Deck 3: The Effects of Behavior: Thorndike and Hull

Question 1

Thorndike's conclusion from the use of the puzzle box was

A) animals and humans both learn by insight.
B) animals and humans learn through a connection formed by the pairing of responses.
C) animals and humans learn from the consequences of responses.
D) though animals may learn through consequences, humans learn through insight.

Answer 1

animals and humans learn from the consequences of responses.

Question 2

The formation of bonds between stimuli and responses described by Thorndike may be referred to as

A) random association.
B) connectionism.
C) corollary formation.
D) contiguity.

Answer 2

connectionism.

Question 3

According to Thorndike, upon solving a difficult problem a math student achieves

A) stamping out of the problem.
B) an association based on contiguity.
C) a satisfying state of affairs.
D) insight.

Answer 3

a satisfying state of affairs.

Question 4

While one student anxiously anticipates a particular classroom activity, a second student complains and dreads the activity. We may assume, according to Thorndike, that

A) the first student is a better student.
B) the teacher has an ineffective teaching style.
C) the activity is inappropriate for this class.
D) the same activity may be satisfying to one while annoying to another.

Question 5

Thorndike's law of exercise

A) was his most important law.
B) played a minor role in his final system.
C) is based on a Pavlovian type of conditioning.
D) maintained that physical health enhances learning.

Question 6

Thorndike's law of effect fits well with the theory of

A) Pavlov.
B) Guthrie.
C) Skinner.
D) Watson.

Question 7

Attempting to find her way through a maze of mirrors at a local amusement park, a young woman found herself running into mirrors numerous times. This may be explained by which of Thorndike's laws?

A) law of multiple response
B) law of response by analogy
C) law of set
D) law of prepotency of elements

Question 8

A dog owner trained her dog to come upon command by first saying the dog's name, and then the command "come." Over time she added a whistle to accompany these two elements. Eventually she would just whistle and the dog would respond. This may be explained by which of Thorndike's laws?

A) law of multiple response
B) law of set
C) law of prepotency of elements
D) law of associative shifting

Question 9

Which of the following did not characterize Thorndike's contribution to the study of learning?

A) the use of animal research to verify theoretical predictions
B) emphasis on the consequences of behavior
C) emphasis on the mathematical relationships among variables
D) the application of his principles to classroom learning situations

Question 10

Thorndike and Hull's approaches were similar in the following way:

A) Both used animal studies to verify theoretical predictions.
B) Both developed theories capable of being practically applied.
C) Both developed elaborate general theories based on mathematical relationships.
D) Both emphasized reinforcement in the learning process.

Question 11

The owner of a standard transmission car borrows a friend's car that happens to have an automatic transmission. Upon driving away from the friend's house and approaching a red traffic light he extends his left foot against the floorboard. The behavior may be explained by Thorndike's

A) law of set.
B) law of multiple response.
C) law of response by analogy.
D) law of associative shifting.

Question 12

Trying all the keys on a key ring only to find that none fit the lock is an example of

A) insight.
B) reinforcement.
C) readiness.
D) trial and error.

Question 13

Shrinking from Aunt Bertha's kiss illustrates the existence of

A) a reinforcer.
B) an annoyer.
C) introspective learning.
D) bad manners.

Question 14

Satisfiers and annoyers are associated with which of Thorndike's laws?

A) law of readiness
B) law of exercise
C) law of set
D) law of multiple response

Question 15

Which of the following does not describe solving a math problem?

A) stamping in a connection
B) a satisfying state of affairs
C) learning
D) associative shifting

Question 16

Practicing the piano is an example of which of Thorndike's laws?

A) law of effect
B) law of readiness
C) law of multiple response
D) law of exercise

Question 17

Predisposition to act in a given way is a definition of

A) set.
B) attention.
C) readiness.
D) connection.

Question 18

Failing algebra in high school, yet receiving an A in a college algebra class, may be explained by

A) the law of effect.
B) the law of exercise.
C) the law of prepotency of elements.
D) the law of readiness.

Question 19

Response by analogy involves

A) an openness to persuasion.
B) recognizing identical elements.
C) recognizing a story's moral.
D) telling a brief story.

