Deck 6: Learning

Question 1

Marta, a first-year student at a large university, just arrived on campus. She was pretty sure she knew how to get around the campus, since she had a gone on a tour the previous spring, but, much to her embarrassment, got thoroughly lost several times on her first day, and was late for two classes. For the rest of the week, she carried a map with her, and soon found that she was able to find her way around campus without the map. What characteristic of learning does this demonstrate most clearly?

A) Learning causes a physiological change in the brain.
B) Learning requires some form of reinforcement.
C) Learning is only relatively permanent.
D) Learning leads to changes in behaviors or mental processes.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Which type of learning involves coming to understand that two events occur or happen together?

A) applied
B) correlational
C) conjunctive
D) associative

Answer 2

D

Question 3

In the initial stage of classical conditioning, what is paired with the US to produce learning?

A) CS
B) UR
C) CR
D) NS

Answer 3

D

Question 4

By academic training, Ivan Pavlov was a ________.

A) psychologist
B) medical doctor
C) physiologist
D) urologist

Question 5

Which type of stimuli and responses, such as salivating at the sight of food, are unlearned?

A) unconditioned
B) conditioned
C) neutral
D) operant

Question 6

A new donut shop just opened up near campus and Lucius, who very much likes donuts, wants to try it, but he is somewhat put off by their bags and boxes, which have a neon-colored, tie-dyed pattern. He gets a small box of donuts anyway, and they are absolutely wonderful, so he picks more up every few days. Now, when Lucius sees the neon tie-dyed pattern, he actually salivates. Which term correctly describes his current response to the tie-dyed pattern?

A) secondary response
B) conditioned response
C) neutral reaction
D) operant response

Question 7

In classical conditioning, which of these is considered to be the inborn response that does not require learning?

A) CR
B) UR
C) US
D) CS

Question 8

Which of the following develops during the course of conditioning, and is similar to the unconditioned response?

A) US
B) CS
C) CR
D) NS

Question 9

In the pizza box conditioning example in the text, before conditioning, the box is the ________, the pizza is the ________, and the salivation is the ________.

A) CS; US; CR
B) US; CS; UR
C) NS; US; UR
D) CS; UR; CR

Question 10

Approximately how many times in the Little Albert experiment was the rat paired with the loud noise to effectively evoke a conditioned emotional response?

A) 2
B) 7
C) 15
D) 27

Question 11

Which of the following is a criticism of Watson and Rayner's Little Albert study?

A) They violated several of APA's ethnical guidelines for research.
B) They extinguished Little Albert's fear of the rat too soon.
C) Watson and Rayner did not measure Little Albert's fear of the rat subjectively.
D) The researchers had to pay Little Albert's parents, which reduced the validity.

Question 12

The findings of the Little Albert experiment helped make advancements in the treatment of what psychological disorder?

A) panic disorder
B) schizophrenia
C) phobias
D) generalized anxiety disorder

Question 13

A combat veteran experiences an intense emotional reaction to a clap of thunder. His emotional response is an example of a ________.

A) CS
B) US
C) CER
D) UR

Question 14

Which of the following describes an exaggerated and irrational fear of a specific object or situation?

A) compulsion
B) obsession
C) phobia
D) avoidance

Question 15

When companies use attractive models to sell products, the attractive model acts as the ________.

A) CS
B) US
C) CR
D) UR

Question 16

If wartime propaganda depicts the enemy as ugly, cruel, and somewhat less than human, then this type of propaganda would create ________.

A) a negative conditioned emotional response toward the enemy
B) a negative social learning environment toward the enemy
C) positive punishment toward the enemy
D) unconditional negative regard toward the enemy

Question 17

In a Nike commercial that uses classical conditioning to increase sales, a famous, well-liked athlete is wearing a new brand of sneakers, in hopes that people will feel more positive toward the sneakers when seeing them in the store. What is the unconditioned stimulus in this situation?

A) sneakers
B) the athlete
C) being liked
D) increased sales

Question 18

When Little Albert learned to fear all small white animals and not only the white rat he was conditioned to fear, he was demonstrating ________.

