Deck 30: Conditioning and Learning: Operant Conditioning

Question 1

Richard tells his new joke to three different people,and each one of them laughs.Because telling the joke led to laughter,which Richard enjoys,Richard will be more likely to tell this joke to other people.This situation illustrates

A)classical conditioning.
B)vicarious conditioning.
C)the law of association.
D)the law of effect.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

The type of learning that involves voluntary responses with the animal or person emitting a response is called conditioning.

A)classical
B)operant
C)respondent
D)Pavlovian

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Operant conditioning focuses on how

A)people learn through the association of stimuli.
B)people utilize their inborn reflexive habits.
C)behavior is influenced by its consequences.
D)changes in behavior are related to mental events.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Pushing a particular button on the TV remote control is reinforced by gaining the consequence you desire,such as changing channels or muting an obnoxious commercial.This illustrates

A)classical conditioning.
B)vicarious conditioning.
C)the law of association.
D)the law of effect.

Question 5

Learners actively "operate on" the environment with the reinforcer occurring after the response during

A)instrumental learning.
B)classical conditioning.
C)respondent conditioning.
D)reflexive-type learning.

Question 6

Which of the following types of associative learning is also known as instrumental learning and can be used to alter your own behavior and the behavior of pets,children,and other adults?

A)respondent conditioning
B)operant conditioning
C)classical conditioning
D)Pavlovian conditioning

Question 7

You locate a vending machine and deposit your last bit of change to buy a candy bar.Then you press the button,and nothing happens.You press the other buttons,try the coin return,and look for an attendant.Still nothing happens.Impulsively,you give the machine a little kick,and out pops a candy bar plus 75 cents.Because your kick produced food and money,the odds of repeating the "kicking response" increase.This situation illustrates

A)classical conditioning.
B)vicarious conditioning.
C)the law of association.
D)the law of effect.

Question 8

The basic principle of which type of learning states that acts that are followed by a positive consequence tend to be repeated?

A)respondent conditioning
B)reflexive learning
C)instrumental learning
D)Pavlovian conditioning

Question 9

In which of the following does the nature of learning involve a neutral stimulus becoming a conditioned stimulus (CS)through its association with an unconditioned stimulus (US)?

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

Question 10

Operant conditioning is also known as

A)respondent conditioning.
B)reflexive learning.
C)instrumental learning.
D)Pavlovian conditioning.

Question 11

In which type of learning do we associate responses with their consequences?

A)respondent learning
B)classical conditioning
C)instrumental learning
D)Pavlovian conditioning

Question 12

In Thorndike's law of effect,events critical for conditioning

A)occur after the response.
B)occur before the response.
C)occur simultaneously with the response.
D)are unrelated to the response except during extinction.

Question 13

A dog is much more likely to keep searching for food under a pillow if it finds food there,but the dog will likely stop looking there if it fails to find food,or finds something frightening.This illustrates conditioning.

A)Pavlovian
B)operant
C)classical
D)respondent

Question 14

The law of effect was proposed by

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

Question 15

Which of the following types of learning involves involuntary responses and passive responding by the animal or person?

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

Question 16

Regarding a comparison of classical and operant conditioning,which of the following statements is FALSE?

A)The learner is active during operant conditioning.
B)The reinforcer occurs before the response during operant conditioning.
C)Classical conditioning involves involuntary responses.
D)Responses are emitted during operant conditioning.

Question 17

Which of the following types of learning is strengthened each time a response is followed by a satisfying state of affairs and weakened if the response is followed by an unsatisfying state of affairs?

A)operant conditioning
B)respondent conditioning
C)classical conditioning
D)Pavlovian conditioning

Question 18

Regarding a comparison of classical and operant conditioning,which of the following statements is TRUE?

A)The learner is passive during operant conditioning.
B)The reinforcer occurs before the response during operant conditioning.
C)Classical conditioning involves voluntary responses.
D)Responses are elicited during classical conditioning.

Question 19

The best way to differentiate operant conditioning from classical conditioning is to decide if the

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

Question 20

The probability of a response is altered by the effect it has,according to the law of

A)responding.
B)association.
C)effect.
D)diminishing returns.

