Deck 10: Operant and Cognitive Approaches

Question 1

What is described as the idea that behaviors followed by positive consequences are strengthened,while behaviors followed by negative consequences are weakened?

A) behavioral facilitation
B) the principle of continuity
C) cognitive learning
D) the Law of Effect

Answer 1

the Law of Effect

Question 2

Trial-and-error learning is associated with experiments conducted with hungry cats placed in a puzzle box.This work was conducted by:

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

Answer 2

Edward Thorndike

Question 3

What names are most associated with operant conditioning?

A) B. F. Skinner and Carl Rogers
B) Ivan Pavlov and George Miller
C) Edward Thorndike and B. F. Skinner
D) Albert Bandura and Ivan Pavlov

Answer 3

Edward Thorndike and B. F. Skinner

Question 4

In your backyard you have a bird feeder from which a particular squirrel likes to eat.You have tried many ways to prevent it from stealing from it.You notice that the squirrel's random behavior gradually turns into goal-directed behavior.This best illustrates what Thorndike called the:

A) Law of Effect
B) principle of continuity
C) law of consequence
D) classical conditioning

Question 5

The type of learning that focuses on the consequences of behavior is called:

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

Question 6

One of the websites that you've recently visited was a site describing techniques for parents to manage their children's behavior.You notice that many of the techniques are based on operant conditioning.These techniques share what in common?

A) using consequences to influence behavior
B) using observation and imitation
C) pairing UCS with CS
D) associating UCS with UCR

Question 7

You are babysitting your three-year-old niece and notice that she is acting very much like a character from a television show.Being an astute psychology student,you reason that you are most likely witnessing:

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

Question 8

In ____,the consequences of a behavior influence whether an organism will perform the same behavior in the future.

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

Question 9

Instrumental conditioning is also known as:

A) classical conditioning
B) imprinting conditioning
C) instinctual conditioning
D) operant conditioning

Question 10

Whiskers is a cat being used in Thorndike's studies on learning.The amount of time it takes Whiskers to get out of the puzzle box to get a piece of fish is decreasing.Thorndike would conclude that:

A) Whiskers' behaviors that lead to escaping the box to get the fish are being strengthened.
B) Whiskers' behaviors that lead to escaping the box to get the fish are being weakened.
C) Whiskers is imprinting on Thorndike's behavior.
D) Whiskers' behaviors are under a continuous schedule of reinforcement.

Question 11

Thorndike found that a cat learned to escape from a puzzle box by the consequences of its behavior.How could he arrive at such a conclusion?

A) The CR was increasing in magnitude over time.
B) The cat learned by watching Thorndike open the puzzle box.
C) The CS (freedom) provided information about the occurrence of the UCS (piece of fish).
D) The time it took cats to escape decreased over time.

Question 12

You want to change the behavior of your roommate.You decide to reward his behaviors that you like and punish his behaviors that you do not like.You are using:

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

Question 13

The focus of operant conditioning is on how:

A) people learn from the examples of others without themselves being reinforced
B) repetition results in reflexive habits without awareness
C) behavior is influenced by its consequences and whether they increase or decrease the likelihood of that behavior being repeated
D) stimuli are paired to elicit a response

Question 14

The Great Carlo is an internationally known lion trainer.You ask him how he goes about training his lions.He responds by saying something about consequences that increase the chance that the desired behavior will again be performed.You recognize his method as:

A) trial-and-error conditioning
B) cognitive learning
C) classical conditioning
D) operant conditioning

Question 15

Bart,the 10-foot-tall Kodiak bear,learned and performed 45 behaviors for a starring role in movies through:

A) operant conditioning
B) imprinting
C) insight
D) classical conditioning

Question 16

The unit of behavior that Skinner could measure is called a(n):

A) reinforcer
B) conditioned stimulus
C) operant response
D) behavioral index

Question 17

Plotnik's example of skateboarder Tony Hawk shows that:

A) learning can also occur just by observation, without external rewards
B) human learning differs greatly from animal learning
C) rewards actually interfere with learning
D) complex behaviors can be acquired through classical conditioning

Question 18

Those who study cognitive learning claim that learning can take place in an individual:

A) who has not received any noticeable rewards, but who simply observes and imitates
B) only if the learning is reflexive in nature
C) who shows a change in behavior
D) only when the behavior is followed by an effect

Question 19

The law of effect is to ____ as operant conditioning is to ____.

