Deck 6: Conditioning and Learning

Question 1

How do psychologists define learning?

A) learning is a relatively permanent change in behaviour due to experience
B) learning is a relatively permanent change in behaviour due to treatment of the psyche
C) learning is behavioural changes resulting from maturation and development
D) learning is the modifying of old behaviours and habits that are replaced with socially acceptable behaviours

Answer 1

learning is a relatively permanent change in behaviour due to experience

Question 2

Which of the following plays a major role in learned behaviour?

A) fatigue
B) maturation
C) emotion
D) reinforcement

Answer 2

reinforcement

Question 3

What do we call events that occur just before a response?

A) precursors
B) consequences
C) antecedents
D) prologues

Answer 3

antecedents

Question 4

What do we call events that occur shortly after a response?

A) antecedents
B) precursors
C) stimuli
D) consequences

Question 5

In classical conditioning, what is the most important aspect to consider in how we learn?

A) antecedents
B) consequences
C) rewards
D) punishers

Question 6

Which of the following items does not belong with the three others?

A) Thorndike
B) Skinner
C) classical conditioning
D) instrumental learning

Question 7

Which researcher is associated with the study of classical conditioning?

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

Question 8

Which learning theory states that people learn through associations?

A) operant conditioning
B) instrumental conditioning
C) classical conditioning
D) cognitive learning theory

Question 9

What type of learning is involved when you learn to anticipate a rush of scalding hot water in the shower following the flush of the toilet?

A) operant conditioning
B) classical conditioning
C) latent learning
D) modelling

Question 10

Michelle becomes nauseated every time she smells her grandmother's muffins. Which type of learning best explains Michelle's experience?

A) classical conditioning
B) instrumental conditioning
C) operant conditioning
D) cognitive learning theory

Question 11

To test for the presence of classical conditioning, which of the following would you omit?

A) the conditioned stimulus (CS)
B) the unconditioned stimulus (US)
C) the conditioned response (CR)
D) the unconditioned response (UR)

Question 12

If you were to blow a puff of air into Zev's face, he would reflexively blink his eyes. According to Pavlov, what would the puff of air be called?

A) an unconditioned stimulus (US)
B) a conditioned stimulus (CS)
C) an unconditioned response (UR)
D) a conditioned response (CR)

Question 13

A child is frightened by a loud noise while playing with a cat. If the child learns to fear the cat, then which of the following is the cat?

A) the unconditioned response (UR)
B) a generalization gradient
C) the unconditioned stimulus (US)
D) a conditioned stimulus (CS)

Question 14

At a party, a friend of yours keeps popping balloons with a burning cigarette. By the time he is about to pop the fifth balloon, you notice your muscles tense and you squint each time the cigarette nears the balloon. Which of the following applies to this example?

A) The cigarette is an unconditioned stimulus (US).
B) The popping sound is an unconditioned stimulus (US).
C) Squinting is a reinforcer.
D) Shaping has occurred.

Question 15

If you touch a hot stove, you will reflexively yank your hand away. According to Pavlov, what would yanking your hand away from the stove be termed?

A) an unconditioned stimulus (US)
B) an unconditioned response (UR)
C) a conditioned stimulus (CS)
D) a conditioned response (CR)

Question 16

After repeatedly pairing the appearance of a nurse in a white uniform with the painful experience of getting a vaccination, the patient will react with fear every time he or she sees a nurse in a white uniform enter the room. What is the nurse in this situation?

A) a conditioned response (CR)
B) a conditioned stimulus (CS)
C) an unconditioned response (UR)
D) an unconditioned stimulus (US)

Question 17

Relative to the conditioned stimulus (CS), when should the unconditioned stimulus (US) appear for classical conditioning to occur?

A) simultaneously with the conditioned stimulus (CS)
B) immediately before the conditioned stimulus (CS)
C) immediately after the conditioned stimulus (CS)
D) instead of the conditioned stimulus (CS)

Question 18

Pavlov found that a conditioned response would be stronger if which of the following occurred?

A) The unconditioned stimulus (US) was always presented before the conditioned stimulus (CS).
B) The conditioned response (CR) always occurred before the unconditioned response (UR).
C) There were many pairings of the conditioned stimulus (CS) and the unconditioned stimulus (US).
D) The interval between the conditioned response (CR) and unconditioned response (UR) was only a few seconds.

Question 19

Every time Lisa's dog heard the sound of the electric can opener, he began to salivate because he associated the sound with food. What is the can opener in this example?

A) a conditioned response (CR)
B) an unconditioned response (UR)
C) a conditioned stimulus (CS)
D) an unconditioned stimulus (US)

Question 20

In Pavlov's experiment, the dog salivating to what was once a previously neutral stimulus is now which of the following?

