Question 1

How does one establish a conditioned reinforcer?

Accepted Answer

A)  Pair a conditioned reinforcer with the primary reinforcement. 
B)  Make sure the conditioned reinforcer has properties similar to the primary reinforcer. 
C)  Repeatedly present the conditioned reinforcer without presenting the primary reinforcer. 
D)  Make sure the conditioned reinforcer serves to satisfy the organism's basic biological needs.

Question 2

Andrew argues that a cat can be taught to press a lever in order to get any possible incentive or to avoid any possible punishment. Apparently, Andrew believes in the concept of __________.

Accepted Answer

A)  belongingness 
B)  contiguity 
C)  biological association 
D)  equipotentiality

Question 3

__________ involves a type of learning in which postsynaptic neurons become increasingly sensitive with repeated stimulation.

Accepted Answer

A)  Instrumental conditioning 
B)  Negative reinforcement 
C)  Stimulus generalization 
D)  Long-term potentiation

Question 4

A person is given an insulin injection each day with a similar-looking syringe. After a few injections, the mere sight of the syringe results in a rise in blood sugar. Which of the following is the best example of a procedure that could follow the original conditioning procedure (just described) and thus result in second-order conditioning?

Accepted Answer

A)  Classical music is presented just before the syringe, now filled with a placebo-based substance, is presented. After a while, the classical music itself will begin to produce a rise in blood sugar. 
B)  The syringe is filled with twice the dose of insulin, but it takes several such presentations before there is an appropriate increase in the amount of rise in blood sugar to presentation of the syringe. 
C)  The syringe is filled with a placebo-based substance. After repeated presentations of the syringe, there is no longer a rise in blood sugar. 
D)  A loud gong that sounds just after the presentation of the syringe results in a pronounced startle response to the sight of the syringe.

Question 5

Sarah is trying to study, but the loud noise from her neighbor's party distracts her. However, after some time, Sarah finds that she can concentrate on her work, even though the noise is as loud as it ever was. What process has likely occurred?

Accepted Answer

A)  sensitization 
B)  habituation 
C)  classical conditioning 
D)  instrumental conditioning

Question 6

Rats A and B receive shocks in a Skinner box. Rat A can terminate the shock by pressing a bar. For rat B, there is no response that leads to shock termination. The experimenter then tries to teach both rats another similar shock-avoidance task. What result would one expect?

Accepted Answer

A)  Rat A will learn the avoidance task more quickly than rat B 
B)  Rat B will learn the avoidance task more quickly than rat A. 
C)  The rats will learn the avoidance task at equal rates. 
D)  Neither rat A nor rat B will be able to learn the avoidance task.

Question 7

According to Skinner, emitted behaviors are called __________.

Accepted Answer

A)  discrete 
B)  operants 
C)  reinforcers 
D)  punishers

Question 8

You check your cell phone repeatedly for a message from someone you're interested in dating. It's impossible to know in advance how many times you need to check before the message arrives (assuming it even does!), therefore your checking behavior is maintained according to a __________.

Accepted Answer

A)  variable-ratio reinforcement schedule 
B)  fixed-ratio reinforcement schedule 
C)  variable-interval reinforcement schedule 
D)  fixed-interval reinforcement schedule

Question 9

What anatomical feature does a Clark's nutcracker have that is not shared by other birds that relates to its special ability for remembering geographical locations?

Accepted Answer

A)  a pouch under its tongue 
B)  a wingspan that is larger than that found on other nutcrackers 
C)  an extra-long beak 
D)  eyes that function perfectly in the dark

Question 10

What are the conclusions of the six major professional psychological societies regarding the impact of violent television on children?

Accepted Answer

A)  The data do not support a causal connection between media violence and aggressive behavior in some children. 
B)  The data point to an overwhelmingly causal connection between media violence and aggressive behavior in some children. 
C)  The data show that media violence definitively causes violent behavior in all children. 
D)  The data show that media violence has no effect on children's behavior.

Question 11

Generally, how long does it take a rat to learn to avoid a food that made it ill?

Accepted Answer

A)  one trial 
B)  after a few CS-US pairings 
C)  until the poison and the food are presented simultaneously 
D)  impossible to predict; all rats are different in their learned response to poison avoidance

Question 12

The normal defense reaction of species XYZ involves freezing in the face of danger. For these animals, according to the principle of belongingness, which of the following responses would be easiest to learn?

Accepted Answer

A)  pressing a bar in order to avoid shock 
B)  staying immobile in order to avoid shock 
C)  turning a wheel in order to avoid shock 
D)  all of the above would be equally easy to learn

Question 13

How would an empiricist explain how you learned that dogs are both mammals and animals, that is, both animals belong in many categories?

Accepted Answer

A)  You formed multiple synaptic connections to each neural circuit. 
B)  This more complex learning was the result of more associations that were built layer upon layer. 
C)  Your maturing brain allowed these connections to be formed. 
D)  You formed cognitive maps that linked these concepts together.

Question 14

Which response would show that a pigeon understands the principle of "sameness" within a particular category?

Accepted Answer

A)  The pigeon will peck repeatedly every time it sees the identical picture. 
B)  The pigeon will peck in response to a leaf-covered tree or a bare tree. 
C)  The pigeon will discriminate between physically similar stimuli. 
D)  All of the above answers are correct.

Question 15

A dog is conditioned so that it secretes 10 drops of saliva to a 1,000 hertz tone. Knowing what you do about the phenomenon of generalization, hypothetically, how many drops of saliva should you expect if you then present the dog with a tone of 750 hertz and 500 hertz respectively?

Accepted Answer

A)  about 7 drops; about 7 drops 
B)  about 3 drops; about 7 drops 
C)  about 7 drops; about 3 drops 
D)  about 2 drops; about 3 drops

Question 16

How do evolutionary psychologists explain the existence of general laws of learning common to many species of animals?

Accepted Answer

A)  Different species of animals have the same neural circuitry, causing them to form stimulus-response relationships in exactly the same way. 
B)  Brain processes are similar across a wide range of species, resulting in similarities of learning styles. 
C)  Evolutionary forces have acted on different species to produce a single, effective form of learning that increases the likelihood of survival. 
D)  Different species of animals all live in environments that share the same physical laws of nature, thus constraining mental processes and behavioral outcomes.

Question 17

How is a conditioned emotional response (CER) acquired?

Accepted Answer

A)  through dishabituation 
B)  through classical conditioning 
C)  through avoidance learning 
D)  through latent learning

Question 18

A dad takes his child out to learn to ride a bike. At first, the dad supports the child on the bike as the child simply steers. He then has the child peddle and steer. Gradually, the dad begins to let go of the bike as the child steers and peddles independently. The dad is using a procedure called __________.

Accepted Answer

A)  discrimination training 
B)  intermittent reinforcement 
C)  generalization 
D)  shaping

Question 19

Elicited is to emitted as __________ is to __________.

Accepted Answer

A)  generalization; discrimination 
B)  extinction; acquisition 
C)  classical; operant 
D)  positive reinforcer; negative reinforcer

Question 20

Why is the Aplysia so useful for investigating the basic neural mechanisms of learning?

Accepted Answer

A)  The Aplysia has a very simple nervous system. 
B)  The Aplysia exhibits complex behaviors. 
C)  The Aplysia memory system is very similar to that of a human. 
D)  Both a and b.

Exam 7: Learning