Deck 6: B: Conditioning and Learning

Question 1

After weeks of successful extinction trials,your pet dachshund suddenly resumes burying bones in the front yard.Your pet therapist advises you that the dog's behavior is an example of

A) shaping.
B) stimulus generalization.
C) spontaneous recovery.
D) satiation.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

You decide that you want to study more,so you set a series of gradual,daily goals and reinforce yourself for meeting each goal in the series.You are using a technique known as

A) latent learning.
B) shaping.
C) vicarious classical conditioning.
D) intermittent conditioning.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

A few weeks after giving up on buying state lottery tickets,many people are tempted to try again,thus,illustrating the concept of

A) spontaneous recovery.
B) stimulus generalization.
C) superstitious behavior.
D) satiation.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

After the successful extinction of your son's whining for a toy while you are shopping,you go shopping several weeks later and he begins to whine for a toy as if he is "just checking to see if the rules have changed back." This situation illustrates

A) shaping.
B) spontaneous recovery.
C) stimulus generalization.
D) stimulus discrimination.

Question 5

You are training a rat to press a bar.Instead of waiting for the rat's first accidental bar press,you reinforce the rat with a food pellet for facing the bar and then turning toward the bar.Next,you reinforce the rat every time he takes a step toward the bar,until he touches the bar.Lastly,you reinforce the rat for pressing the bar.You are

A) using latent learning to train the rat.
B) fading the rat's behavior.
C) shaping the rat's behavior.
D) using secondary reinforcement with the rat.

Question 6

If the teacher never calls on you when you raise your hand,you will probably stop raising your hand.This decrease in your hand raising due to the teacher ignoring you is an example of

A) negative reinforcement.
B) desensitization.
C) operant extinction.
D) stimulus generalization.

Question 7

Bernice is "potty training" Kenny.First,she allows him to become familar with the potty chair,next she reinforces Kenny for just sitting on the potty,and finally she reinforces Kenny for actually "using" the potty.Bernice is using a procedure called

A) latent learning.
B) vicarious classical conditioning.
C) shaping.
D) intermittent conditioning.

Question 8

A puppy has begun to cry and bark in order to be let into the house.To extinguish this response,you would

A) let the puppy in the house.
B) ignore the crying, letting the puppy in when quiet.
C) swat the puppy with a newspaper whenever it cried.
D) let the puppy in when it cries, then swat it with a newspaper.

Question 9

Learned responses that are not reinforced will gradually weaken or disappear through a process known as

A) spontaneous recovery.
B) intermittent fading.
C) counterconditioning.
D) operant extinction.

Question 10

Your dog jumps up on you when you get home.You eliminate this behavior by withholding you attention and ignoring the dog when it jumps on you.This is called

A) classical conditioning.
B) negative reinforcement.
C) punishment.
D) operant extinction.

Question 11

The process through which a response is taught by rewarding successive approximations to the final desired response is called

A) extinction.
B) fading.
C) shaping.
D) secondary transfer.

Question 12

To teach a child to eat spaghetti neatly,you would reinforce initial responses,such as holding the fork,and then reinforce increasingly closer approximations to the final response,a procedure known as

A) counter conditioning.
B) secondary conditioning.
C) desensitization.
D) shaping.

Question 13

Extinction in operant conditioning involves

A) withholding reinforcement.
B) punishment.
C) test trials.
D) shaping.

Question 14

A series of responses that gradually approach a desired pattern of behavior are called

A) adaptations.
B) gradients.
C) successive approximations.
D) conditioning trials.

Question 15

If you wanted to train a dog to play the piano or a cat to turn on the living room lights,you would most likely use

A) successive approximations.
B) classical conditioning.
C) vicarious conditioning.
D) positive transfer.

Question 16

The gradual molding of responses to a desired pattern is known as

A) latent learning.
B) fading.
C) shaping.
D) secondary reinforcement.

Question 17

The brief return of an operant response after its apparent extinction is known as

A) shaping.
B) stimulus generalization.
C) a spontaneous recovery.
D) satiation.

Question 18

There is an old story about a young boy who was left to guard the village sheep.He was instructed to cry "wolf" if he thought the sheep were in danger.Even though there was no danger,the boy enjoyed crying "wolf" over and over,just to see the villagers come running.Then,when a wolf did appear,the disbelieving villagers ignored the boy's cry.The failure of the villagers to respond illustrates the operant conditioning concept called

A) acquisition.
B) stimulus generalization.
C) partial reinforcement.
D) operant extinction.

