Deck 5: Learning

Question 1

In Pavlov's salivating dog studies,the UCS was

A)meat powder.
B)the metronome.
C)salivation.
D)joy.

Answer 1

meat powder.

Question 2

A stimulus that comes to elicit a response as a result of repeated pairings with a stimulus that can reliably elicit a response does so because of

A)operant conditioning.
B)classical conditioning.
C)observational learning.
D)expectancy theory.

Answer 2

classical conditioning.

Question 3

During the winter months,Tarique receives a static shock each time he goes to open his car door.Now,before he even touches the door,Tarique flinches.What is the unconditioned stimulus (UCS)in this situation?

A)The shock
B)The car door
C)Flinching to the shock
D)Flinching to the car door

Answer 3

The shock

Question 4

________ was the first person to describe learning as acquired through classical conditioning while studying the digestive process of dogs.

A)John Watson
B)Ivan Pavlov
C)B.F.Skinner
D)Albert Bandura

Question 5

The simplest form of learning is

A)habituation.
B)acquisition.
C)instrumental.
D)spontaneous learning.

Question 6

Which of the following situations is an example of serendipity?

A)Earning an "A" on your psychology exam
B)Kicking the game-winning field goal for your football team
C)Finding a ten dollar bill in the jeans you just washed
D)Receiving a promotion at work

Question 7

The primary difference between the CS and the UCS is

A)the strength of the response that each elicits.
B)the order in which they are presented.
C)the resistance to extinction.
D)prior to conditioning,one reliably elicits a response,the other doesn't.

Question 8

As Ms.Mathers drops her daughter,Matty,off at her first day of preschool,she starts to cry.The next morning,Ms.Mathers begins to cry just driving into the preschool parking lot.What is the unconditioned response (UCR)in this situation?

A)Crying when she drives into the parking lot
B)Crying when she drops Matty off
C)The parking lot
D)The preschool

Question 9

The conditioned stimulus (CS)is the

A)stimulus that automatically produces the unconditioned response.
B)previously neutral stimulus that automatically produces the unconditioned response.
C)previously neutral stimulus that has acquired the capacity to produce the conditioned response.
D)previously neutral stimulus that automatically produces the conditioned response.

Question 10

Natalie,who has very long nails,is approaching the chalkboard.As she lifts her hand to the board,she observes her fellow classmates cringing and covering their ears before she actually touches it.What is the conditioned response (CR)in this situation?

A)Scraping her nails on the board
B)Lifting her hand to the board
C)Cringing after she scrapes the board
D)Cringing before she scrapes the board

Question 11

In Pavlov's salivating dog studies,the UCR was

A)salivation.
B)meat powder.
C)the tone.
D)biting.

Question 12

Three-year-old Shaniqua learns to associate the smell of popcorn with watching movies.This learning represents

A)classical conditioning.
B)operational learning.
C)observational learning.
D)operant conditioning.

Question 13

Shelly has developed a fear of bridges due to the recent,graphic news coverage of people falling from a collapsed bridge.Which of the following is the CS?

A)Bridges
B)Graphic news coverage
C)People falling
D)Collapsed bridges

Question 14

According to the theory of classical conditioning,the unconditioned stimulus (UCS)is the stimulus that

A)triggers a response after being paired with a conditioned stimulus.
B)triggers a conditioned response.
C)triggers a response after being paired with another stimulus.
D)automatically triggers a response when presented.

Question 15

Jason just moved to Las Vegas from South Carolina.What concept exemplifies the fact that,initially,he had trouble falling asleep in the noisy city,but now has no problem whatsoever?

A)Habituation
B)Dishabituation
C)Sensitization
D)Discrimination

Question 16

Whenever 5-year-old Claire goes to the dentist,she becomes anxious and cries.She was not afraid of the dentist on her first visit,so her fear was a learned behavior.The UCS in this case was probably

A)the dentist's beard.
B)sweet toothpaste.
C)painful teeth cleaning.
D)small prizes given after the exam.