A) a conditioned response (CR)
B) an unconditioned stimulus (US)
C) a conditioned stimulus (CS)
D) an unconditioned response (UR)

Question 21

In classical conditioning, what is the best way to describe the conditioned response?

A) the conditioned response (CR) is unlearned
B) the conditioned response (CR) is learned
C) the conditioned response (CR) is reflexive
D) the conditioned response (CR) is innate

Question 22

Tara is a magazine fashion model, so cameras and flashbulbs are part of her life. She responds to the click of a camera with a slight contraction of her pupils, even when a flash bulb is not being used. What do we call this contraction of her pupils?

A) a reflex response
B) a conditioned response (CR)
C) a generalized response
D) an unconditioned response (UR)

Question 23

In which of the following cases did Pavlov find that conditioning worked best?

A) when the conditioned stimulus (CS) was presented just before the unconditioned stimulus (US)
B) when the conditioned stimulus (CS) was presented at the same time as the unconditioned stimulus (US)
C) when the conditioned stimulus (CS) was presented just after the unconditioned stimulus (US)
D) when the conditioned stimulus (CS) was presented instead of the unconditioned stimulus (US)

Question 24

Last year Dr. Birosh cleaned Nancy's skin with rubbing alcohol before administering a series of painful rabies shots. Nancy now feels uncomfortable whenever she smells rubbing alcohol. Which statement is most accurate?

A) The rabies shot was a conditioned stimulus (CS).
B) The rubbing alcohol was a conditioned stimulus (CS).
C) The rubbing alcohol was an unconditioned stimulus (US).
D) Dr. Birosh has shaped a response in Nancy.

Question 25

What does the informational view of learning emphasize?

A) the creation of mental expectancies
B) the creation of mental reinforcement schedules
C) the creation of mental contracts
D) the creation of mental antecedents

Question 26

How do advertisers often try to use higher-order conditioning?

A) by pairing images that evoke good feelings with the presence of their product
B) by sounding loud tones at key points in their advertisements
C) by reducing resistance or anxiety as they repeatedly show the same commercial
D) by repeating the same slogan over and over again

Question 27

For those who advocate the informational view of conditioning, what is the end product (result) of conditioning?

A) visual adaptations
B) discriminative cues
C) response chains
D) expectations about events

Question 28

According to the informational view of learning, why is the response to the unconditioned stimulus (US) in classical conditioning eventually made to the conditioned stimulus (CS)?

A) because an organism comes to expect the unconditioned stimulus (US) when the conditioned stimulus (CS) is present
B) because an organism cannot discriminate the conditioned stimulus (CS) from the unconditioned stimulus (US)
C) because the conditioned stimulus (CS) initiates an automatic association between the conditioned stimulus (CS) and unconditioned stimulus (US)
D) because the organism cannot discriminate between the conditioned stimulus (CS) and unconditioned stimulus (US)

Question 29

Which of the following is central to the informational view of learning?

A) classical conditioning
B) expectancies
C) cue learning
D) modelling

Question 30

After Pavlov had conditioned his dogs to salivate to the tone, he repeatedly presented the tone without presenting the food. What was the result?

A) generalization
B) discrimination
C) latent learning
D) extinction

Question 31

What do we call the unexpected reappearance of old associations after extinction has occurred?

A) generalization
B) spontaneous recovery
C) shaping
D) latent learning

Question 32

Sometime after a horse knocked him down at summer camp, Arnold overcame this fear and he went horseback riding regularly until camp ended. On the first day of camp the following summer, while being helped onto a horse, he started to cry and said he was scared. Why?

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

Question 33

What does the occurrence of spontaneous recovery in classical conditioning show?

A) Classically conditioned responses are stronger than operant responses.
B) Classically conditioned responses are permanent.
C) The association between the conditioned stimulus (CS) and the unconditioned stimulus (US) has not been forgotten.
D) Classically conditioned responses have survival value for humans.

Question 34

The infant Albert developed a fear of white rats after they were associated with a loud noise. He eventually became afraid of anything that was white and fluffy. What process does this demonstrate?

A) generalization
B) shaping
C) spontaneous recovery
D) partial reinforcement

Question 35

Micah is extremely afraid of rats but not of hamsters or gerbils, which are both very similar to rats. What phenomenon does this case illustrate?

A) spontaneous recovery
B) discrimination
C) generalization
D) reflexive awareness

Question 36

In classical conditioning, to respond differently to different stimuli is to do which of the following?

A) to assimilate
B) to accommodate
C) to adapt
D) to discriminate

Question 37

Beth has learned to avoid a furry, black cat. However, she still plays with her grandmother's short-haired tabby. What does Beth's behaviour demonstrate?

