Question 1

Andrea's mother always puts special napkins on the table when she serves fried chicken, Andrea's favourite food. Now Andrea begins to salivate as soon as she sees the special napkins on the table. The conditioned stimulus in this situation is

Accepted Answer

A)  the special napkins. 
B)  the fried chicken. 
C)  Andrea's mother. 
D)  salivation.

Question 2

How is shaping used to condition a response?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How is shaping used to condition a...

Question 3

In Overmeier and Seligman's experiment on learned helplessness, the dogs in the control group

Accepted Answer

A)  jumped over the barrier to the safe area of the cage. 
B)  could not learn to escape the shocks. 
C)  refused to move, even when prompted. 
D)  took all the shocks the experimenters gave them without moving.

Question 4

Carrie fed her cat canned tuna that was opened with an electric can opener. Even when she was merely opening a can of corn, her cat responded physically as if it were about to be fed. In this example, the unconditioned stimulus is the

Accepted Answer

A)  corn. 
B)  tuna. 
C)  sound of the electric can opener. 
D)  eating behaviours.

Question 5

Which of the following is not an example of a primary reinforcer?

Accepted Answer

A)  food 
B)  money 
C)  sexual pleasure 
D)  water

Question 6

Which researcher is associated with the subject of observational learning?

Accepted Answer

A)  Albert Bandura 
B)  Edward Tolman 
C)  Wolfgang Kohler 
D)  Edward Thorndike

Question 7

Which schedule tends to produce a pattern in which responding is initially low following a reward, but then gradually increases as the time for the next reward approaches?

Accepted Answer

A)  variable interval 
B)  fixed ratio 
C)  variable ratio 
D)  fixed interval

Question 8

What are the stimuli that can serve as reinforcers without learning because they fulfill basic biological needs?

Accepted Answer

A)  primary reinforcers 
B)  operants 
C)  secondary reinforcers 
D)  satisfiers

Question 9

One problem with token economies is that

Accepted Answer

A)  subjects tend to demand escalating rewards. 
B)  behaviours tend to be permanently altered, and sometimes this is not desirable if they are specific to the situation. 
C)  learned behaviour generally stops once the tokens are discontinued. 
D)  they tend to work in mild situations, but rarely are effective in difficult situations like prisons or special needs classrooms.

Question 10

Negative reinforcement involves learning a behaviour because something negative follows the behaviour.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

For years, Sylvester the cat has been fed canned tuna that has been opened with an electric can opener. Now Sylvester races into the kitchen every time he hears the can opener. What is the conditioned stimulus in this example?

Accepted Answer

A)  the tuna 
B)  Sylvester's owner 
C)  the sound of the can opener 
D)  running to the kitchen

Question 12

Give one example of classical conditioning, one of operant conditioning, and one of observational learning in an infant (birth to two years). Be certain to point out how your examples illustrate the three kinds of learning.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Give one example of classical conditioning, one...

Question 13

Learning to perform behaviours that produce positive outcomes and to avoid behaviours that yield negative outcomes is a basic characteristic of

Accepted Answer

A)  stimulus generalization. 
B)  classical conditioning. 
C)  operant conditioning. 
D)  flooding.

Question 14

Agricultural workers who are paid according to the number of bushels of corn picked are on which reinforcement schedule?

Accepted Answer

A)  fixed interval 
B)  variable interval 
C)  variable ratio 
D)  fixed ratio

Question 15

Describe how you could use a token economy to change one of your own behaviours.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe how you could use a token...

Question 16

How does the Little Albert study help our understanding of the origins of fear?

Accepted Answer

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Question 17

Procrastinators can help themselves by

Accepted Answer

A)  not keeping track of how long they have been working on a project. 
B)  not thinking about the problems caused by procrastination. 
C)  waiting till the "right time" to begin a project. 
D)  identifying the environmental cues that habitually interfere with getting work done.

Question 18

Operant conditioning is to ________ subjects as classical conditioning is to ________ subjects.

Accepted Answer

A)  passive; passive 
B)  active; active 
C)  passive; active 
D)  active; passive

Question 19

When Betty has had a difficult day, she becomes very grumpy and is often critical of her husband Bill. Bill will often begin doing household projects like yard work during these times. Bill has exhibited

Accepted Answer

A)  the negative consequences of punishment. 
B)  behaviour modification. 
C)  biofeedback. 
D)  avoidance learning.

Question 20

Which of the following is not an example of punishment?

Accepted Answer

A)  spanking a child for running into the street 
B)  not allowing a teenager to use the car for a week because he came in very late on the previous weekend 
C)  sending a child to his room until he finishes cleaning it 
D)  grounding a child because she has not done her chores

Exam 5: Learning