Deck 10: Behaviorism and the Learning Approaches to Personality

Question 1

Which of the following is not one of the two basic assumptions underlying the learning theory approach to psychology put forward in the text?

A) Research methodology is important.
B) Nearly all behavior is learned.
C) People are basically active rather than reactive.
D) Both (a) and (c).

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Behavioral and trait approaches share an emphasis on

A) idiographic research.
B) empirical investigation.
C) laboratory-based data.
D) all of the above.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

The goal of the behavior therapist, in working with a patient, is

A) gaining insight into the reasons behind the development of pathological behavior.
B) overcoming the psychological "blocks" which prevent a person from developing normally.
C) the modification of the target behavior.
D) the restructuring of the patient's view of his world in such a way that he can deal with it effectively.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Stability to behavior over many situations might be due to

A) extinction.
B) generalization.
C) discrimination.
D) intermittent reinforcement.

Question 5

Behaviorists reject concepts such as will and intention because

A) such phenomena are unimportant.
B) such phenomena are inappropriate.
C) the observations are not public and replicable.
D) they do not exist in animals.

Question 6

Behavioral approaches to personality are critical of trait approaches for their emphasis on

A) systematic investigation.
B) use of verbal report.
C) principles of learning.
D) all of the above.

Question 7

Behaviorists generally believe that

A) it is possible to generalize from the laboratory to real life.
B) one cannot generalize from rats to humans.
C) both (a) and (b).
D) neither (a) nor (b).

Question 8

With regard to behavior and its determinant, the learning theory approach tends to see the main determinants of behavior as being

A) inside the organism.
B) under mostly cognitive control.
C) external to the organism.
D) a combination of internal drives and cognitive controls.

Question 9

According to learning theory, whatever consistency is found in behavior is most likely the result of

A) similarity of neural pathways handling the different impulses.
B) a limited or constricted response repertoire.
C) similarity of environmental conditions evoking the behavior.
D) the various behaviors being under the control of the same or similar ergs.

Question 10

According to the text, the behavior therapist would be most likely to compare his role as a therapist to that of

A) an engineer.
B) an advisor.
C) a substitute parent.
D) an administrator.

Question 11

The learning theory account of psychopathology is that people

A) can develop sick personalities.
B) are mentally sick.
C) have specialized problems.
D) do not respond appropriately to stimuli.

Question 12

Situational specificity in behavior might be due to

A) extinction.
B) generalization.
C) discrimination.
D) intermittent reinforcement.

Question 13

According to the text, many psychologists with a behavioral orientation are turning to an emphasis on _________ in behavior and on minimizing the importance of individual differences in personality.

A) internal events, inside the organism
B) situational specificity
C) computer analogies
D) unconscious forces

Question 14

The learning theory approach to psychology tends to emphasize the _______ approach to research.

A) univariate
B) multivariate
C) correlational
D) experimental

Question 15

The principle of self-control in behavioral technology is that

A) the individual is able to tolerate delay of gratification.
B) the individual learns new escape and avoidance responses.
C) the individual gains control over his own reinforcers.
D) each individual should control his own behavior.

Question 16

Which of the following is not a strong criticism of Skinner's theory?

A) there is evidence of learning in the absence of reinforcement.
B) It neglects to provide for measures of important concepts.
C) Human capacity for language and thought is underemphasized.
D) Important species and constitutional differences are underemphasized.

Question 17

Behavior theory has been used in psychiatric hospital settings to control and develop the behavior of patients through a system of applied rewards. This system has been called

A) reinforcement economy.
B) desensitization with psychotics.
C) token economy.
D) counter conditioning.

Question 18

Which of the following is not an emphasis of the behaviorist approach?

A) objectivity
B) introspection
C) experiments
D) assessment

Question 19

Watson was influenced in his thinking by

A) Hull.
B) Pavlov.
C) Skinner.
D) Tolman.

Question 20

The repeated presentation of a bell with electric shock will lead to the bell becoming

A) a CS.
B) an US.
C) a CR.
D) an UR.