Question 19

You are a very good skater,but you did not start out that way.Your mother reinforced you for each small improvement you made over several months.This process is known as

A) shaping.
B) latent learning.
C) vicarious classical conditioning.
D) intermittent conditioning.

Question 20

Stephanie had successfully used extinction to eliminate her son's temper tantrums.However,several weeks later,her son threw another temper tantrum.Stephanie should be advised that

A) she should have used an intermittent punishment schedule to stop the temper tantrums.
B) spontaneous recoveries do occur and to continue ignoring the tantrums.
C) she should have used negative reinforcement to stop the temper tantrums.
D) her child will outgrow the tantrums in a few years.

Question 21

What do positive and negative reinforcement have in common?

A) They both have aversive qualities.
B) They both have unpredictable qualities.
C) They both lead to a decrease in response frequencies.
D) They both lead to an increase in response frequencies.

Question 22

What effect does negative reinforcement have on a person's responding?

A) increases it
B) decreases it
C) completely extinguishes it
D) makes responding more unpleasant

Question 23

Ms.Campbell gives her students a star for every completed homework assignment.The star serves as a

A) positive reinforcer.
B) negative reinforcer.
C) primary reinforcer.
D) response cost.

Question 24

You walk out into bright sunlight.You immediately reach in your purse and get your sunglasses.Putting on your sunglasses to escape the sun's bright light is an example of

A) negative reinforcement.
B) positive reinforcement.
C) response cost.
D) aversive punishment.

Question 25

When a reward or other pleasant event follows a response,which of the following is being used?

A) bribe
B) positive reinforcement
C) negative reinforcement
D) conditioned stimulus

Question 26

Negative attention-seeking will develop in some children because

A) punishment is always ineffective and teaches aggression.
B) the parents reward the children's correct social behaviors in only limited situations.
C) punishment was not used to get rid of the negative attention seeking in the children.
D) the children receive attention when they are ill-behaved but are ignored when they are well-behaved.

Question 27

Which of the following tends to develop when children are ignored for playing quietly,but are given attention in the form of scolding for "showing off," breaking something,or throwing a temper tantrum?

A) negative shaping
B) negative attention seeking
C) negative transference
D) counterconditioning

Question 28

If you study to achieve an A and the praise of your teacher,you are studying for __________ reinforcement.

A) negative
B) positive
C) primary
D) latent

Question 29

When we remove an unpleasant event by making a response,we experience

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

Question 30

Every time you have a cold,you take a cold remedy to get rid of the symptoms.You are taking the medicine because of

A) response cost.
B) extinction.
C) positive reinforcement.
D) negative reinforcement.

Question 31

If you study to relieve your fear of receiving an F on the upcoming test,then your studying has increased due to

A) negative reinforcement.
B) positive reinforcement.
C) aversive punishment.
D) response cost.

Question 32

The probability of repeating a response is increased by which of the following consequences?

A) punishment
B) response cost
C) nonreinforcement
D) negative reinforcement

Question 33

Parents report dramatic improvements in their children's behavior (that is,a decrease in negative attention-seeking)when they

A) scold their children for their disruptive behavior.
B) spank their children for their disruptive behavior.
C) ignore all behavior except for the target behavior they wish to reduce and then use a strong aversive punishment.
D) ignore their children's disruptive behavior and praise their child for being quiet or playing constructively.

Question 34

When Jan helped her mother clean up after her baby brother,Jan's mother praised her daughter for being so thoughtful.For Jan,her mother's praise is serving as a

A) positive reinforcer.
B) negative reinforcer.
C) primary reinforcer.
D) response cost.

Question 35

A politician who irritates you is being interviewed on the evening news.You change channels so you won't have to listen to him.Your channel changing is

A) negatively reinforced.
B) a form of punishment.
C) positively reinforced.
D) a type of response cost.

Question 36

When walking outside,your hands get so cold that they hurt.You take a pair of gloves out of your backpack and put them on,ending the pain.Putting on the gloves is

A) negatively reinforced.
B) a form of punishment.
C) positively reinforced.
D) a type of response cost.

Question 37

Negative reinforcement occurs when a response

A) leads to a desirable consequence.
B) leads to the removal of an unpleasant event.
C) leads to an undesirable consequence.
D) is ignored.

Question 38

Because taking a drug reduces withdrawal symptoms,taking the drug is

A) negatively reinforced.
B) positively reinforced.
C) vicariously reinforced.
D) extinguished.