Question 17

In Pavlov's salivating dogs studies,the salivation triggered by the sound of the metronome was the

A)conditioned stimulus.
B)unconditioned response.
C)conditioned response.
D)unconditioned stimulus.

Question 18

Which of the following would be considered an unconditioned stimulus (UCS)?

A)money
B)sports car
C)perfume
D)hamburger

Question 19

Cora's heart races every time she is with her boyfriend,Brandon.Recently,Brandon began wearing a new cologne.Now,Cora finds her heart racing just smelling the cologne.What is the conditioned stimulus (CS)in this situation?

A)Her heart racing when she is near Brandon
B)Her heart racing when she smells the cologne
C)The cologne
D)Brandon

Question 20

The term learning refers to a change in human behavior as a result of

A)common sense.
B)habituation.
C)experience.
D)acquisition.

Question 21

Extinction occurs when the ________ no longer produces the ________.

A)CS; UCS
B)CS; CR
C)UCS; CR
D)UCS; UCR

Question 22

Ken's mouth waters every time he hears the ice cream truck's familiar song in the distance.One day a slightly different song is heard in the distance and Ken's mouth waters.Ken's behavior illustrates

A)stimulus generalization.
B)stimulus assimilation.
C)stimulus recovery.
D)stimulus discrimination.

Question 23

Amanda is watching the movie Jaws with her friend.Amanda notices that when she hears the tell-tale music that precedes the shark attack,she automatically closes her eyes.What is the conditioned stimulus (CS)in this situation?

A)Shutting her eyes when the shark attacks
B)Shutting her eyes when she hears the music
C)The shark attack
D)The music

Question 24

In the process of extinction,the CR decreases in magnitude because

A)the CR trace decays.
B)the CR is replaced by another acquisition.
C)the CR was suppressed.
D)habituation occurred.

Question 25

Famous athletes are used to sell products using classical conditioning as a marketing strategy.If a famous athlete is used to market shoes,the famous athlete is the

A)CR.
B)CS.
C)UCR.
D)UCS.

Question 26

Rodney's dog runs to the door every time he hears Rodney's car pull into the driveway.Yesterday,Rodney's friend pulled up and the dog came running to the door.What is Rodney's dog exhibiting?

A)Stimulus generalization
B)Stimulus transferability
C)Stimulus discrimination
D)Stimulus differentiation

Question 27

Three-year-old Bobby knows when he goes to the store with his mother not to ask for anything extra,but if he goes with his grandmother,she will usually get him a treat.What is Bobby exhibiting?

A)Stimulus differentiation
B)Stimulus discrimination
C)Stimulus ambivalence
D)Stimulus avoidance

Question 28

Selena has noticed that her craving for cigarettes is usually greater in the car than in her house or at work.The best explanation for this would be

A)higher-order conditioning.
B)stimulus discrimination.
C)stimulus gradation .
D)reverse habituation.

Question 29

While on a cruise ship,Kevin became sick after eating a seafood dinner.His food poisoning coupled with sea sickness led to a terrible vacation and,consequently,Kevin shivers at the mere sight of any cruise ship.Kevin's behavior illustrates the process of

A)stimulus generalization.
B)stimulus discrimination.
C)acquisition.
D)scapegoating.

Question 30

Which of the following is true about higher-order conditioning?

A)The new CS will be of the same strength as the original CS.
B)Fourth-order conditioning routinely occurs in humans.
C)In humans,higher-order CSs are often referred to as occasion setters.
D)For one CS to train another CS,they have to be similar in some way.

Question 31

Pedro is a social drinker,but when he goes to the beach,he drinks excessively.For Pedro,what does the beach represent?

A)An unconditioned stimulus
B)Stimulus activator
C)Environmental trigger
D)An occasion setter

Question 32

Acquisition can be described as the process by which

A)the CS produces the UCR.
B)the UCS produces the CR.
C)the CS produces the CR.
D)the CR produces the CS.

Question 33

Three-year-old Haley is petrified of the doctor.She cries every time she has to go.Today her mom tells her she is going to the dentist,and Haley doesn't shed a tear.What is Haley exhibiting?