Question 21

In terms of the informational view,operant conditioning occurs when we

A)expect that a certain response will have a certain effect at certain times.
B)detect associations among events.
C)develop a strong CS that can be used like an US.
D)experience spontaneous recovery.

Question 22

While shopping with you,your niece begs for a toy and then has a temper tantrum in the store.If you buy her a toy,you are

A)using respondent conditioning.
B)using classical conditioning.
C)encouraging more tantrums.
D)discouraging more destructive behaviors.

Question 23

A parent is trying to increase the time his child spends studying by rewarding the child with a baseball card for each hour he studies.The child does not increase or decrease his study time.This story illustrates the difference between

A)shaping and response chaining.
B)rewards and operant reinforcers.
C)rewards and operant punishments.
D)conditioned and unconditioned responses.

Question 24

In which type of learning are new behavior patterns molded by changing the probability that various responses will be made?

A)Pavlovian conditioning
B)respondent conditioning
C)classical conditioning
D)operant conditioning

Question 25

A rat in a Skinner box presses the lever and receives a food pellet.This reinforcement will help the rat to

A)acquire a new skill.
B)alter how frequently he presses the lever.
C)overcome its fear of the apparatus.
D)associate the stimulus with the response.

Question 26

Which form of learning would most likely be studied in a Skinner box?

A)classical conditioning
B)vicarious conditioning
C)operant conditioning
D)conditioned emotional responses

Question 27

In operant conditioning,any event that reliably increases the probability or frequency of the response it follows is called a(n)

A)operant stimulus.
B)operant reinforcer.
C)response facilitator.
D)conditioned stimulus.

Question 28

Operant conditioning involves which of the following?

A)unconditioned responses
B)reflexes
C)reinforcement
D)conditioned responses

Question 29

The learned expectancy in operant conditioning is that the

A)US will follow the CS.
B)CS will follow the US.
C)response will have a specific effect.
D)consequence will follow the antecedent.

Question 30

To determine whether attendance at sports events is an operant reinforcer for a particular teenager,such attendance would have to

A)be demonstrated to be universally rewarding.
B)increase the probability of the recurrence of the behavior it followed.
C)meet a long list of criteria that includes adaptability and reliability.
D)be demonstratively associated with a basic biological need.

Question 31

A Skinner box is also called

A)a training cage.
B)a reinforcement apparatus.
C)an operant conditioning chamber.
D)all of these.

Question 32

If you give a child her favorite licorice candy for doing well in school,and she continues to do well in school,the licorice candy is

A)a reward and a reinforcer.
B)a reward,but not a reinforcer.
C)a reinforcer,but not a reward.
D)neither a reinforcer nor a reward.

Question 33

Which psychologist developed a conditioning apparatus for animals and provided various practical applications of operant conditioning?

A)B.F.Skinner
B)Ivan Pavlov
C)John B.Watson
D)Carl Rogers

Question 34

Responding is reliably increased by

A)both rewards and operant reinforcers.
B)rewards.
C)operant reinforcers.
D)neither rewards nor operant reinforcers.

Question 35

The learned expectancy in classical conditioning is that the

A)US will follow the CS.
B)CS will follow the US.
C)response will have a specific effect.
D)consequence will follow the antecedent.

Question 36

The probability of making a response is altered by the consequences that follow this response during which type of learning?

A)classical conditioning
B)operant conditioning
C)Pavlovian conditioning
D)respondent conditioning

Question 37

A student can expect the teacher to answer his questions more completely if he comes to her office during her office hours than asking her the questions in the cafeteria.Learning to expect that a particular response will have a certain effect at one time and not another illustrates

A)the interactionist view of operant conditioning.
B)operant desensitization.
C)Thorndike's law of association.
D)the informational view of operant conditioning.

Question 38

In examining expectations that develop during operant conditioning from the informational perspective,which of the following statements is most accurate?

A)We learn that a certain stimulus will be immediately followed by a second stimulus.
B)We learn to expect that a certain behavior will be immediately followed by a second stimulus.
C)We learn to expect that a certain behavior is more likely to occur in certain situations.
D)We learn to expect a reward regardless of the response emitted in a situation.