Question 39

Akia rubbed some cortisone cream on the spot where a mosquito had bitten her and the itching stopped.The next time a mosquito bit her,she reached for the cortisone cream.In terms of operant conditioning,this is an example of

A) positive reinforcement.
B) negative reinforcement.
C) aversive punishment.
D) response cost.

Question 40

A rat learned to press a bar to turn off a mild shock it was receiving through the floor of its cage.In this case,bar pressing was

A) classically conditioned.
B) learned through negative reinforcement.
C) learned through punishment.
D) a positively reinforced motor skill.

Question 41

Parking tickets and other fines are based on a type of punishment known as

A) negative reinforcement.
B) response chaining.
C) response cost.
D) aversive conditioning.

Question 42

Tristan and his brother Ian are fighting over the video game.So,Mom takes the video game system away from them for an hour.Mom has used

A) response cost.
B) aversive conditioning.
C) negative reinforcement.
D) response chaining.

Question 43

If the teacher scolds her students for talking and they decrease their talking,the teacher has used

A) negative reinforcement.
B) response cost.
C) aversive punishment.
D) all of these.

Question 44

The best-known form of response cost involves children being removed from situations that normally allow them to gain reinforcement,a procedure known as

A) time out.
B) aversive conditioning.
C) negative shaping.
D) negative reinforcement.

Question 45

A second type of punishment in which a reinforcer or positive state of affairs is removed,such as the loss of privileges,is called

A) response chaining.
B) negative reinforcement.
C) respondent conditioning.
D) response cost.

Question 46

Which of the following is an example of response cost?

A) A child is spanked for breaking an expensive vase.
B) A teenager is grounded for coming in an hour late.
C) A rat learns to run a maze always turning to the right to avoid shock.
D) A woman leaves an abusive marriage in order to save her life.

Question 47

You live in an apartment and your neighbor's stereo is blasting so loudly that your ears hurt.If you pound on the wall and the volume suddenly drops,you are more likely to pound on the wall again if the stereo is loud because you have

A) undergone extinction.
B) been negatively reinforced.
C) been positively reinforced.
D) received punishment.

Question 48

A team coach who scolds and benches a player for poor performance is using

A) aversive conditioning.
B) modeling.
C) negative reinforcement.
D) punishment.

Question 49

If spanking a child decreases the child's misbehavior,the parent has used

A) negative reinforcement.
B) aversive punishment.
C) response cost.
D) all of these.

Question 50

Preschoolers Jordan and Dennis were throwing sticks at other students on the playground,so their teacher made them sit on the sidewalk for five minutes,taking them away from the fun activities on the playground.Their teacher was using

A) negative reinforcement.
B) intermittent punishment.
C) aversive conditioning.
D) response cost.

Question 51

Because Cindy was disruptive during the family game time,she was sent to her room.Being sent to her room and away from the family fun is an example of the behavioral procedure known as

A) time out.
B) negative reinforcement.
C) avoidance learning.
D) negative feedback.

Question 52

Regarding the effects of negative reinforcement and punishment on responding,which of the following statements is TRUE?

A) Both negative reinforcement and punishment decrease responding.
B) Negative reinforcement increases responding, while punishment decreases responding.
C) Negative reinforcement decreases responding, while punishment increases responding.
D) Both negative reinforcement and punishment increase responding.

Question 53

Little Cory was disruptive during the family game time,so he was sent to his room.Being sent to "time out" is an example of

A) negative reinforcement.
B) aversive conditioning.
C) avoidance learning.
D) response cost.

Question 54

Negative reinforcement and punishment

A) have opposite effects on behavior.
B) are different terms for the same procedure.
C) have the same effect on behavior.
D) are not very effective in changing behavior.

Question 55

In its most basic form,response cost can be described as

A) aversive stimulation.
B) negative reinforcement.
C) a removal of a reinforcer.
D) positive reinforcement.

Question 56

You live in an apartment and your neighbor's stereo is blasting so loudly that your ears hurt.If you pound on the wall and the volume increases even louder,you will be less likely to pound on the wall the next time the music is loud because you have

A) undergone a response chain.
B) been negatively reinforced.
C) been positively reinforced.
D) received punishment.

Question 57

When a teenager loses his phone privileges or is "grounded," the parent is using

A) negative reinforcement.
B) response chaining.
C) response cost.
D) aversive conditioning.

Question 58

Any event that follows a response and decreases the likelihood of the response occurring again is referred to as

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

Question 59

After receiving a ticket for speeding,you stop speeding.The reason you stop speeding is due to

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

Question 60

Every time you give advice to a friend,she suddenly turns cold and rude toward you.Lately,you've stopped offering her advice because giving your friend advice has been

A) negatively reinforced.
B) punished.
C) classically conditioned.
D) affected by all of these.