A) Tolman; Bandura
B) Thorndike; Skinner
C) Skinner; Thorndike
D) Skinner; Rescorla

Question 20

Thorndike developed the Law of Effect by studying:

A) the saliva of dogs
B) how a cat learns to escape from a puzzle box
C) how a rat learns to press a lever
D) how to train a bear to hold a stuffed animal

Question 21

Shaping is defined as:

A) promising a reward in return for performing desired behavior
B) pairing two stimuli to elicit the desired behavior
C) reinforcing behaviors that successively lead up to the desired behavior
D) changing behavior through the use of punishment

Question 22

In the early stages of shaping a rat to press a lever,the teacher would:

A) deliver a food pellet if the rat simply faced the lever
B) feed the rat many food pellets to familiarize the rat with the reinforcer
C) delay the delivery of food pellets to present a challenge to the rat
D) wait for the rat to press the lever three times in a row before delivering a food pellet

Question 23

Right before a game,a baseball player goes through a series of ritualistic behaviors that he says give him good luck,but in fact are not in reality associated with any reinforcer.This ball player illustrates:

A) discrimination
B) generalization
C) observational learning
D) superstitious behaviors

Question 24

What effect would a reinforcer have on a child's behavior?

A) it decreases the likelihood that behavior will be repeated only if a reinforcer is given before the child performs the behavior
B) it depends on what the child's behavior is
C) it decreases the likelihood that the behavior will be repeated
D) it increases the likelihood that the behavior will be repeated

Question 25

Ali is trying to summarize operant conditioning.Which of the following does the best job?

A) critical analyses can obstruct behavior
B) conditioning a consequence organizes behavior
C) constant attention commands operant behaviors
D) consequences are contingent on behavior

Question 26

____ is a term suggested by Skinner to indicate a response that can be changed by its consequences and is a unit of behavior that can be easily measured.

A) Prepared response
B) Conditioned response
C) Effect response
D) Operant response

Question 27

One of the steps in using operant conditioning to overcome a child's refusal to eat certain foods includes reinforcing her when she notices the food,then when it is placed in her mouth,then when she tastes the food,and when she swallows it.This best describes:

A) shaping
B) conditioned responses
C) spontaneous recovery
D) continuous reinforcement

Question 28

In operant conditioning,behavior that can be modified by its ____ is called a(n)____.

A) antecedents; stimulus
B) consequences; operant response
C) consequences; unconditional stimulus
D) consequences; conditional stimulus

Question 29

If B.F.Skinner was alive today,his website would be most likely named:

A) www.cognitive.com
B) www.insight.com
C) www.operant.com
D) www.classical.com

Question 30

You are visiting some friends who have a three-year-old who is being toilet trained.You hear the mother reinforcing the child after he says that he has to urinate,after he enters the bathroom,and after he uses the toilet.The mother has used the operant technique called:

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

Question 31

According to the textbook,what is the best explanation for a professional baseball player eating chicken every day that a game is scheduled?

A) superstitious behaviors
B) generalization
C) observational learning
D) discrimination

Question 32

If parents wanted to increase the study habits of their children,they might consider using operant conditioning.The first step would be to:

A) identify the target behavior or the goal for the child
B) select reinforcers
C) reinforce appropriate behavior
D) present reinforcers through the shaping procedure

Question 33

A college student taking a composition class hears that the professor wants a topic for the paper in two weeks,followed by a bibliography in four weeks,then an outline in 6 weeks,a first draft in 8 weeks,and the final version in 12 weeks.These deadlines to reinforce behaviors that lead up to the completed paper best illustrate:

A) a variable-ratio schedule
B) stimulus substitution
C) cognitive theory
D) shaping

Question 34

Dr.Peck wishes to operantly condition a pigeon to pick a black card out of a set of white cards.To ensure that Peck's pigeon picks the proper card,the reinforcer must:

A) precede the desired behavior
B) occur at the same time as the desired behavior
C) become a predictor for the desired behavior
D) follow the desired behavior

Question 35

Bart the bear picks up a teddy bear.In operant conditioning,this behavior is called a(n)____.He is given an apple,which is the ____ of picking up the teddy bear.

A) reinforcer; consequence
B) conditioned response; reinforcer
C) operant response; consequence
D) consequence; reinforcer

Question 36

Conditioning a rat to press a lever is most associated with the work of:

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

Question 37

Alfredo brings his lucky pencil with him for his exams.His pencil was accidentally paired with a good grade on his exams.Alfredo's behavior is an example of a:

A) variable-ratio schedule
B) reinforcement
C) conditioned response
D) superstitious behavior

Question 38

The apparatus used by Skinner to study operant conditioning is called a(n):

A) Skinner box
B) classical chamber
C) puzzle box
D) Pavlov box

Question 39

Karen is "potty training" Andrew.First she gives him a cookie when he spends time near the potty,then he gets a cookie if he sits on the potty,and finally he gets a cookie for making "poo-poo" in the potty.Karen is using a procedure called:

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

Question 40

A researcher is trying to get a pigeon to play "Joy to the World" on a toy piano.If the pigeon plays the first note followed by a reinforcer,and then the pigeon plays the first and second note followed by a reinforcer,the researcher is most likely using:

A) classical conditioning
B) shaping
C) cognitive theory
D) stimulus substitution

Question 41

Learned behaviors in operant conditioning are ____ and in classical conditioning they are ____:

A) solicited; illicited
B) emitted; elicited
C) elicited; emitted
D) involuntary; voluntary

Question 42

If you wish to modify your roommate's behavior to clean up,which type of learning would you use and why?