Question 39

A teenager can expect to borrow the car if he has his homework and chores completed,while he can expect not to "get the keys" if he has not completed his homework and chores.This illustrates

A)the interactionist view of operant conditioning.
B)operant desensitization.
C)Thorndike's law of association.
D)the informational view of operant conditioning.

Question 40

B.F.Skinner is known for studying

A)classical conditioning.
B)vicarious conditioning.
C)latent learning.
D)operant conditioning.

Question 41

Dana,a three­year­old autistic child,is being taught to answer questions with a "Yes" or a "No." She was given verbal praise and the cookie when she answered "Yes" to questions like "Do you want a cookie?" (a preferred food)and "No" when she answered "No" to questions like "Do you want corn?" (a non­preferred food).Additionally,she was praised if she answered "Yes" to questions like "Does a cow say 'moo'?" or "No" to the question,"Is this a shoe?" when shown a picture of a boat.This productive behavior is being encouraged by arranging which of the following so they are response contingent?

A)antecedents
B)conditioned stimuli
C)reinforcers
D)cognitions

Question 42

Superstitious behaviors are

A)repeated because they appear to produce reinforcement.
B)necessary to produce response-contingent reinforcement.
C)observed in animals,but not people.
D)characterized by all of these.

Question 43

Reinforcement is most effective

A)if it is delayed.
B)when it is immediate.
C)when it is delivered randomly.
D)when it follows a long chain of responses.

Question 44

Barnabus the rat learned a complex series of behaviors,including climbing a staircase,pulling a toy car,wriggling through a tube,and then pressing a lever,in order to receive a food pellet.This complex series of behavior were learned through

A)negative reinforcement.
B)response chaining.
C)programmed instruction.
D)the use of punishment.

Question 45

If you work hard all semester in a class to get an A,the delay between your hard work and the final grade should be a detriment to your learning,but it is not deterimental for several reasons.Which of following would NOT be a plausible reason for this occurrence?

A)As a mature human,you can anticipate future rewards.
B)You get reinforced by quiz and test grades all through the semester.
C)A single reinforcer can often maintain a linked series of actions that lead to the final reinforcement of an A for the class.
D)Response-contingent reinforcement does not have an effect on adults,only animals and young children.

Question 46

Jimmy helps his father put away the dishes after dinner.If Jimmy's father wants to increase the probability of this behavior,he will be most successful by praising Jimmy

A)after all the dishes are put away.
B)at bedtime.
C)the next morning at breakfast.
D)the next time that some dishes need to be put away.

Question 47

Regarding superstitious behavior,which of the following statements is TRUE?

A)Superstitious behavior is based upon an apparent connection between a response and a reinforcer.
B)Superstitious behavior is due to the occurrence of a spontaneous recovery.
C)Superstitious behavior is observed only in people,not in other animals.
D)Superstitious behaviors are learned patterns of behavior that consistently predict future events.

Question 48

Sieta wants to teach her daughter to say "Please" when she asks for something,so she decides to only comply with her daughter's request for something when her daughter says "Please." Thus,Sieta's compliance to her daughter's request is

A)the conditioned stimulus.
B)a token.
C)a negative reinforcer.
D)response contingent.

Question 49

Even though it will be four years before you graduate,you study and work hard because you know that having the degree will help you obtain a good job.Looking toward this degree helps maintain your hard work through a series of courses even through the reinforcement is delayed for several years.This illustrates

A)serial acquisition.
B)latent learning.
C)response chaining.
D)stimulus control.

Question 50

From a response contingent viewpoint,which of the following tells a person or an animal that a response was "right" and worth repeating?

A)conditioned stimulus
B)reinforcer
C)operant
D)acquisitional cue

Question 51

Animals who learned to press a bar in a Skinner box showed NO signs of learning if the food reward followed a bar press by more than seconds.

A)10
B)30
C)70
D)100

Question 52

Which of the following concepts best explains how the entire sequence of events necessary to prepare a meal can be reinforced by the final dining experience?

A)biofeedback
B)fixed action patterns
C)generalized reinforcement
D)response chaining

Question 53

When a mother praises her child each time she behaves properly in the grocery store,she is

A)being permissive.
B)acting out of fear that her child will become disruptive.
C)using response contingent reinforcement.
D)classically conditioning the child.