Question 61

Every time you open the refrigerator,walk to a drinking fountain,turn up the heat,or order a double fudge sundae,your actions reflect __________ reinforcers.

A) primary
B) latent
C) secondary
D) generalized

Question 62

Which of the following is a learned reinforcer that often gains its reinforcing properties by its association with food,water,sex,or pain reduction?

A) primary reinforcer
B) instrumental reinforcer
C) unconditional reinforcer
D) secondary reinforcer

Question 63

Intracranial self-stimulation is a very powerful reinforcer because it activates the same pleasure pathways in the brain that are activated by natural primary reinforcers.These pleasure pathways are located in which part of the brain?

A) pineal gland
B) frontal lobes
C) reticular formation
D) limbic system

Question 64

Nonlearned reinforcers that usually satisfy physiological needs are known as

A) natural feedback.
B) token reinforcers.
C) primary reinforcers.
D) secondary reinforcers.

Question 65

Rats are more likely to engage in intracranial self-stimulation if they also self-administer a drug that further increases the sensitivity of the pleasure pathways in the brain.This drug is

A) alcohol.
B) nicotine.
C) LSD.
D) heroin.

Question 66

Which of the following would be considered a primary reinforcer?

A) praise
B) food
C) money
D) attention

Question 67

Which of the following produce comfort,end discomfort,or fill an immediate physical need?

A) primary reinforcers
B) secondary reinforcers
C) natural feedback
D) token reinforcers

Question 68

Which of the following might serve as a secondary reinforcer?

A) sex
B) grades
C) food
D) a pain-relieving drug

Question 69

Which of the following is NOT a primary reinforcer?

A) intracranial self-stimulation
B) psychoactive drug
C) money
D) sex

Question 70

Regarding the experiments using intracranial self-stimulation of the pleasure centers,which of the following statements is FALSE?

A) When given the choice, rats preferred food, water, or sex to pressing the bar to receive brain stimulation.
B) Some of the rats constantly pressed the lever to get brain stimulation for 15 to 20 hours, collapsing from exhaustion.
C) Psychoactive drugs, such as alcohol and cocaine, activate the same pleasure pathways that are activated by intracranial self-stimulation.
D) Humans have been "wired" for brain stimulation experimentally to restrain uncontrollable outbursts of violence.

Question 71

Regarding the experiments using intracranial self-stimulation,which of the following statements is FALSE?

A) When rats self-administer nicotine, they are even more likely to engage in intracranial self-stimulation because nicotine further increases the sensitivity of the pleasure pathways.
B) After the rats had pressed the intracranial self-stimulation lever to exhaustion, they were less likely to press the lever again once they were revived.
C) Intracranial self-stimulation involves electrical stimulation of the limbic system of the brain.
D) Intracranial self-stimulation is considered to be a primary reinforcer.

Question 72

Intracranial self-stimulation is a very powerful reinforcer because it activates the same pleasure pathways in the brain that are activated by natural __________ reinforcers.

A) primary
B) secondary
C) conditioned
D) unconditioned

Question 73

Concerning the behavioral effects of various consequences,a response that is not followed by a reward will occur less frequently.This defines

A) nonreinforcement.
B) positive punishment.
C) negative reinforcement.
D) respondent conditioning.

Question 74

Feedback is the key component of

A) associative learning.
B) respondent conditioning.
C) cognitive learning.
D) classical conditioning.

Question 75

Primary reinforcers are characterized by all of the following EXCEPT

A) being natural and rooted in biology.
B) being developed through learning very early in life.
C) being capable of producing comfort or ending discomfort.
D) intracranial self-stimulation being one of the most powerful examples of primary reinforcers.

Question 76

Food,water,pain reduction,sex,and brain stimulation have in common the fact that all are __________ reinforcers.

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

Question 77

Which of the following might serve as a secondary reinforcer?

A) intracranial self-stimulation
B) praise
C) food
D) a psychoactive drug

Question 78

When Lamont acts silly while his family is watching television,he receives no attention from the family.Lamont's silly behavior decreases due to his family's use of

A) nonreinforcement.
B) positive punishment.
C) negative reinforcement.
D) respondent conditioning.

Question 79

Which of the following exerts its effect through associative learning?

A) feedback
B) reinforcement
C) intrinsic motivation
D) cognitive conditioning

Question 80

A key component of cognitive learning is

A) feedback.
B) reinforcement.
C) punishment.
D) respondent conditioning.