Question 21

Longstanding disgust for certain foods may be based on

A) unconscious wishes.
B) approach-avoidance conflicts.
C) classical conditioning.
D) systematic desensitization.

Question 22

Behavioral psychologists could be expected to be critical of the psychoanalytic interpretation of the use of Little Hans because

A) of the emphasis on unconscious wishes.
B) of the emphasis on anxiety.
C) of the emphasis on behaviors learned from their father.
D) all of the above.

Question 23

Which of the following is not a part of systematic desensitization?

A) relaxation.
B) guided participation.
C) graded hierarchy.
D) imagination of anxiety-arousing stimuli.

Question 24

Watson's work with conditioning a fear response to furry objects with Little Albert is an example of the potential for _________ conditioning to play a considerable role in the development of certain types of pathology.

A) classical
B) instrumental
C) operant
D) integration

Question 25

Pavlov found that the failure to distinguish between the circle and ellipse as CS resulted in

A) ulcers.
B) experimental neurosis.
C) experimental psychosis.
D) learned helplessness.

Question 26

The text notes that the key structural unit for the behavioral approach to personality is

A) the response.
B) the stimulus.
C) the S-R association.
D) the erg.

Question 27

Jones's (1924) unconditioning of Peter's fear of the rabbit is most similar to which classical conditioning technique?

A) Token economy
B) Positive reinforcement
C) Aversive conditioning
D) Systematic desensitization

Question 28

Early reports of the continued improvement of patients treated with systematic desensitization challenged the psychoanalytic concept of

A) penis envy.
B) id, ego, superego.
C) symptom substitution.
D) the importance of transference.

Question 29

In systematic desensitization

A) the value of each component is known.
B) the value of each component is unclear.
C) it is clear that mainly suggestion is involved.
D) it is clear that operant conditioning is going on.

Question 30

In Kandel's (2000) study with Aplysia, what was the unconditioned stimulus (UCS)?
E) shock
F) gill withdrawal reflex
G) stimulation to part of the body that causes gill withdrawal reflex, when touched h) neural activity

Question 31

Watson and Rayner suggested that

A) many fears are conditioned emotional reactions.
B) fears can be extinguished through insight.
C) anxiety responses in Albert could be secondary drives.
D) all of the above.

Question 32

Watson and Rayner suggested that the reasons for adult fears might

A) be expressed in dreams.
B) lie in the unconscious.
C) lie in the early traumatic experiences.
D) none of the above.

Question 33

Pavlov's classical conditioning design allowed him to investigate many important phenomena. Which of the following is not one of these phenomena?

A) reinforcement.
B) generalization.
C) discrimination.
D) extinction.

Question 34

The classical conditioning procedure was illustrated in the treatment of

A) Peter and the rabbit.
B) alcoholics.
C) bed-wetters.
D) all of the above.

Question 35

The benefit of using Aplysia to study the neural and biochemical processes that allow for classical conditioning in simple organisms is that:

A) They have many nerve cells and we can observe the complexity of the cell-by-cell changes that occur during conditioning
B) They only have interneurons and so their functioning is much simpler than other organisms
C) They have few nerve cells and so we can observe cell-by-cell changes that occur during conditioning
D) They only have motor neurons and so their functioning is much simpler than other organisms

Question 36

In Kandel's (2000) study with Aplysia, what was the conditioned stimulus (CS)? i) shock
J) gill withdrawal reflex
K) stimulation to part of the body that causes gill withdrawal reflex, when touched
L) neural activity

Question 37

Pavlov suggested that thought processes

A) were part of a second signal system.
B) were part of a system of US.
C) were unique to humans.
D) could not be studied objectively.

Question 38

John goes to the doctor for allergy shots in his arm every spring. He has done this for so long that now just seeing the doctor makes his arm hurt. This is an example of

A) instrumental conditioning.
B) operant conditioning.
C) punishment conditioning.
D) classical conditioning.

Question 39

A fundamental difference between Freudian and Pavlovian interpretations of the case of Little Hans is

A) an emphasis on symbolism.
B) an emphasis on anxiety.
C) both (a) and (b).
D) neither (a) nor (b).