A) classical conditioning-cleaning is a conditioned response
B) operant conditioning-cleaning is a voluntary response
C) operant conditioning-cleaning is an unconditioned response
D) classical conditioning-cleaning can be conditioned using backward conditioning

Question 43

Professor Cao is writing words on the overhead that describe operant conditioning.You notice that she makes a mistake.Which word did she accidentally write down that does not refer to operant conditioning?

A) voluntary
B) contingency
C) conditioned response
D) consequences

Question 44

"A consequence of a behavior that decreases the likelihood of that behavior occurring again" is the definition of:

A) negative reinforcement
B) punishment
C) partial reinforcement
D) learned helplessness

Question 45

In operant conditioning,the response is ____.In classical conditioning,that response is ____.

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

Question 46

The goal of operant conditioning is to ____,while the goal in classical conditioning is to ____.

A) create an association between stimuli; create an association between behavior and consequences
B) create an expectation that a conditioned stimulus will lead to behavior; increase or decrease the rate of some behavior
C) decrease the rate of some behavior; increase the rate of some behavior
D) increase or decrease the rate of some behavior; create a new response to a neutral stimulus

Question 47

As compared to classical conditioning,the behaviors to be learned in operant conditioning are:

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

Question 48

In classical conditioning,a stimulus is paired with ____; in operant conditioning,a behavior is paired with ____.

A) a reward; a stimulus
B) another stimulus; a consequence
C) a reflex; a stimulus
D) a consequence; another organism

Question 49

____ is a consequence that has the effect of decreasing the chance that the behavior that came before it will happen again.

A) Negative reinforcement
B) Shaping
C) Punishment
D) Operant response

Question 50

Which of the following is not among the four steps in using operant conditioning to teach young children to taste,chew,and eat a food?

A) identify the target behavior
B) provide a reinforcer after the desired behavior is performed
C) shape the behavior
D) pair the unconditioned stimulus with the conditioned stimulus

Question 51

Classical is to operant as:

A) elicited is to emitted
B) undesirable is to desirable
C) observable is to invisible
D) consequences is to expectancy

Question 52

A professor says to her student,"Nice job on that test." She has used:

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

Question 53

Negative reinforcement is:

A) a pleasant stimulus that increases the likelihood of the response occurring again
B) an unpleasant stimulus that increases the likelihood of the response occurring again
C) an unpleasant stimulus that decreases the likelihood of the response occurring again
D) the removal of an unpleasant stimulus that increases the likelihood of the response occurring again

Question 54

Classical is to operant as:

A) learned is to memorized
B) undesirable is to desirable
C) involuntary is to voluntary
D) learned is to innate

Question 55

Pica has been successfully treated using operant conditioning.Each time an inedible object was selected,the subject received ____.Each time an appropriate,edible object was selected,____ was presented.

A) praise; criticism
B) a consequence; reinforcement
C) negative reinforcement; reinforcement
D) mild punishment; reinforcement

Question 56

According to operant conditioning,an organism is more likely to perform a behavior in the future if the behavior is:

A) reinforced
B) reflexive
C) substituted
D) spontaneously recovered

Question 57

Reinforcement is to ____,as punishment is to ____.

A) decrease; increase
B) decrease; decrease
C) increase; decrease
D) operant conditioning; classical conditioning

Question 58

Ben,a mentally retarded child,has been observed eating inedible objects and substances.Ben's parents are concerned and have taken him to a psychologist.The psychologist has diagnosed Ben as having:

A) autism
B) pica
C) rumination
D) Grant's disease

Question 59

When Beaver learns the meaning of 10 new vocabulary words,his father Ward says,"That's a good boy,Beaver." Ward's praise is a(n):

A) UCS
B) conditioned stimulus
C) negative reinforcer
D) positive reinforcer

Question 60

In operant conditioning,____ increases or decreases the chances that the ____ will occur again.

A) behavior; consequences
B) response; stimulus
C) reflex; stimulus
D) consequences; behavior

Question 61

Reinforcers,whether they be positive or negative,have the same effect on behavior,which is to:

A) decrease the probability that the behavior will be repeated
B) increase the probability that the behavior will be repeated
C) increase the probability that the behavior will be extinguished
D) decrease the probability that the behavior will be spontaneously recovered

Question 62

What refers to removing a reinforcing stimulus after a response that decreases the odds that the response will recur?

