Question 1

Imagine that you want to improve a distractible child's ability to sit still and listen in class. Which one of the following procedures illustrates how you might use shaping to do so?

Accepted Answer

A)   Explain the purpose of sitting quietly before reinforcement begins.
B)   Reinforce the child for sitting still on some occasions, but not on others.
C)   Reinforce the child for sitting still and listening for only a minute, then for progressively longer and longer periods of time.
D)   Frequently change the specific consequence you use to reinforce sitting still-and-listening behavior (e.g., you might use candy a few times, then praise, then privileges, and so on) . C

Question 2

Six-year-old Jack has recently learned to appreciate the value of money, so his father assigns him some simple housekeeping chores to be performed throughout the week. He tells Jack that completion of these chores will earn him an allowance of one dollar every Saturday. Jack rarely completes his chores. From an operant conditioning perspective, which one of the following is most likely to be the reason why Jack is not doing his chores?

Accepted Answer

A)   There is a delay in reinforcement.
B)   Reinforcement is not contingent on the desired response.
C)   Money is rarely an effective reinforcer for people.
D)   The "reinforcer" is presented before the response. A

Question 3

Many operant conditioning theorists use the term reinforcement rather than "reward" because:

Accepted Answer

A)   The term "reward" can refer only to a material reinforcer.
B)   The term "reward" can refer only to a social reinforcer.
C)   One type of reinforcement (negative reinforcement)  is actually a form of punishment.
D)   The term "reward" implies a consequence that most people would judge to be desirable. D

Question 4

Three of the following are examples of operant conditioning. Which one is not?

Accepted Answer

A)   Andrew gives his dog Maggie a scrap of food from his plate whenever Maggie begs at the dinner table. Before long, Maggie is by Andrew's side begging at every meal.
B)   Bart uses obscene words when he speaks in class. His teacher scolds him for such language in front of his classmates. Much to the teacher's dismay, Bart's use of obscene words increases.
C)   Carol's room has been a disaster area for more than a month, with toys and clothes lying about everywhere. Carol's mother has told Carol that, once the room has been cleaned, they will spend a day at the zoo. There is no noticeable improvement in Carol's housekeeping habits.
D)   Daniel once went to visit the woman next door, and she gave him a couple of homemade cookies. Now Daniel goes to see the woman almost every day after school and comes home a half hour later licking his lips.

Question 5

You are giving tennis lessons to a beginning tennis player. Describe how you would teach the proper tennis swing through shaping. Specify:
a. A reasonable end result toward which you would work
b. A reinforcer you might use
c. The specific steps you would take during shaping
d. When you would use continuous reinforcement
e. When you would use intermittent reinforcement

Accepted Answer

The answer of You are giving tennis lessons to a...

Question 6

Stacey dislikes physical education class because her classmates tease her about her lack of strength and coordination. One day Stacey unintentionally hits one of her classmates, and the teacher sends her to the principal's office for the remainder of the class time. Stacey becomes increasingly aggressive in class and so spends more and more time in the principal's office. Use one or more concepts and/or principles from behaviorism to explain why Stacey has become more (rather than less) aggressive.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Stacey dislikes physical education class because her...

Question 7

Mr. Smart tells his students that they can do whatever they want for the first ten minutes of class but must then turn their attention to the day's assignment. The students are delighted with their ten minutes of free time but they don't attend to the assignment when it's time to do so. From an operant conditioning perspective, what mistake has Mr. Smart made?

Accepted Answer

A)   There is a delay in reinforcement.
B)   He has used negative reinforcement instead of positive reinforcement.
C)   Free time is not an effective reinforcer for the students.
D)   The "reinforcer" is presented before the response.

Question 8

Nadia is an only child who lives on a ranch that is located many miles from the homes of other children. Although she enjoys being with her peers at school, she is often physically aggressive toward them. School personnel have made many small attempts to curb Nadia's aggression (for example, they have scolded her, kept her in from recess, and put her in a time-out situation) but always without success. They are now thinking about taking more drastic measures. According to the textbook, which one of the following is most likely to be effective?

Accepted Answer

A)   Putting Nadia in in-house suspension
B)   Giving Nadia extra classwork in school subjects she knows well
C)   Scolding Nadia in front of her peers about her inappropriate behavior
D)   Suspending Nadia from school

Question 9

In each of the following situations, a person is learning through either reinforcement or punishment. Classify each situation as involving one of these four consequences: positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, Punishment I, or Punishment II. Then explain why you chose the answer you did.
a. Because Danielle fails her math class, she is taken off the school dance squad.
b. Joe always does his homework assignments as soon as he gets them so he won't have to worry about them anymore.
c. Lisa and Fran are giggling together in the back of the classroom. Their teacher scowls at them. They are embarrassed and shut up.
d. A teacher finds that by yelling at her students when they get too rowdy, they will settle down and be quiet for a while. (Focus on what is happening to the teacher.)