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

Question 19

Stimulus generalization can be accurately thought of as being the opposite of ________.

A) higher order conditioning
B) spontaneous recovery
C) extinction
D) stimulus discrimination

Question 20

John was bitten by a German shepherd, and is now afraid of them, but he is not afraid of other types of dogs. John's experience is an example of ________.

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

Question 21

If your dog was classically conditioned to wag his tail when you pick up a leash to go for a walk, what would extinguish this behavior?

A) taking him for a walk without his leash
B) repeatedly picking up the leash without taking him for a walk
C) using operant conditioning to teach him to recognize the word "walk"
D) Once learned, this behavior cannot be extinguished.

Question 22

Suppose you had extinguished your fear of spiders for a few months and then this week you suddenly gasped in horror and felt your heart pounding when you saw a small spider on your desk. Which of the following best describes the experience?

A) stimulus discrimination
B) stimulus generalization
C) phobic acquisition
D) spontaneous recovery

Question 23

A couple broke up several years ago and, after time, no longer had any romantic feelings toward one another. However, last week the couple ran into each other at a concert and the romantic feelings started to reappear. This is an example of ________.

A) extinction
B) stimulus generalization
C) stimulus discrimination
D) spontaneous recovery

Question 24

If a conditioned stimulus is reintroduced after a period of extinction, conditioning occurs much faster the second time. This is an example of ________.

A) reconditioning
B) classical conditioning
C) operant conditioning
D) stimulus generalization

Question 25

When you add or remove a stimulus after a behavior and the result is an increase in that behavior, you have used ________.

A) a positive operation
B) reinforcement
C) an operational directive
D) a discriminative stimulus

Question 26

When you add or remove a stimulus after a behavior and the result is a decrease in that behavior, you have used ________.

A) a negative operant
B) punishment
C) negative reinforcement
D) a discriminative stimulus

Question 27

Which of the following is an example of Thorndike's law of effect?

A) A chicken keeps poking a bar with its beak even though it is shocked afterward.
B) A teenager's grades improve when he receives money for good grades.
C) A ball keeps rolling downhill because of the pull of gravity.
D) A cat keeps clawing the sofa despite being squirted with water every time it does this.

Question 28

According to Thorndike's law of effect, the frequency of an action is ________.

A) decreased when followed by pleasant consequences
B) increased when followed by pleasant consequences
C) increased when followed by unpleasant consequences
D) increased with repetition

Question 29

Tarani's father offered her a trip to Disney World if she got a 3.5 grade point average this year. In this example, the trip to Disney World is ________.

A) a negative reinforcer
B) a punishment
C) a primary reinforcer
D) a secondary reinforcer

Question 30

How are negative reinforcement and punishment related?

A) They are completely the same process and have the same intended outcome.
B) They are mostly the same process and have mostly similar outcomes.
C) They are somewhat the same process and have somewhat the same outcomes.
D) They are not the same process and have different outcomes.

Question 31

A rat presses on a lever, and the electric shock to his feet is terminated. The rat continues to press on the lever. This is an example of ________.

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

Question 32

George wants his son to stop pulling the dog's tail so George spanks his son every time his son pulls the dog's tail. What kind of operant conditioning is George using?

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

Question 33

To prevent your children from swimming in the pool when you are not home, you inform them that they will lose television time for a week if they are caught in the pool when no adults are home. If you actually employ this punishment, you are using ________.

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

Question 34

A child is given time-out away from toys and videos because she had a temper tantrum. This demonstrates ________.

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

Question 35

To be effective, punishment must be ________ and ________.

A) immediate; consistent
B) aggressive; immediate
C) varied; consistent
D) partial; intense

Question 36

Leslie has a problem with a coworker and dislikes them intensely. After the coworker misses a team meeting because of sickness, Leslie "accidentally" forgets to provide the team member with important updates about submitting travel and other reimbursement forms. This is an example of ________.