A)Stimulus aversion
B)Stimulus discernability
C)Stimulus discrimination
D)Stimulus identification

Question 34

Lizzy is breastfeeding her newborn baby.Every time her baby starts crying,Lizzy begins to lactate.While at the store yesterday,she heard another baby crying and began to lactate.What is Lizzy exhibiting?

A)Stimulus discrimination
B)Stimulus differentiation
C)Stimulus transferability
D)Stimulus generalization

Question 35

Six-year-old Jasper has learned that during a thunderstorm,the loud thunder is preceded by a flash of lightning.He now covers his ears when he sees the lightning flash.What is the unconditioned stimulus (UCS)in this situation?

A)The thunder
B)The lightning
C)Covering his ears to the thunder
D)Covering his ears to the lightning

Question 36

When Ata was little,his nana would bring him a treat every time she visited.Just learning that Nana was on her way was enough to get Ata excited.Recently,however,Nana has been showing up empty handed.What is likely to occur?

A)Acquisition
B)Extinction
C)Spontaneous recovery
D)Elimination

Question 37

Marta is exiting the dark movie theater,and although she hasn't made it outside yet,her pupils are beginning to constrict.What is the conditioned response (CR)in this situation?

A)The sunlight
B)The exit sign
C)Her pupils constricting as she approaches the exit sign
D)Her pupils constricting as she encounters the sunlight

Question 38

Henry's grandfather keeps his house very warm,causing Henry to perspire.Henry notices as he walks up the steps to his grandfather's house that he has already begun to perspire.What is the unconditioned response (UCR)in this situation?

A)Perspiring walking up the steps
B)Perspiring inside the warm house
C)The warm house
D)The steps to the house

Question 39

Theo received a series of shots growing up and began to grow anxious whenever he pulled up to the doctor's office.After a series of regular checkups,the anxiety eventually went away.However,yesterday as he pulled into the doctor's office,that same anxious feeling returned.What may have occurred?

A)Reacquisition
B)Reemergence
C)Spontaneous recovery
D)Unprovoked relapse

Question 40

What idea reflects the reason that nearly every commercial for Corona,a Mexican beer,is shot at the beach?

A)Higher-order conditioning
B)Stimulus generalization
C)Sensory advertising
D)Latent inhibition

Question 41

Thorndike's Law of Effect is most closely associated with which operant conditioning principle?

A)Positive reinforcement
B)Punishment
C)Premack principle
D)Latent learning

Question 42

Which of the following methods would likely be effective in eliminating a child's phobia of dentists?

A)Inform the child that he will be punished if he does not go to the dentist so the dentist is associated with the positive feelings of nonpunishment.
B)Inform the child that his teeth will hurt if the dentist does not clean them so the dentist is paired with pain relief.
C)Inform the child that his teeth will rot if the dentist does not clean them so the dentist is paired with a feared UCS.
D)Take the child to his favorite restaurant after visiting the dentist so the dentist is paired with a pleasurable UCS.

Question 43

Little Albert learns to fear white rats but he does not fear white rabbits.This behavior illustrates

A)stimulus generalization.
B)stimulus discrimination.
C)acquisition.
D)spontaneous recovery.

Question 44

According to ________ theory,behavior is said to be influenced by its consequences.

A)observational learning
B)classical conditioning
C)operant conditioning
D)cognitive learning

Question 45

Which theorist believed that most of learning occurs through the gradual buildup of stimuli and rewarding responses?

A)Thorndike
B)Watson
C)Skinner
D)Pavlov

Question 46

What idea best explains why Norm,who has drunk Gatorade his whole life,won't switch to Powerade,despite the fact that his favorite basketball player is promoting it?

A)Stimulus inhibition
B)Latent inhibition
C)Stimulus discrimination
D)Second-order conditioning

Question 47

Classically conditioned responses are __________; operant responses are __________.

A)emitted; elicited
B)emitted; emitted
C)elicited; emitted
D)elicited; elicited

Question 48

Who is demonstrating operant conditioning?