A) negative transfer
B) extinction
C) discrimination
D) successive approximation

Question 38

Which combination would most likely turn a conditioned emotional response (CER) into a phobia?

A) conditioned emotional response plus CER = discrimination
B) conditioned emotional response plus CER = desensitization
C) conditioned emotional response plus CER = response cost
D) conditioned emotional response plus CER = generalization

Question 39

Which therapy is widely used to extinguish fears and phobias?

A) conditioned desensitization
B) response desensitization
C) desensitization
D) insight desensitization

Question 40

What is the origin of many common phobias?

A) operant conditioning
B) classical conditioning
C) instrumental conditioning
D) superstitious behaviour

Question 41

How can a phobia often be interpreted?

A) as a conditioned emotional response (CER)
B) as a rational fear based on real dangers
C) as a fear shaped by operant conditioning
D) as a conscious attempt to act frightened to gain attention

Question 42

Lauren's emotional reaction to being trapped in an elevator for several hours has generalized to a fear of all enclosed spaces. Which of the following does this example illustrate?

A) discrimination
B) operant conditioning
C) response
D) phobia

Question 43

What is desensitization therapy?

A) the pairing of a feared stimulus with a negative response
B) the use of numbing drugs to remove fears
C) the successive building up of pain tolerance
D) the pairing of a feared stimulus with a new, more positive response

Question 44

Gordon watches how his mother tenses up in the presence of dogs. Although Gordon has never before been harmed by a dog, he responds negatively when a dog is near him. What is Gordon demonstrating?

A) operant conditioning
B) instrumental acquisition
C) generalization
D) vicarious conditioning

Question 45

Deirdre bakes muffins for her husband Doug. Doug eats them and becomes ill. The next time Deirdre bakes muffins, Doug refuses to eat them. Which form of classical conditioning does this scenario illustrate?

A) aversive conditioning
B) taste aversion
C) imprinting
D) discrimination

Question 46

What does operant conditioning focus on?

A) people learning through associations
B) the fact that we're born with reflexive habits
C) behaviour that is influenced by its consequences
D) how changes in behaviour are related to mental events

Question 47

Compared to classical conditioning, the behaviours that are learned through operant conditioning are which of the following?

A) reflexive
B) involuntary
C) elicited
D) voluntary

Question 48

Which of the following states that behaviour is influenced by its consequences?

A) classical conditioning
B) observational learning
C) operant conditioning
D) respondent conditioning

Question 49

The best way to differentiate operant from classical conditioning is to decide which of the following?

A) whether the response is voluntary or involuntary
B) whether the stimulus is conditioned or unconditioned
C) whether the consequence comes before or after the response
D) whether the response is pleasant or unpleasant

Question 50

If a subject in a study makes a connection between a stimulus and a consequence, what are the researchers most likely studying?

A) classical conditioning
B) operant conditioning
C) observational learning
D) respondent conditioning

Question 51

Who expanded upon Thorndike's law of effect?

A) B.F. Skinner
B) Albert Bandura
C) Ivan Pavlov
D) Edward Tolman

Question 52

In operant conditioning, what do we call the apparatus used to condition a rat to press a lever for food?

A) a Skinner box
B) a focus chamber
C) a puzzle box
D) a maze

Question 53

Which of the following is a method used in operant conditioning?

A) random reinforcement
B) shaping by reinforcing in small incremental steps
C) reinforcing a target behaviour immediately before its occurrence
D) not reinforcing observable behaviours

Question 54

Quentin wears his lucky socks every time he plays hockey because they were once paired with scoring goals. Which of the following does Quentin's behaviour illustrate?

A) variable interval schedules
B) superstitious behaviour
C) reinforcement
D) conditioned response

Question 55

What do we call the gradual moulding of responses into a desired pattern?

A) learning
B) shaping
C) generalization
D) counter conditioning

Question 56

Which of the following is true of superstitious behaviour?

A) It is based on the legitimate connection between a response and a reward.
B) It is necessary to produce reinforcement.
C) It is observed in animals as well as people.
D) It occurs through shaping a desired response.

Question 57

A father is "potty training" his son, Kenneth. First, he allows Kenneth to become acclimated to his pot, then Kenneth gets reinforced for sitting on the pot, and finally he gets a reinforcer only if he does something on the pot. Which procedure is the father using?

A) negative reinforcement
B) intermittent conditioning
C) generalization
D) shaping

Question 58

A teacher gives students a star for every completed homework assignment. What is the star in this example?

A) a positive reinforcer
B) a negative reinforcer
C) a discriminative cue
D) an aversive consequence

Question 59

Which of the following effects would a reinforcer most likely have on a child's behaviour?

