
D) fixed interval

Question 16

A typically boisterous child is praised enthusiastically by his teacher for sitting quietly and attending to the day's lesson. In response to his teacher's praise, the child sits quietly during the next day as well. The teacher is changing the child's behavior by using

A) shaping techniques.
B) a reward.
C) extinction.
D) positive reinforcement.

Question 17

You get a cup of coffee from a vending machine each morning. Two mornings in a row, the machine accepts your coins but does not supply coffee. The next day you bring a thermos of coffee with you. Your reaction to the vending machine illustrates that ______________ has occurred.

A) discrimination
B) extinction
C) negative reinforcement
D) spontaneous recovery

Question 18

Which of the following approaches to instruction would be most consistent with the work of B. F. Skinner?

A) Avoid stating instructional goals, allow students to discover what they need to know, encourage students to work in small groups.
B) Negotiate learning goals with students, provide scaffolded instruction, have all students learn at the same rate.
C) Clearly express instructional goals, teach subject matter in a logical sequence, allow students to learn at their own pace.
D) Clearly express instructional goals, allow each student to decide when and in what sequence he or she will learn the subject matter, allow students to learn at their own pace.

Question 19

Penny, a kindergartner, wants to learn how to draw a letter Q the way it appears in her coloring book. Penny's teacher watches her carefully and reinforces every attempt Penny makes to draw the letter Q correctly until the child actually draws the letter properly. This best demonstrates

A) shaping.
B) negative reinforcement.
C) classical conditioning.
D) spontaneous recovery.

Question 20

​Which of the following represents positive reinforcement?

A) ​A student studies hard for a long enough period of time to receive money from his parents for a new bicycle.
B) ​A child who has a tendency to be boisterous in class responds to praise for good behavior from his teacher by continuing to sit quietly.
C) ​A man competes with his coworkers for an office bonus by working an extra two hours each day.
D) ​A young mother quietly closes the bedroom door on her three-year-old child, who is having a temper tantrum, so that she can have some peace and quiet.

Question 21

Explain the goal of Type I punishment and describe how this goal is accomplished.

Question 22

Caleb is working at a computer and trying to learn to balance algebraic equations. When he gets an item correct, the program proceeds to a more difficult equation. If he misses the item, the program reviews and reteaches the material he has not mastered. Caleb is working on a (n)

A) drill-and-practice program.
B) tutorial program.
C) simulation program.
D) integrated learning system.

Question 23

Time-out is an appropriate remedy in all but which of the following situations?

A) Julio gets angry because James isn't sharing and starts to grab toys away from him.
B) Sarita keeps interrupting a girl she doesn't particularly like.
C) For the third time this week, Gracie forgets to complete her homework.
D) Timmy gets too excited on the playground and starts to shove his friends.

Question 24

The value of a token economy is that

A) students can change the reward system whenever they deem necessary.
B) the punishment system is flexible and can be administered at any time.
C) the reward system is rigid; students must accumulate a large number of tokens for a limited number of rewards.
D) the reward system is flexible; tokens can be cashed in for various rewards of predetermined value.

Question 25

B. F. Skinner's approach to instruction is best captured by which of the following?

A) Clearly specify the goal of instruction.
B) Organize the content in a logical, basic to advanced sequence.
C) Let students learn at their own rate.
D) All of these answers.

Question 26

Describe the process of extinction.

Question 27

Explain the goal of positive reinforcement and describe how this goal is accomplished.

Question 28

Define spontaneous recovery and explain why teachers need to be aware of this process.

Question 29

Recent analyses of research on corporal punishment

A) have been inconclusive because of differences in how punishment is defined.
B) show that corporal punishment produces strong positive effects on subsequent behavior.
C) show that corporal punishment produces strong negative effects on subsequent behavior.
D) show that corporal punishment produces weak negative effects on subsequent behavior.

Question 30

Explain the basic premise of operant conditioning.

Question 31

In general, can CBI software consistently be used in place of live, high-quality teachers?

A) Yes, because drill-and-practice, tutorial, and simulation programs produce learning gains that are at least as good if not better than those of most teachers.
B) Yes, because most students are so familiar with computers that they respond more positively to them than they do to teachers.
C) No, because it costs more to purchase and maintain computers than it does to hire teachers.
D) No, because computers cannot adjust their instruction to students' verbal and nonverbal responses.