A)Jackie blinks when air is blown into her eyes.
B)Serena pulls her hand off the hot stove.
C)Elena raises her hand to ask a question.
D)Harry recoils when he sees the nurse's needle.

Question 49

Young Albert is initially not afraid of white rats,but if loud noises and white rats are presented in sequence,Albert may learn to fear rats.In this example,white rats would be the

A)CS.
B)UCS.
C)CR.
D)UCR.

Question 50

A child's fear at the sight of a sharp scissors is

A)an unconditioned response.
B)a conditioned response.
C)an unconditioned stimulus.
D)a conditioned stimulus.

Question 51

In the course of a given day,most of our behaviors provide us with some immediate or delayed benefit.What idea does this represent?

A)Law of effect
B)Power of reward
C)Pleasure principle
D)Insight

Question 52

One can be conditioned to become sexually aroused at the sight of a triangle if the triangle is presented shortly ________ an appropriate ________.

A)before; UCS
B)before; CS
C)after; UCS
D)after; CS

Question 53

Dr.Restin is observing mice run through a maze toward a piece of cheese.Although most mice eventually reach the cheese,their overall times reveal only minimal improvement over many trials.What are the mice failing to achieve?

A)Learned response
B)Insight
C)Reinforcement
D)Acquisition

Question 54

Which two theorists laid the groundwork for the theory of operant conditioning?

A)Pavlov and Skinner
B)Thorndike and Skinner
C)Skinner and Watson
D)Skinner and Bandura

Question 55

Gabrielle is working on a problem of functional fixedness.After several minutes of pondering the problem,she hits upon the solution.What type of learning is she demonstrating?

A)Latent
B)Observational
C)Vicarious
D)Insight

Question 56

Which of the findings have been supported by research concerning classical conditioning and advertising appeals for well-known products?

A)It is easier to classically condition novel brands versus well-known brands.
B)It is easier to classically condition well-known brands versus novel brands.
C)Well-known brands are easier to convert into conditioned stimuli versus novel brands.
D)Attempts to use classical conditioning to sell products have been largely unsuccessful.

Question 57

Classical conditioning could account for how a child learns to

A)tie shoe laces.
B)sing a song.
C)ride a bicycle.
D)want a stuffed animal.

Question 58

When treating phobias using classical conditioning,persons fearful of flying will need to

A)avoid flying as a way to reduce this fear.
B)associate flying with something pleasurable to reduce this fear.
C)first address unresolved conflicts contributing to this phobia in order to eliminate the fear of flying.
D)first address their childhood conflicts contributing to this phobia in order to eliminate the fear of flying.

Question 59

A stimulus is reinforced according to Skinner if it

A)reduces a biological need.
B)induces a biological need.
C)increases the probability of the response that produced it.
D)decreases the probability of the response that produced it.

Question 60

Latent inhibition refers to

A)when we experience a CS alone many times,it is often difficult to classically condition it to another stimulus.
B)when a CR has been acquired but is not displayed for several days or even weeks.
C)when a UCS is unable to classically condition a CS.
D)when a CR extinguishes suddenly instead of tapering off.

Question 61

Hillary refuses to kiss her boyfriend until he shaves.What consequence is Hillary applying?

A)Refusal punishment
B)Avoidance punishment
C)Positive reinforcement
D)Negative reinforcement

Question 62

Which of the following is an example of positive reinforcement?

A)Giving a child candy for completing his or her homework
B)Removing a child's chores when he or she completes homework
C)Allowing students homework passes if they work hard during class
D)Taking away privileges if a child does not follow classroom rules

Question 63

Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A)Positive punishment decreases the target behavior.
B)Negative punishment decreases the target behavior.
C)Negative reinforcement decreases the target behavior.
D)Positive reinforcement increases the target behavior.

Question 64

Who is taking Skinner's approach to measuring behavior?

A)Professor Banks,who gives his students a midterm and a final
B)Professor Christiansen,who gives his students occasional pop quizzes
C)Professor Strauss,who gives his students a test once a week
D)Professor Young,who uses daily quizzes to evaluate her students

Question 65

Who is NOT receiving positive reinforcement?

