Deck 4: Operant Conditioning: Skinners Radical Behaviorism

Question 1

Which of the following is descriptive of Skinner's theory?

A) His system was hypotheticodeductive in its approach.
B) The causes of behavior were with the person.
C) Relational statements were objective and descriptive.
D) He emphasized intervening variables.

Answer 1

Relational statements were objective and descriptive.

Question 2

A difference between dependent and independent variables is

A) dependent variables are manipulated by an experimenter.
B) independent variables are manipulated by an experimenter.
C) dependent variables only may be observed.
D) independent variables only may be observed.

Answer 2

independent variables are manipulated by an experimenter.

Question 3

A sudden movement near to a listener's face that results in the listener flinching and blinking may be described as

A) an emitted response.
B) a voluntary response.
C) an inappropriate response.
D) an elicited response.

Answer 3

an elicited response.

Question 4

Confused about a concept being covered in a classroom lecture, a student raises her hand. This behavior may be described as

A) an involuntary response.
B) an elicited response.
C) an emitted response.
D) a reflex response.

Question 5

Changing television channels, inserting a CD in a CD player, turning on the computer to play a video game, and riding a bicycle all have the following in common.

A) They are all examples of classical conditioning.
B) They are all examples of respondent behavior.
C) They are all examples of operant behavior.
D) They all involve procrastinating instead of doing homework.

Question 6

The following describes Skinner's view of classical conditioning:

A) He rejected the validity of classical conditioning replacing it with operant conditioning.
B) He accepted it but renamed it instrumental conditioning.
C) He accepted it as valid but only for a limited range of behaviors.
D) He accepted it as valid but only for animals.

Question 7

Operant conditioning compares favorably with which evolutionary concept?

A) natural selection
B) the Big Bang theory
C) the law of the jungle
D) species extinction

Question 8

Skinner's theory of learning is most closely related to

A) Watson's, since each spoke of behavior control.
B) Thorndike's due to the law of effect.
C) Pavlov's since each used animals for research.
D) Hull's due to their similar approach to theory building.

Question 9

Learning occurs fastest when the reinforcement schedule is

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

Question 10

The following is an example of negative reinforcement at a work place:

A) demotion.
B) being allowed to leave after 6 hours but receiving a full 8 hours pay.
C) receiving a pay increase.
D) working overtime without pay.

Question 11

All of the following are examples of positive reinforcement in a family situation except:

A) praise
B) restoring phone privileges
C) an increase in allowance
D) a bedtime treat

Question 12

The following is true of punishment:

A) A penalty is always involved.
B) Including negative reinforcement, there are three types.
C) It always involves introduction of an unpleasant event.
D) There are two types-castigation and penalty.

Question 13

Negative reinforcement is employed for

A) suppressing a behavior.
B) eliciting a response.
C) strengthening a behavior.
D) eliminating a behavior.

Question 14

At the end of each day's work, workers hired on a temporary basis receive that day's wages in cash. The cash may be described as

A) a positive, primary reinforcer.
B) a positive, secondary reinforcer.
C) a positive, generalized reinforcer.
D) a negative, generalized reinforcer.

Question 15

On a job site, a whistle blows at 12 noon to indicate lunch break. For the workers, the whistle acts as a

A) positive, primary reinforcer.
B) positive, generalized reinforcer.
C) negative, generalized reinforcer.
D) positive, secondary reinforcer.

Question 16

Teaching students how to play tennis, an instructor decides to break down the skill into its component parts and teach each in turn. This approach is an example of

A) generalization.
B) discrimination.
C) shaping.
D) fading.

Question 17

A pet owner teaches his dog a new trick, rewarding him after each correct response. After the trick is learned, the owner stops the rewards and the dog ceases the behavior. A month later the owner tries to show the dog off to a neighbor by giving the command for the trick. The dog does not respond. Skinner would attribute the non-response to

A) fading.
B) extinction.
C) discrimination.
D) punishment.

Question 18

Skinner's concept of shaping is also known as

A) a method of successive approximation.
B) social learning.
C) generalization.
D) verbal conditioning.

Question 19

Skinner assumed

A) classical conditioning was in error.
B) punishment has no effect on behavior.
C) human behavior follows certain laws.
D) laws do not exist in the social sciences.

Question 20

According to Skinner, behaviors emitted are

A) biological.
B) stimulus controlled.
C) called operants.
D) included next time.

Question 21

With regard to children and mealtimes, Skinner would be most concerned with

A) a child's hunger.
B) a child's nutritional intake.
C) a child's eating behavior.
D) Skinner was not concerned with children.

Question 22

Skinner's use of intervening variables is

A) similar to Hull's use.
B) not as extensive as Hull's use.
C) to mediate between stimuli and responses.
D) nonexistent.

Question 23

A stimulus-elicited behavior is referred to by Skinner as

A) an operant.
B) a respondent.
C) a mediating variable.
D) an instrumental act.

Question 24

Operant is to respondent as

A) elicit is to emit.
B) stimulus is to response.
C) mediate is to intervene
D) act is to react.

Question 25

A Skinner box involves

A) storage of laboratory animals.
B) control of variables in a restricted environment.
C) unknown mediating variables.
D) the dehumanization of family members.

Question 26

Reinforcement

A) strengthens an S-R bond.
B) creates an S-R bond.
C) increases the likelihood of R under similar circumstances.
D) increases the likelihood of S under similar circumstances.

Question 27

A schedule of reinforcement refers to

A) frequency of reinforcement.
B) type of reinforcement.
C) both reinforcement and punishment.
D) spontaneous reinforcement.

Question 28

Negative reinforcement

A) is the mildest form of punishment.
B) decreases an undesired response.
C) increases the probability of a response.
D) decreases the occurrence of a stimulus.

Question 29

A significant characteristic of a reinforcer is

A) once a reinforcer, always a reinforcer.
B) reinforcers never work twice in a row.
C) they are the same for all organisms.
D) reinforcing effects may vary between people.

Question 30

Giving reinforcement every other time a behavior occurs is known as

A) a fixed variable schedule.
B) a variable ratio schedule.
C) a fixed ratio schedule.
D) inconsistent reinforcement.

Question 31

Reinforcing after an average number of desired responses is known as

A) a fixed interval schedule.
B) a fixed ratio schedule.
C) a superstitious schedule.
D) a variable ratio schedule.

Question 32

Fading as a learning technique involves

A) engaging in a behavior less frequently.
B) vicarious reinforcement.
C) exaggerating differences then eliminating them gradually.
D) successive approximations.

Question 33

An illustration of counterconditioning is

A) extinction.
B) verbal conditioning.
C) systematic desensitization.
D) chaining.

Question 34

A student learns a mathematical concept in math class then discovers it can be useful in a science class to solve a problem. This is an example of

A) generalization.
B) discrimination.
C) common sense.
D) shaping.

Question 35

Little Kevin acknowledges that it is okay to jump on the couch at grandma's house, but it is not okay to do this at home. This an example of

A) a disinhibitory effect.
B) discrimination.
C) counterconditioning.
D) transfer.

Question 36

A "with-it" teacher may observe students' behavior during their free time in order to effectively use the reinforcement technique known as

A) Premack Principle.
B) Social reinforcers.
C) Tokens.
D) Behavior modification.

Question 37

A "time out" is a procedure in which

A) children are removed from a pleasant situation in response to misbehavior.
B) children are sent to the principal's office.
C) children receive response-cost punishment.
D) children are reprimanded for misbehavior.