Question 54

A linked series of actions that lead to reinforcement is the definition of which of the following concepts?

A)biofeedback
B)response chaining
C)fixed action patterns
D)acquisition and recovery

Question 55

A dog participating in dog agility training must navigate a variety of obstacles,such as jumping over hurdles,walking over seesaws,and running through tunnels with its trainer only able to reinforce the dog with a snack or hug after the dog completes the entire sequence.This dog training is accomplished through

A)systematic desensitization.
B)fixed action patterns.
C)programmed instruction.
D)response chaining.

Question 56

Fatima sees her four-year-old son spontaneously picking up his toys.If she wishes for her son to continue this behavior,she should

A)praise her son immediately after he finishes picking up the toys.
B)wait and praise her son after his father gets home from work.
C)not praise her son because he will then expect praise every time he acts "good."
D)wait and only praise him if he picks them up again on another day.

Question 57

As a coffee lover,you have become very efficient at carrying out the steps necessary to make a cup of espresso. Your learning is an example of

A)response chaining.
B)spontaneous recovery.
C)vicarious reinforcement.
D)secondary reinforcement.

Question 58

For rats in a Skinner box,very little learning occurs when the delay between bar pressing and receiving food exceeds __________ seconds.

A)10
B)25
C)40
D)50

Question 59

Reinforcement in operant conditioning is most effective when it is

A)response contingent.
B)stimulus contingent.
C)US-CS contingent.
D)NS-CS contingent.

Question 60

If an operant reinforcer is only given after a desired response has occurred,the reinforcer is said to be

A)cue dependent.
B)a conditioned response.
C)a successive approximation.
D)response contingent.

Question 61

Anthony wears his lucky socks every time he has a baseball game because the socks were accidentally paired with a good RBI.Anthony's behavior is an example of

A)an unconditioned response.
B)a superstitious behavior.
C)a primary reinforcer.
D)successive approximations.

Question 62

Human superstitious behaviors can be partially explained by

A)their apparent connection to the reinforcement within a response chain.
B)the effects of latent learning on this sequence of events.
C)the tendency of a reward to reinforce only the response which immediately precedes it.
D)all of these.

Question 63

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 64

Each time he steps up to the plate,a baseball player touches the bill of his cap three times,just as he did before hitting a home run in a previous game.Which principle accounts for his actions?

A)modeling
B)reminiscence
C)positive transfer
D)superstitious behavior

Question 65

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 66

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 67

Gordon wears the same blue shirt to class each time he has a major test because he believes that wearing that shirt will assure him an "A" just like he got on the first test when he was wearing this blue shirt.This illustrates

A)an unconditioned response.
B)a primary reinforcer.
C)a superstitious behavior.
D)successive approximations.

Question 68

Extinction in operant conditioning involves

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

Question 69

Rituals to bring rain,ward off illness,or produce abundant crops very likely earn the faith of participants because they occasionally appear to succeed.This illustrates

A)the method of successive approximations.
B)superstitious behavior.
C)shaping.
D)response chaining.

Question 70

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.

Question 71

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 72

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 73

Skinner once placed some pigeons in Skinner boxes and reinforced them with food randomly no matter what they were doing.Despite the fact that there was no real connection between their behavior and its consequences,each pigeon acted as if there were with one bird flapping its left wing,another hopping on one foot,and a third turning in complete circles.Skinner used which of the following terms to describe such behaviors that are repeated because they appear to produce reinforcement when really the behaviors are unnecessary?

A)modeling
B)latent learning
C)positive transfer
D)superstitious behavior

Question 74

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

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

Question 75

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 76

By changing the rules about what makes a successful response,we can gradually,through successive approximations,train an animal or a person to make a chain of responses or to improve a skill.This process is called

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

Question 77

Bernice is "potty training" 18­month­old Kenny.First,she allows him to become familiar 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 78

If you walk under a ladder and then break a leg,you may avoid ladders in the future.Each time you avoid a ladder and nothing happens,this avoidance action is reinforced.This illustrates

A)the method of successive approximations.
B)superstitious behavior.
C)shaping.
D)response chaining.

Question 79

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 80

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.