A)Jan avoids a ticket by buckling her seatbelt.
B)Ken earns 5 bonus points for solving the brain teaser.
C)Candy gets 5 dollars for every "A" she earns.
D)Sam gets a new pair of jeans after losing 10 pounds.

Question 66

Allowing "A" students to exempt the final exam is an example of

A)negative reinforcement.
B)positive reinforcement.
C)successive approximation.
D)delayed contingency.

Question 67

Wearing shorts on a hot summer day is a behavior that is established by way of

A)negative reinforcement.
B)positive reinforcement.
C)punishment.
D)classical conditioning.

Question 68

Regarding operant conditioning,which of the following is an example of negative reinforcement?

A)A student is sent to detention for fighting.
B)A student is exempted from a weekly quiz for exemplary homework.
C)A student loses earned free time for playing with lab equipment.
D)A student turns in neater homework when the teacher praises neatness.

Question 69

Which of the following will DECREASE the likelihood of behavior reoccurring?

A)Punishment
B)Negative reinforcement
C)Positive reinforcement
D)Fixed ratio reinforcement

Question 70

Jorge's boss has started putting the employee of the month's picture on the office wall.Productivity in his division has since plummeted.What has his boss inadvertently provided?

A)Positive reinforcement
B)Negative reinforcement
C)Punishment
D)Aversive conditioning

Question 71

Luna is given a demerit every time she is caught daydreaming in class.What operant technique is her teacher using?

A)Negative reinforcement
B)Punishment
C)Aversive conditioning
D)Behavioral manipulation

Question 72

Which of the following is NOT a disadvantage of punishment?

A)Punishment does not tell the organism what to do.
B)Punishment gives rise to sneaky behavior.
C)Punishment can serve as a model for aggressive behavior.
D)Punishment can lead to depression.

Question 73

Eight-year-old Vince snaps his fingers incessantly until his teacher calls on him to answer a question.What operant technique is Vince using?

A)Negative reinforcement
B)Positive reinforcement
C)Selective reinforcement
D)Punishment

Question 74

To make the best use of negative reinforcement with your child when he or she is misbehaving,you should

A)let the child out of time-out once the time limit you set is reached.
B)let the child out of time-out as soon as the child becomes quiet.
C)spank the child before placing in time-out.
D)explain to the child why he or she is being placed in time-out.

Question 75

Every time Justin burps at the dinner table,his father gives him a stern look.This pattern continues over several nights.What is Justin's father providing?

A)Negative reinforcement
B)Positive reinforcement
C)Punishment
D)Shaping

Question 76

Most preschool teachers are likely to favor the use of ________ over ________ in shaping students' behaviors.

A)punishment; positive reinforcement
B)positive reinforcement; punishment
C)punishment; negative reinforcement
D)negative reinforcement; positive reinforcement

Question 77

If parents handle discipline by employing mainly a punishment approach,which of the following can be assumed?

A)Parents are interested in teaching appropriate behaviors to their children through negative reinforcement.
B)Parents are interested in both eliminating bad behaviors and reinforcing good behaviors.
C)Parents are interested in teaching appropriate behaviors to their children through positive reinforcement.
D)Parents are interested in eliminating bad behaviors by presenting negative consequences after bad behavior.

Question 78

Punishment can be defined as any consequence presented __________ behavior that __________ the likelihood of the behavior reoccurring.

A)after; increases
B)after; decreases
C)before; increases
D)before; decreases

Question 79

Nicky tends to bite his nails when he becomes nervous because it calms him down.Nicky's behavior is an example of

A)negative reinforcement.
B)generalization.
C)classical conditioning.
D)shaping.

Question 80

Which of the following is true?

A)Positive reinforcment strengthens a behavior; negative reinforcement weakens a behavior.
B)Only positive reinforcement can be administered in a Skinner box.
C)Positive reinforcement involves taking away something bad; negative reinforcement involves giving something good.
D)Both positive and negative reinforcement strengthen a behavior.