A) delayed aggression
B) learned aggression
C) passive aggressiveness
D) reaction formation

Question 37

Because Diane is unhappy, she often yells at her spouse, who now stays away from Diane as much as possible, staying late at work and making up errands to get out of the house. The spouse's actions are an example of ________.

A) avoidance behavior
B) temporary suppression
C) learned helplessness
D) passive aggressiveness

Question 38

Some parents use physical punishment of their children when the child hits, bites, or otherwise deliberately harms another child. The problem with such an approach is that by using physical force to get a desired response, the parents are ________.

A) shaping aggression
B) modeling aggression
C) chaining aggression
D) trialing aggression

Question 39

The fact that drivers slow down when they see a police car and then speed up again after it has passed is an example of ________.

A) avoidance behavior
B) learned helplessness
C) temporary suppression
D) passive aggressiveness

Question 40

Sarah misses her curfew and decides it is best not to enter her house using the front door, where her parents will be waiting for her, but to sneak in through the back door. This is an example of ________.

A) avoidance behavior
B) learned helplessness
C) temporary suppression
D) passive aggressiveness

Question 41

The certain senior faculty member has been giving a junior faculty member a hard time, criticizing their research and teaching both to their face and behind their back. The junior faculty member doesn't want to say anything, fearing negative repercussions. However, when the senior faculty member gives a seminar, the junior shows up very late and is somewhat disruptive when entering. This is an example of ________.

A) avoidance behavior
B) learned helplessness
C) temporary suppression
D) passive aggressiveness

Question 42

Which of the following situations is the BEST example of prejudice being operantly conditioned?

A) Spencer's mother screamed at a homeless person, which scared Spencer.
B) Vidmar had a panic attack while taking an exam he had not studied for.
C) Cara's friends laugh when Cara tells a homeless woman to get a job.
D) James applies for a minority scholarship to a school that has mostly white students.

Question 43

The best way to get your son to take out the trash without being told would be to reward your son on a ________ schedule of reinforcement at first, then change to a ________ schedule.

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

Question 44

Sometimes (but not always) Ellen receives a bonus after doing her job well. However, this keeps her maintaining maximum performance on the job. What type of schedule does this illustrate?

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

Question 45

Which reinforcement schedules produce the lowest levels of responding?

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

Question 46

Which schedule is most effective for maintaining behavior over the long term?

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

Question 47

People who play slot machines keep playing even when they are losing money because reinforcement is being delivered on a ________.

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

Question 48

Which of the following relies on operant conditioning to treat conditions like pain by allowing the patient to gauge their progress as they try various methods for alleviating the condition?

A) programmed instruction
B) biofeedback
C) biological monitoring
D) the law of effect

Question 49

Since biofeedback reinforces desired physiological changes that have beneficial results, the tone that indicates the desired physiological changes have occurred serves as a(n) ________.

A) secondary reinforcer
B) negative punisher
C) operant conditioner
D) programmed instruction

Question 50

Before Jamie takes a test in school he taps his pencil ten times on his head, then crosses his fingers for one minute. He believes this will help him get an "A" on his test. What is this type of behavior called?

A) redundant
B) ineffectual
C) supercilious
D) superstitious

Question 51

One of the major differences between classical conditioning and operant conditioning is that operant conditioning is ________.

A) able to cause extinction of a behavior, which classical conditioning does not do
B) when the subject is engaged in passive learning
C) based on reinforcement being given prior to the desired response
D) subject to active learning based on voluntary responses and consequences

Question 52

Cognitive-social theory emphasizes the connection between ________.

A) stimulus and response
B) stimulus, organism, and response
C) organism and response
D) stimulus and organism

Question 53

Almost every weekend you wander aimlessly through the mall not paying too much attention to the stores. When another shopper asks you where a particular store is and you know exactly where to direct them, you have demonstrated ________.

A) Köhler's insight learning
B) Tolman's latent learning
C) operant conditioning
D) social learning

Question 54

When you learn something by watching others, you have experienced ________.

A) cognitive learning
B) social-cognitive learning
C) observational learning
D) operant learning

Question 55

Four-year-old Matthew is very amused as he watches his cat Lucy rolling back and forth on the floor. He laughs out loud after watching, then drops to the ground and begins to imitate her playful behaviors. Which stage of Bandura's observational learning is occurring as Matthew reproduces the kitty's behavior?