A) The effect will depend on whether it is a primary or secondary reinforcer.
B) It would decrease the likelihood that the behaviour will be repeated.
C) It would increase the likelihood that the behaviour will be repeated.
D) It would decrease the likelihood of the behaviour if the reinforcer is given before the child performs the desired behaviour.

Question 60

In operant conditioning, a response will eventually disappear if reinforcement is withheld. What is this procedure called?

A) satiation
B) fading
C) inhibition
D) operant extinction

Question 61

Slowing down your driving speed every time you see a police car is an example of which of the following?

A) negative reinforcement
B) social learning
C) contingent reinforcement
D) superstitious behaviour

Question 62

Akia rubbed cortisone cream onto a mosquito bite, and the itching then stopped. The next time a mosquito bit her, she reached for the cortisone cream. Which operant conditioning principle does this example illustrate?

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

Question 63

Regarding the likelihood of a behaviour being repeated, what are the correct ways to describe negative reinforcement and negative punishment?

A) both negative reinforcement and negative punishment increase the likelihood of a behaviour being repeated
B) negative reinforcement increases and negative punishment decreases the likelihood of a behaviour being repeated
C) negative reinforcement decreases and negative punishment increases the likelihood of a behaviour being repeated
D) both negative reinforcement and negative punishment decrease the likelihood of a behaviour being repeated

Question 64

When Erica broke her curfew, her parents took away her car privileges for a week. What were Erica's parents using?

A) positive punishment
B) negative reinforcement
C) response cost or negative punishment
D) avoidance conditioning

Question 65

When Ben's parents take away his phone privileges or "ground" him, what type of punishment are they using?

A) primary punishment
B) secondary punishment
C) response cost or negative punishment
D) positive punishment

Question 66

To be most effective, what should punishment be combined with?

A) response cost
B) aversive stimulus
C) delayed feedback
D) reinforcement

Question 67

What is another term for response cost?

A) negative reinforcement
B) reinforcement
C) removal of a reinforcer
D) feedback

Question 68

Why are primary reinforcers effective?

A) because we want approval for our actions
B) because they increase the frequency of a response
C) because they satisfy biological needs for survival
D) because they are a learned reaction to a previously neutral stimulus

Question 69

What type of reinforcers are food, water, sex, warmth, and brain stimulation?

A) secondary reinforcers
B) primary reinforcers
C) positive reinforcers
D) negative reinforcers

Question 70

Although secondary reinforcers are neutral, they gain their reinforcing properties by being associated with which of the following?

A) negative reinforcers
B) primary reinforcers
C) brain stimulation by electrodes
D) the generalization effect

Question 71

Which type of reinforcer depends upon learning?

A) positive reinforcers
B) negative reinforcers
C) primary reinforcers
D) secondary reinforcers

Question 72

Which of the following have researchers taught chimpanzees to exchange for food?

A) shock
B) punishment
C) candy
D) tokens

Question 73

What do we call the information about the effects of a particular response?

A) stimulus response chain
B) branching
C) vicarious learning
D) feedback

Question 74

In order for feedback to be effective, what must it first be?

A) infrequent
B) reinforcing
C) delayed
D) detailed

Question 75

How are programmed instruction and computer-assisted instruction similar?

A) they are both types of biofeedback
B) neither have much power to actually improve learning
C) they are both applications of the principle of feedback
D) they are both based on simple cognitive maps

Question 76

Philip is reinforced with a $10 bill every time he presses a lever. Which of the following does this example illustrate?

A) the partial reinforcement effect
B) fixed-interval reinforcement
C) continuous reinforcement
D) variable-interval reinforcement

Question 77

What is the relationship between a behaviour conditioned with partial reinforcement and the behaviour's resistance to extinction?

A) the behaviour is more resistant to extinction
B) the behaviour is less resistant to extinction
C) the behaviour is both less resistant and more resistant to extinction
D) the effect of the relationship depends on the kind of behaviour being partially reinforced

Question 78

Katherine is a telemarketer who receives $6 for every ten calls she makes. Which type of reinforcement schedule does this example illustrate?

A) a fixed-interval reinforcement schedule
B) a fixed-ratio reinforcement schedule
C) a variable-ratio reinforcement schedule
D) a variable-interval reinforcement schedule

Question 79

Agricultural workers are paid according to the number of bushels of apples they pick. Which schedule of reinforcement does this illustrate?

A) a fixed-ratio reinforcement schedule
B) a fixed-interval reinforcement schedule
C) a variable-ratio reinforcement schedule
D) a variable-interval reinforcement schedule

Question 80

Why do variable-ratio schedules of reinforcement produce high, steady rates of responding?

A) Reinforcement is predictable.
B) After so many responses you will have to get a reinforcer.
C) It is not possible to predict which response will lead to the delivery of a reinforcer.
D) There aren't any aversive consequences.