Question 40

Skinnerians would not favor systematic desensitization because

A) it emphasizes specific behaviors.
B) it emphasizes mental imagery.
C) it emphasizes anxiety.
D) all of the above.

Question 41

In ____________ a response is reinforced because it is associated with the termination of an aversive stimulus.

A) escape learning
B) successive approximation
C) avoidance learning
D) punishment

Question 42

Pavlov's work was suggestive to Skinner in terms of

A) emphasizing the importance of nervous system functioning.
B) emphasizing the importance of controlling environmental conditions.
C) both (a) and (b).
D) neither (a) nor (b).

Question 43

According to Skinner, scientists

A) are driven by needs for prestige.
B) are shaped by their own reinforcement histories.
C) are completely free of bias.
D) none of the above.

Question 44

In operant conditioning, punishment consists of

A) a painful stimulus.
B) the removal of a positive reinforcer.
C) the removal of an aversive event.
D) a conflict between positive and negative stimuli.

Question 45

According to Skinner

A) exploration of motivation is a worthy endeavor.
B) feelings are causes of behavior.
C) both (a) and (b).
D) neither (a) nor (b).

Question 46

Behavioral approaches to psychopathology emphasize the importance of

A) behavioral deficits.
B) maladaptive responses.
C) both (a) and (b).
D) neither (a) nor (b).

Question 47

A critical difference between psychoanalytic and behavioral interpretations of psychopathology is

A) one emphasizes learning, the other does not.
B) one emphasizes the organization of responses, the other does not.
C) one emphasizes anxiety, the other does not.
D) all of the above.

Question 48

Skinner's research emphasizes

A) self-report.
B) the study of individual organisms.
C) physiological data.
D) the study of elicited behavior.

Question 49

Which of the following is an accurate statement of the Skinnerian view of imitation?

A) It does not exist at all.
B) Behavior must always be directly reinforced to be initiated.
C) Imitative responses can result from intermittent reinforcement.
D) "Monkey sees, monkey does."

Question 50

The following is a definition of __________ conditioning: A previously neutral stimulus becomes capable of eliciting a response because of its association with a stimulus that automatically produces the same or a similar response.

A) instrumental
B) reward
C) operant
D) classical

Question 51

According to Skinner, complex behaviors are built up through

A) observational learning.
B) successive approximations.
C) classical conditioning.
D) intermittent reinforcement.

Question 52

Skinner called emitted responses

A) habits.
B) S-R bonds.
C) drives.
D) operants.

Question 53

The concept of schedules of reinforcement relates to

A) the pairing of CS and US.
B) the pairing of CR and UR.
C) rates and intervals.
D) none of the above.

Question 54

Choose the item that correctly sequences the order of events that occurred in Aplysia in Kandel's (2000) study.

A) interneurons release neurotransmitters $\rightarrow$ shock trial $\rightarrow$ gill withdrawal reflex $\rightarrow$ motor neurons increase activity
B) motor neurons increase activity $\rightarrow$ shock trial $\rightarrow$ interneurons release neurotransmitters $\rightarrow$ gill withdrawal reflex
C) shock trial $\rightarrow$ interneurons release neurotransmitters $\rightarrow$ motor neurons increase activity $\rightarrow$ gill withdrawal reflex
D) shock trial $\rightarrow$ motor neurons increase activity $\rightarrow$ interneurons release neurotransmitters $\rightarrow$ gill withdrawal reflex

Question 55

Superstitious behavior can be defined by a learning theorist as

A) doing something and not knowing why.
B) a behavioral deficit which only shows up in unusual situations.
C) doing something for good luck.
D) non-contingent reinforcement.

Question 56

For Skinner, money is

A) a motivation of behavior.
B) a generalized reinforcer.
C) a conditional stimulus.
D) the root of all evil.

Question 57

Skinner question the idea that people

A) have free will.
B) learn from environmental experiences.
C) can think.
D) all of the above.

Question 58

Based on the relative permanency of effect and utility in modifying behavior, Skinner emphasized the use of _______ reinforcement in the shaping of behavior.