A) negative punishment
B) extinction
C) positive punishment
D) latent punishment

Question 63

A primary reinforcer ____ the likelihood that the preceding behavior will be repeated.A secondary reinforcer ____ the likelihood that the preceding behavior will be repeated.

A) increases; increases
B) increases; decreases
C) decreases; increases
D) decreases; decreases

Question 64

What do positive reinforcement,negative reinforcement,positive punishment,and negative punishment all have in common?

A) They are all examples of responses used in classical conditioning.
B) They all increase the chances that behavior will be repeated.
C) All of them are consequences in operant conditioning.
D) They all decrease the chances that behavior will be repeated.

Question 65

Which of the following is the best example of negative reinforcement?

A) being put in jail for driving while drunk
B) not being allowed to go to the movies on Saturday night
C) a spanking for bad behavior
D) elimination of pain after taking an aspirin

Question 66

During a lecture on learning,a fellow student accidentally stubs his toe on a table leg and lets out a "yelp." Having heard it,the professor says,"Is that behavior [toe stubbing] likely to happen again in the future?" Answer the professor and indicate the reason for your answer.

A) No-the behavior was followed by negative reinforcement (pain)
B) No-the behavior was an example of stimulus substitution
C) No-the behavior was followed by positive punishment (pain)
D) No-the consequence was followed by the behavior

Question 67

Kristin wants to go out and play,but her mother has said no.Kristin goes to her room and plays her rock music very loudly.The noise drives her mother crazy and Kristin is allowed to go out and play if she will turn off her music.In this example,____ was a form of negative reinforcement.

A) playing the music
B) turning off the music
C) going crazy
D) going out to play

Question 68

What refers to presenting an aversive stimulus after a response that decreases the odds that the response will recur?

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

Question 69

You remember a friend of yours in elementary school stuck his tongue on a pole on a playground swing set in the middle of winter.He yelled in pain,but finally pulled his tongue off the pole.He said,"I'll never do that again,it hurts!" His behavior of putting his tongue on the pole involved ____ since he never did it again.

A) negative punishment
B) positive punishment
C) salient punishment
D) primary punishment

Question 70

Positive punishment ____ the likelihood that the preceding behavior will be repeated.Negative punishment ____ the likelihood that the preceding behavior will be repeated.

A) increases; increases
B) increases; decreases
C) decreases; increases
D) decreases; decreases

Question 71

A pigeon pecks on a sign and is given food.The food is a:

A) secondary consequence
B) primary stimulus
C) primary reinforcer
D) secondary reinforcer

Question 72

Ricardo and Luis are out walking.Luis says,"Hey,I've got a pebble in my shoe," and proceeds to take off his shoe and to remove the pebble."That feels better," says Luis.Ricardo believes that Luis' behavior of removing the pebble is a(n)____ because it increases the chance that Luis will repeat the behavior if another pebble gets in his shoe.

A) positive punisher
B) positive reinforcer
C) negative reinforcer
D) negative punisher

Question 73

Whenever little Bobby cries,his father spanks him.Bobby's father is trying to decrease Bobby's crying through the use of:

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

Question 74

In operant conditioning,a stimulus that increases the probability of a behavior occurring again is called a:

A) reinforcer
B) punisher
C) generalizer
D) conditioner

Question 75

Miranda comes home late one evening past her curfew only to find her parents waiting up for her.Her father says,"Miranda,you're late! You may not use the car for an entire month." Miranda's father is using:

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

Question 76

You have a painful headache and so you take an aspirin to eliminate the pain.The aspirin works and now you are free of your headache.Taking the aspirin is an example of a:

A) negative reinforcer-it increases the chance of taking aspirin again the next time you have a headache
B) negative reinforcer-it decreases the chance of taking aspirin again the next time you have a headache
C) positive reinforcer-it increases the chance of taking aspirin again the next time you have a headache
D) positive reinforcer-it decreases the chance of taking aspirin again the next time you have a headache

Question 77

Reinforcement is to increase as punishment is to ____.

A) increase
B) decrease
C) condition
D) negative

Question 78

Positive reinforcement ____ the likelihood that the preceding behavior will be repeated.Negative reinforcement ____ the likelihood that the preceding behavior will be repeated.

A) increases; increases
B) increases; decreases
C) decreases; increases
D) decreases; decreases

Question 79

Since chocolate activates the brain's pleasure centers,it can be considered a:

A) secondary consequence
B) primary stimulus
C) primary reinforcer
D) secondary reinforcer

Question 80

The little child who gets a good hard spanking for running out into the street is experiencing an operant conditioning procedure called:

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