Question 1

Psychologists use metaphors in explaining psychology because

Accepted Answer

A)  metaphors are more precise than theories. 
B)  metaphors can offer insightful ways of understanding behavior. 
C)  people understand metaphors better than they understand theories. 
D)  all learning is metaphorical.

Question 2

Which term is most associated with respondent behaviors?

Accepted Answer

A)  Voluntary 
B)  Consequence-controlled 
C)  Complex 
D)  Reflexive

Question 3

John Watson argued that learning could be best understood by studying

Accepted Answer

A)  self-reports obtained from acutely introspective individuals. 
B)  the effects of intervening variables on behavior. 
C)  directly observable and measurable behaviors. 
D)  the antecedents and consequences of behaviors.

Question 4

Computers are generally considered to be limited as models of information processing because computers

Accepted Answer

A)  are a better model for symbol manipulation than for actual learning processes. 
B)  store most information in temporary rather than long-term memory. 
C)  tend to use parallel processing instead of serial processing. 
D)  do not transform or change input the way encoding processes do.

Question 5

Which philosopher would most strongly disagree with the idea that human thoughts and actions are governed, at least in part, by physical laws?

Accepted Answer

A)  Thomas Hobbes 
B)  Julien de la Mettrie 
C)  David Hume 
D)  René Descartes

Question 6

According to the assumptions of connectionism,

Accepted Answer

A)  activation of one node generally results in the activation of other strongly linked nodes. 
B)  all nodes must be activated before recognition can take place. 
C)  the nodes are stored in long-term but not short-term memory. 
D)  positive node connections result in remembering and negative node connections result in forgetting.

Question 7

The structuralist approach to studying the mind

Accepted Answer

A)  produced many important results, but it was a time consuming and expensive approach. 
B)  considered only normal adult humans, and thus could not be generalized to a wider population. 
C)  used unreliable techniques and contributed little to modern knowledge in psychology. 
D)  was heavily influenced by evolutionary theory and initiated animal research on the mind.

Question 8

B. F. Skinner's approach is referred to as radical behaviorism because he advocated

Accepted Answer

A)  the position that all behavior is due to evolutionary processes. 
B)  ignoring the potential effect of intervening variables between a stimulus and a response. 
C)  studying only mental behavior because it is the trigger for motor behavior. 
D)  ignoring the study of deviant behavior until we have a complete understanding of normal behavior.

Question 9

Which example illustrates instrumental conditioning?

Accepted Answer

A)  Crows flocking to the beach at low tide but not high tide 
B)  A baby kicking her legs to move a mobile 
C)  Feeling a craving for a drug at a particular location 
D)  A child getting excited at the sight of a brightly colored bottle of bubbles

Question 10

The theory of _______ suggests that behavior can be predicted by whether it maximizes pleasure or minimizes pain.

Accepted Answer

A)  dualism 
B)  empiricism 
C)  hedonism 
D)  rationalism

Question 11

Learning is a process that is presumed to be due to

Accepted Answer

A)  evolution. 
B)  experience. 
C)  development. 
D)  maturation.

Question 12

Which example illustrates classical conditioning?

Accepted Answer

A)  A baby sucking on a pacifier to get a sweet drink 
B)  Feeling a craving for a drug at a particular location where the drug has been taken before 
C)  Crows dropping large whelks from a specific height onto rocks 
D)  A child loading a precise amount of soap onto a bubble wand

Question 13

Which of the following would not be considered an intervening variable?

Accepted Answer

A)  Anger 
B)  Fear 
C)  Eating 
D)  Curiosity

Question 14

Explain why the theory of evolution is relevant to understanding learning in animals and humans.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain why the theory of evolution is...

Question 15

Structuralism, a historical school of thought in psychology, examined the

Accepted Answer

A)  brains of various animals to develop an atlas of the common and unique brain structures. 
B)  structure of the human mind via introspection and describing perceptions. 
C)  evolutionary advantages of different structures of consciousness (e.g., dreaming, attention). 
D)  role played by stimulation and perception in the development of cognitive structures.

Question 16

Which statement best illustrates or defines the concept of hedonism?

Accepted Answer

A)  Animal behavior is controlled by physical laws, but human behavior is determined by free will. 
B)  A chick moves toward its mother for warmth and avoids an open door to the cold. 
C)  Genetics and environmental experiences interact to produce behavior. 
D)  Bob refuses to eat eggplant.

Question 17

Which statement about contemporary psychological perspectives is true?

Accepted Answer

A)  Connectionist perspectives have replaced information processing models in cognitive and learning psychology. 
B)  Radical behaviorism is the dominant model in modern learning psychology. 
C)  Modern learning psychologists use a variety of cognitive constructs, such as memory and attention, as well as simple associations in their explanations. 
D)  Classical and instrumental conditioning typically occur separately, and associations are learned less effectively when both occur.

Question 18

Johnny was riding his bicycle very quickly when a red car whizzed by, startling him and causing him to fall and skin his knee. He now is afraid of both red cars and riding his bicycle. Analyze the situation in terms of the component associations that could have produced these fears.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Johnny was riding his bicycle very quickly...

Question 19

Assuming the laws of association are correct, which pairing would likely produce the strongest relationship?

Accepted Answer

A)  Lighting incense and sneezing 
B)  Playing classical music and experiencing a startle response 
C)  Taking a shower in the morning and winning $500 in a lottery in the afternoon 
D)  The lights turning on in your classroom and the outside temperature dropping

Question 20

According to the philosophical perspective of empiricism,

Accepted Answer

A)  animal behavior is controlled by physical laws, but human behavior is determined by free will. 
B)  all organisms seek to maximize pleasure and minimize pain. 
C)  genetics and environmental experiences interact to produce behavior. 
D)  ideas and mind are developed entirely from experience.

Exam 1: Learning Theory: What It Is and How It Got This Way