A) the first stage
B) the second stage
C) the third stage
D) the fourth stage

Question 56

Compared to rats raised in deprives environment, rats raised in an enriched environment typically develop which one of the following?

A) predictable behavior patterns
B) more dendritic branching
C) decreased performance on learning tasks
D) fewer neurons

Question 57

Which neurons in the brain are known to fire when we watch someone else perform, and when we perform a movement we have watched someone else perform?

A) performance
B) imitation
C) latent
D) mirror

Question 58

Mirror neurons in the brain are believed to be importantly involved in which of the following?

A) operant conditioning
B) superstitious behavior
C) aggressive acting out
D) imitation

Question 59

Deficiencies in mirror neurons may explain some of the emotional issues associated with ________.

A) autism
B) depression
C) anxiety
D) dissociative personality disorder

Question 60

Deficiencies in mirror neurons may explain some of the issues associated with ________.

A) schizophrenia
B) bipolar disorder
C) sexual dysfunctions
D) eating disorders

Question 61

Suppose you taught coyotes to avoid sheep by pairing a nausea-inducing drug with freshly killed sheep eaten by the coyotes. If you were able to save your flock of sheep using this method, you would probably want to give credit to the researchers who studied taste aversion, ________.

A) Garcia and Koelling
B) Watson and Rayner
C) Skinner and Thorndike
D) Bandura and Pavlov

Question 62

Instinctive drift suggests that a species will favor natural instinctive behaviors to those being reinforced and, as a result, some behaviors cannot be ________.

A) positively conditioned for any lasting amount of time
B) negatively conditioned for any lasting amount of time
C) classically conditioned for any lasting amount of time
D) operantly conditioned for any lasting amount of time

Question 63

Psychologists define ________ as any relatively permanent change in behavior or mental processes caused by experience.

Question 64

When an organism involuntarily links a neutral stimulus to an unconditioned stimulus, they are in the ________ stage of classical conditioning.

Question 65

In his Law of ________, Thorndike posited that behaviors that are followed by pleasant outcomes would be repeated, while those that were followed by unpleasant outcomes would not be repeated.

Question 66

Reina has been diagnosed with ________. Her physician explains to Reina's parents that part of the condition, a decreased ability to relate to others and to experience empathy, may come from a malfunctioning of mirror neurons.

Question 67

An innate readiness to form associations between certain stimuli and responses is called biological ________.

Question 68

Lauryn has an irrational fear of flying. Use classical conditioning theory to explain how she learned this fear. Provide a definition of each of the terms used in this theory, and indicate each term in Lauryn's conditioning.

Question 69

Describe the processes of generalization, discrimination, extinction, spontaneous recovery, and higher-order conditioning in classical conditioning and operant conditioning. Use an example of each type of conditioning to illustrate your comparison.

Question 70

Imagine that you are a behavioral psychologist who wants to help parents increase their daughter's compliance in doing chores without being reminded. Develop a plan that will include both positive and negative reinforcement, and positive and negative punishment. Your plan must demonstrate your understanding of the effects of reinforcement and punishment on specific behavior.

Question 71

Explain the importance of schedules of reinforcement in the effective use of reinforcement and punishment. Provide an example of each to illustrate your explanation. Which schedule is most effective, and why?

Question 72

Imagine that you want to teach your dog to "shake hands" with visitors. Design a program based on shaping to accomplish your goal.

Question 73

Contrast classical and operant conditioning with regard to consequences, types of responses, and order of behaviors, illustrating your answer with an example of why someone in each learning condition would stop flying in airplanes.

Question 74

Explain the importance of Köhler and Tolman's research to human learning, and provide an example of how you might use insight and latent learning in your everyday life.

Question 75

Define observational learning, including a description of the four processes that are essential for it to work, and note an example of observational learning from your own life.

Question 76

Define biological preparedness and describe how it is related to classical and operant conditioning.