Question 32

By providing an example, explain how negative reinforcement works.

Question 33

You decide to check on your students' progress after they have completed an average of five questions at the end of the chapter. This is a _______________ schedule of reinforcement.

A) continuous
B) variable ratio
C) fixed ratio
D) variable interval

Question 34

The computer program that Josh is working on presents him with a sentence in which a word has been underlined. Josh has to indicate the part of speech represented by the underlined word. After receiving feedback about the correctness of his response, Josh is given another sentence with an underlined word. This description best illustrates what type of computer-based instruction (CBI) program?

A) tutorial
B) drill and practice
C) simulation
D) problem solving

Question 35

If you were to use the Premack principle, you might be heard to say,

A) "Let's go out for recess before we settle down to work."
B) "I am happy to see the first row by the window sitting quietly."
C) "If you finish this quiz early, you may get a book out to read."
D) "After you finish this worksheet, you may spend fifteen minutes on your selected play activity."

Question 36

A school district decides to adopt a computer-based instruction system that is consistent with operant conditioning principles. Which of the following best meets that specification?

A) Simulation programs
B) Integrated learning systems
C) Hypermedia programs
D) Multi-user virtual environments

Question 37

Which would be the best brief motto to use as a guide when trying behavior modification techniques?

A) Arrange in steps; reinforce correct responses.
B) Ignore bad behavior; reinforce good behavior.
C) Reinforce good behavior; punish bad behavior.
D) Use negative, then positive, reinforcement.

Question 38

Describe the purpose of time-out.

Question 39

Which of the following is the clearest illustration of the Premack principle?

A) A teacher rewards students for completing an assignment.
B) Students are given a piece of candy when they supply correct answers.
C) Students are allowed to engage in an activity of their own choice as soon as they finish a workbook assignment.
D) A teacher does not respond when a student makes a provocative remark.

Question 40

Which of the following is a good example of contingency contracting?

A) Carlos and his teacher agree that if he completes his workbook exercises successfully for four successive days, he may join the rest of the class in watching a movie on Friday.
B) A teacher tells her students that if they complete Tom Sawyer by the end of the reading unit they will be allowed to do a special nonacademic project.
C) Georgia earns enough tokens to purchase an extra hour of recess on Wednesday.
D) Ben tells his teacher that since he has finished all his math problems, he deserves ten minutes of free time.

Question 41

Explain how you might use the time-out procedure and note the type of behavior on which it is most likely to be effective.

Question 42

Define and provide an example of generalization.

Question 43

Describe and evaluate three types of computer-based instruction (CBI) programs that are available to supplement classroom instruction and briefly discuss whether CBI programs may someday replace teachers in the classroom.

Question 44

Explain how you can shape a complex behavior.

Question 45

Describe the nature of behavior modification and give an example of how you might use it in your classroom.

Question 46

Define a fixed ratio schedule of reinforcement and summarize the general effect of an FR schedule on behavior.

Question 47

What are the four elements that comprise Skinner's approach to instruction?

Question 48

Define a fixed interval (FI) schedule of reinforcement and summarize the general effect of an FI schedule on behavior.

Question 49

Explain why operant conditioning limits itself to the study of antecedent stimuli, the responses people make to those stimuli, the consequences that follow behavior, and people's responses to those consequences.

Question 50

Should CBI be viewed as a potential replacement for teachers? Explain your answer.

Question 51

Define a variable interval (VI) schedule of reinforcement and summarize the general effect of a VI schedule on behavior.

Question 52

Define a variable ratio schedule of reinforcement and summarize the general effect of a VR schedule on behavior.

Question 53

Describe an integrated learning system (ILS).

Question 54

Describe and discuss the important distinctions among the following schedules of reinforcement: continuous schedule, fixed interval schedule, variable interval schedule, fixed ratio schedule, and variable ratio schedule.

Question 55

Explain how you would put the Premack principle into practice.

Question 56

Define and provide an example of discrimination.

Question 57

Describe the following types of computer-based instruction (CBI) programs: drill-and-practice, simulation, tutorial.

Question 58

Describe how the technique of contingency contracting is used.

Question 59

Compare and contrast positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, and both forms of punishment in terms of the nature of the stimulus, the action taken, and the effect on behavior.

Question 60

Define a token economy system.

Question 61

Why is the most popular form of corporal punishment, spanking, a controversial means of modifying children's behavior?