Accepted Answer

The answer of In each of the following situations, a...

Question 10

When Judy becomes verbally aggressive toward her peers, she is placed in a quiet and boring room for five minutes. The procedure being used here is most commonly known as:

Accepted Answer

A)   time-out
B)   systematic desensitization
C)   response cost
D)   in-house suspension

Question 11

Three of the following statements reflect contemporary perspectives of instrumental conditioning and reinforcement. Which one does not?

Accepted Answer

A)   Punishment has a more pronounced effect on behavior than reinforcement does.
B)   Behavior can sometimes be better understood if we look at complex environmental conditions rather than at simple, specific stimuli.
C)   Instrumental conditioning can more adequately be explained when we talk about mental processes as well as observable events.
D)   Any single consequence may be more or less reinforcing depending on a learner's particular motives at the time.

Question 12

Which one of the following is the best example of the Premack principle in action?

Accepted Answer

A)   Getting a new outfit you think is "cool"
B)   Being allowed to play basketball at a friend's house after you finish your homework.
C)   Being told that you did a good job.
D)   Feeling good about your own generosity toward a less fortunate classmate.

Question 13

Sharon has learned that her language arts teacher answers her questions willingly but that her biology teacher discourages questions. Sharon therefore asks questions in language arts but not in biology. In behaviorist terminology, Sharon is:

Accepted Answer

A)   on a differential rate of low responding schedule
B)   showing generalization
C)   on a fixed interval schedule
D)   under stimulus control

Question 14

Punishment received little attention in the psychological research literature prior to the 1960s, primarily due to the fact that:

Accepted Answer

A)   Punishment was rarely used at that time.
B)   Most people objected to punishment on religious or ethical grounds.
C)   Early cognitivists argued that punishment has counterproductive effects.
D)   Early behaviorists believed that punishment is ineffective in reducing behavior.

Question 15

Which one of the following accurately describes the difference between negative reinforcement and punishment?

Accepted Answer

A)   Negative reinforcement is essentially the same as punishment, but without the negative connotations that punishment has.
B)   Negative reinforcement increases the frequency of behavior, whereas punishment decreases it.
C)   Negative reinforcement always decreases the frequency of behavior, whereas punishment often increases it.
D)   Both consequences decrease behavior, but punishment is more likely to make students angry and defiant.

Question 16

David's mother insists that he vacuum the living room carpet. But when she sees how haphazardly he vacuums (he misses two-thirds of the carpet), she tells him, "Never mind, I'll do it!" David's escape of household chores is:

Accepted Answer

A)   positively reinforced
B)   negatively reinforced
C)   punished
D)   an example of passive avoidance learning

Question 17

A school system is concerned that most of its high school students avoid taking mathematics courses because they are afraid of failing. Based on the discussion in the textbook regarding how to deal with avoidance behaviors, three of the following approaches to the problem might be helpful. Which of the following definitely would not help?

Accepted Answer

A)   Allowing students to avoid taking mathematics until they develop more self-confidence about the subject matter
B)   Teaching students to relax while they visualize doing a math assignment
C)   Revising the math curriculum at all grade levels so that student success is more likely
D)   Requiring all high school students to take at least one math class

Question 18

Linda wears bell-bottom pants to school, and her classmates tease her about them. As soon as she gets home, Linda throws the pants in the trash. Linda's being teased is an example of:

Accepted Answer

A)   Negative reinforcement
B)   Avoidance learning
C)   Punishment I
D)   Punishment II

Question 19

Shelby rarely interacts with her peers. She is obviously quite lonely but apparently has no confidence in her ability to make friends. Using a behaviorist perspective, describe how you might help Shelby develop social skills through shaping. In your discussion, be sure to include:
a. The specific behavior(s) you would shape
b. A specific reinforcer you might use, and why you make the choice you do
c. The sequence of steps you might take as you shape the desired behavior

Accepted Answer

The answer of Shelby rarely interacts with her peers. She...

Question 20

In the middle of a difficult exam, Robert tells his teacher that his stomach hurts, and the teacher immediately sends him to the school nurse. On several later occasions when he has a difficult test or assignment, Robert again tells his teacher that he doesn't feel well. Robert's frequent trips to the nurse have:

Accepted Answer

A)   Been negatively reinforced
B)   Led to superstitious behavior
C)   Been reinforced on an intermittent schedule
D)   Essentially been time-outs and so have been punished

Exam 4: Instrumental Conditioning