Deck 6: B: Learning

Question 1

Explain how classical conditioning,operant conditioning,and preparedness relate to phobias.

Answer 1

Answers will vary but should contain the following for full credit.
--Acquisition: Classical conditioning: a previously neutral stimulus-say,a dog-is paired with an unpleasant stimulus (the UCS)-a dog bite-resulting in the dog becoming a CS that elicits a CR of fear.
--Maintenance: Once someone is phobic,they start to avoid their feared stimulus whenever they see it.And because they avoid the feared stimulus whenever they see it,they don't allow sufficient opportunity for their fear response to extinguish.For example,if they have a dog phobia,they may cross the street whenever they see someone walking toward them with a large German shepherd.When they do,they experience an immediate reduction in anxiety-a surge of relief-which negatively reinforces their tendency to avoid dogs in the future.
--Preparedness: We're evolutionarily predisposed to fear certain stimuli more than others.According to Seligman,that's because certain stimuli,like steep cliffs and poisonous animals,posed a threat to our early human ancestors.In contrast,household items and appliances didn't,because they weren't around back then.In the words of Susan Mineka and Michael Cook (1993),prepared fears are "evolutionary memories": emotional legacies of natural selection.

Question 2

What are the four schedules of reinforcement? Describe each and provide an example.

Answer 2

Answers will vary but should contain the following for full credit.
(1)In a fixed ratio (FR)schedule,we provide reinforcement after a regular number of responses.For example,on an FR 15 schedule,we give a rat a food pellet for every 15 lever presses.Likewise,you might earn a dollar for every three bushels of apples you pick in an orchard.
(2)In a fixed interval (FI)schedule,we provide reinforcement for the first response after a specified amount of time has passed.For example,on an FI two-minute schedule,we give the rat a food pellet for the first lever press it makes after two minutes have elapsed since the last food pellet.Any lever presses that it makes during the two-minute period will be ineffective.Likewise,we will get to talk to a customer service representative when we call the store after it opens one hour from now,but any phone calls before it opens will be ineffective.
(3)In a variable ratio (VR)schedule,we provide reinforcement for a variable number of responses,with the number varying randomly around some average.A pigeon on a VR 10 schedule might receive a piece of bird feed after six pecks,then after 12 pecks,then after one peck,then after 21 pecks,with the average ratio being 10.
(4)In a variable interval (VI)schedule,we provide reinforcement for the first response after a variable time interval,with the actual intervals varying randomly around some average.For example,on a VI 60-second schedule,we could give the rat a food pellet for the first response after a 20-second interval,then after an 80-second interval,then after a 50-second interval,then after a 90-second interval,with the average interval being 60 seconds.

Question 3

Describe how you would condition a child who is afraid of cats to enjoy playing with a neighbour's cat.

Answer 3

Answers will vary but should contain the following for full credit.
--The cat is the CS and ice cream is the UCS.Each time the child plays with the cat,the parents take the child out for ice cream.After several pairings of the CS with the UCS,the child may develop positive feelings for the cat.

Question 4

What are the four main disadvantages of punishment?

Question 5

Describe how operant conditioning helps to explain superstitions that people develop?

Question 6

Describe how a parent could use operant conditioning to motivate their Grade 9 child to move from a "C" student to an "A" student.Discuss positive and negative reinforcement,punishment,and the schedule(s)of reinforcement that you would employ.

Question 7

Distinguish between positive reinforcement,negative reinforcement,positive punishment,and negative punishment.Provide an example of each.

Question 8

Using classical conditioning,describe how you would train a three-year-old to safely cross the street.Be sure to identify the CS,UCS,CR,and UCR.

Question 9

If you owned a personal business and needed to increase worker productivity,describe how you would do so using operant conditioning.Outline the reinforcers that you would employ and the schedules of reinforcement that you would use.