A) positive
B) partial
C) negative
D) conditional

Question 59

Skinnerians feel that behaviors can be imitated without being directly reinforced, but that this can only happen when

A) the behavioral response is already within the child's repertory of behaviors.
B) the model receives reinforcement for the behavior to be imitated.
C) the child has had no previous experience with unreinforced imitations.
D) the act of imitation itself has taken on the qualities of a reinforcer.

Question 60

In Kandel's (2000) study with Aplysia, what was the conditioned response (UR)? m) shock
N) gill withdrawal reflex
O) stimulation to part of the body that causes gill withdrawal reflex, when touched
P) neural activity

Question 61

The functional analysis of behavior leads to

A) an analysis of global personality characteristics.
B) an analysis of the functions-adaptive aspects of behavior.
C) the ABC assessment method.
D) all of the above.

Question 62

Therapist control over the relevant variables is demonstrated

A) in the corrective emotional experience.
B) with the ABA design.
C) with the ABC method.
D) with the NEO.

Question 63

Behavioral and self-report data

A) show good agreement.
B) are interchangeable.
C) do not always match one another.
D) both require the use of factor analysis.

Question 64

Behavioral assessment is associated with theories that

A) emphasize the interplay among motives.
B) emphasize hierarchical structure.
C) emphasize perception as an active process.
D) none of the above.

Question 65

For Skinner, depression may be viewed as a result of

A) punishment.
B) withdrawal of positive reinforcers.
C) intermittent reinforcement.
D) all of the above.

Question 66

Behavioral assessment

A) generally is tied to treatment objectives.
B) generally assumes the existence of some person variables.
C) both (a) and (b).
D) neither (a) nor (b).

Question 67

The case of Albert involved a conditional emotional reaction.

Question 68

Which of the following is not an emphasis of behavior therapy?

A) Experimental manipulations of variables.
B) Focus on change in core aspects of psychological functioning.
C) Environmental stimuli that cause and maintain behavior.
D) Alteration of responses by direct means.

Question 69

The behavioral emphasis is on environmental determinants and situational specificity.

Question 70

According to Skinner, individuals

A) have unique reinforcement histories.
B) all follow the same rules of learning.
C) both (a) and (b).
D) neither (a) nor (b).

Question 71

According to Skinner, qualities of learned behavior are influenced by reinforcer

A) fixed time intervals.
B) intermittent time intervals.
C) variable schedules.
D) all of the above.

Question 72

According to the behavioral view, psychopathology involves learned problematic behaviors that can be unlearned.

Question 73

A distinguishing feature of behavioral assessment is an emphasis on

A) specific responses in general situations.
B) specific responses in specific situations.
C) general responses in specific situations.
D) general responses in general situations.

Question 74

The key aspect of a reinforcer is that it influences the probability of a response.

Question 75

The learning theory account for psychotherapy is that individuals are not mentally sick, but rather

A) they are mentally ill.
B) they have failed to learn a response or they have learned a maladaptive response.
C) they are physically sick.
D) they suffer from stimulus generalization and response constriction.

Question 76

According to Pavlov, a neurosis can be caused by difficulty in discriminating between similar stimuli.

Question 77

Rorschach is to ABC as

A) sign is to sample.
B) sample is to sign.
C) TAT is to NBC.
D) none of the above.

Question 78

According to the text, the Skinnerian approach to psychopathology would predict that a "behavioral deficit" would result when

A) a person developed a "healthy" response that came under the control of inappropriate reinforcers.
B) there is a failure to develop a response that is normally part of a person's behavioral repertory.
C) a person develops a response that is labeled as "bad", "sick", or "neurotic" in society.
D) a person is out of touch with the conditions of reinforcement in the environment.

Question 79

The effect of punishment is to

A) decrease the probability of a response.
B) extinguish a response.
C) both (a) and (b).
D) neither (a) nor (b).

Question 80

Behavioral assessment is illustrative of the

A) sign approach.
B) sample approach.
C) nomothetic approach.
D) construct validity approach.