Question 20

Associative shifting involves

A) shifting a stimulus from one response to another.
B) shifting a response from one stimulus to another.
C) shifting attention to a coworker.
D) shifting responsibility for an outcome.

Question 21

The law of set involves

A) the sharing of identical elements.
B) readiness to act ahead of time.
C) behavior which occurs spontaneously.
D) attitudinal rigidity.

Question 22

Eagerly anticipating a favorite author's publication illustrates

A) the principle of belongingness.
B) prepotency of elements.
C) spread of effect.
D) readiness.

Question 23

To deduce means

A) to use meaningless abstraction.
B) to create something new from multiple sources.
C) to infer logically.
D) to gather data to reach conclusions.

Question 24

Hull's postulates were

A) derived from corollaries.
B) arrived at from prior research.
C) invented by Hull.
D) agreed upon by consensus in the scientific community.

Question 25

Testable relationships were found in Hull's

A) postulates.
B) theorems.
C) laws.
D) intervening variables.

Question 26

The following is true of Hull's laws:

A) They only involved relationships of certainty.
B) He referred to them as postulates.
C) Each law could easily be tested for validity.
D) Hull's system did not contain laws.

Question 27

The following concept of Hull differs from other behavioristic approaches:

A) input variable
B) output variable
C) intervening variable
D) objectivity

Question 28

Hull's system may be described as follows:

A) His inductive approach resulted in the development of his theoretical system as research progressed.
B) His inductive approach dealt only with those relationships that could be empirically verified.
C) His inductive approach resulted in a slow development of his theoretical system.
D) His approach was not inductive.

Question 29

Though ambitious as well as admirable in its undertaking, a major limitation of the application of Hull's theory was

A) the neglect of variables which could possibly affect outcomes.
B) the lack of specificity of relationships among variables.
C) the amount of knowledge about an individual necessary to determine values of variables and thus make predictions.
D) his failure to define variables.

Question 30

Fractional antedating goal response involves

A) a stimulus division when moving away from a goal.
B) a stimulus which keeps a person moving toward goal attainment.
C) responses which inhibit further movement toward a goal.
D) responses which indicate that a goal has been reached.

Question 31

In Hull's theoretical system,

A) theorems and corollaries are derived from postulates.
B) postulates are derived from laws and theorems.
C) corollaries and laws are derived from theorems.
D) postulates are only formulated after verification of theorems.

Question 32

Hull's theoretical system may be seen as a positive contribution to the study of human behavior because

A) it accounts for all variables as well as all relationships.
B) it results in useful predictions of behavior.
C) it vastly contributed to further learning theory building.
D) it debunks reinforcement is important in learning.

Question 33

A habit-family hierarchy may be described as

A) ordered responses leading to different goals.
B) ordered responses leading to the same goal.
C) ordered responses leading to similar goals.
D) random responses leading to the same goal.

Question 34

Hull's primary concern in the development of his theory was

A) the development of an elaborate general theory to account for the behavior of all organisms.
B) to confirm his previous research.
C) the development of a theory to account for certain kinds of human behavior.
D) the development of an elaborate general theory to account for human behavior.

Question 35

The following was not true of Hull's theory:

A) He used a large number of interrelating variables.
B) He attempted to mathematically relate variables.
C) He avoided use of intervening variables.
D) His variables tended to be abstract.

Question 36

Antecedent conditions are to input variables as

A) responses are to intervening variables.
B) intervening variables are to output variables.
C) output variables are to intervening variables.
D) responses are to output variables.

Question 37

Intervening variables are

A) mathematically determined.
B) educated guesses.
C) determined by observation.
D) another term for theorems.

Question 38

Which of the following was not one of Hull's goals?

A) to develop a predictive mathematical system
B) to build a system based on his research
C) to determine response behavior
D) to understand antecedent conditions

Question 39

Hull's theory

A) asserts behavior is lawful and predictable.
B) proves that behavior is lawful.
C) proves that behavior is both lawful and predictable.
D) only creates meaningless and confusing abstractions.

Question 40

A logical construct may be described as

A) observed but not inferred.
B) a result of research.
C) inferred and observed.
D) inferred but not observed.