Deck 5: Learning

Question 1

You are walking along and suddenly start at the loud sound of a truck backfiring. Your startle response is the __________, and the sound of the backfire is the __________.

A)UR; US
B)CS; US
C)CR; CS
D)CR; UR

Answer 1

UR; US

Question 2

Your cat starts to salivate when you use the electric can opener to open his can of cat food. After learning the principles of classical conditioning, it becomes obvious to you that the can opener has become an effective

A)UR.
B)US.
C)CR.
D)CS.

Answer 2

CS.

Question 3

The main difference between the behaviorist perspective and cognitive perspective on learning is that the cognitive perspective

A)bases changes in behavior on observation.
B)allows for the use of mental processes as a basis for behavior change.
C)only considers changes in mental process and not behavior.
D)regards behavior as unnecessary in cognitive development.

Answer 3

allows for the use of mental processes as a basis for behavior change.

Question 4

A dog can be trained to salivate when a bell is sounded by

A)having a bell in the room where the animal is fed.
B)pairing the sound of the bell with the delivery of food.
C)praising the dog after it is fed.
D)none of these

Question 5

_______ are simple automatic responses to stimuli.

A)Reflexes
B)Conditioners
C)Successive approximations
D)Reinforcements

Question 6

The reason fish and tadpoles are born able to swim and robins can sing the song of their species immediately after birth is that lower animals' behavior is

A)learned.
B)instinctive.
C)acquired through imitation.
D)acquired through a need for survival.

Question 7

During Pavlov's classic experiments, after conditioning, the bell was the __________ and salivation was the __________.

A)CS; CR
B)US; UR
C)CR; CS
D)UR; US

Question 8

__________ usually takes only one trial to condition successfully.

A)Operant conditioning
B)Taste aversion
C)Classical conditioning
D)Lever pressing

Question 9

Ivan Pavlov, a __________, was originally attempting to identify __________.

A)biologist; neural receptors in the mouths of dogs
B)physiologist; amount of salivation in a dog's response to a tone
C)psychologist; principles of classical conditioning
D)psychologist; amount of salivation in a dog's response to a bell

Question 10

A trained salivary response was called the _______________ by Pavlov.

A)conditioned response
B)conditional reflex
C)conditioned stimulus
D)neutral stimulus

Question 11

While sitting in her Jeep at a red traffic light, Lauren heard a loud screech. One second later, a cab smashed into the back of her Jeep. Now when she hears a screeching sound, she feels anxious. In this example, the screech became an effective __________, and her anxiety in response to the sound became the __________.

A)CR; CS
B)US; CR
C)CS; CR
D)CS; UR

Question 12

Johnny is tormented in the schoolyard every day by a bully with bright red frizzy hair. One day, Johnny's father brought his boss, Mr. Dale, home. The boss had bright red frizzy hair, and Johnny ran to his room, crying. Mr. Dale's hair functioned as a __________, and Johnny's fear was a __________.

A)US; CR
B)US; UR
C)CS; CR
D)CR; CS

Question 13

In Pavlov's experiments, meat powder elicited salivation. Salivation in this case was the

A)CR.
B)UR.
C)CS.
D)US.

Question 14

Taste aversions differ from other instances of classical conditioning because

A)only one association may be required.
B)the US can occur hours after the CS.
C)the US and the CS must be unrelated.
D)none of these

Question 15

Pavlov referred to learned salivation as a __________. Today, it is better known as a(an) __________.

A)conditioned response; orienting reflex
B)learned response; neutral stimulus
C)conditioned reflex; conditioned response
D)conditioned response; conditioned reflex

Question 16

In the classic study by Garcia et al. (1989), nausea was used as a(n)

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

Question 17

Jack and Jill lived on a hill in an apartment with a very static-y carpet. Whenever Jack kissed Jill, she got a shock. Eventually, every time Jack moved toward Jill, she ran down the hill. The shock was a(n)

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

Question 18

According to behaviorists, __________ is any relatively permanent change in an organism's behavior that occurs because of experience.

A)extinction
B)higher-order conditioning
C)acquisition
D)learning

Question 19

Roberto kept seeing signs on the highway advertising Pizza Hut. He started to salivate at the possibility of having a pizza. The signs were

A)unconditioned stimuli.
B)unconditioned responses.
C)conditioned stimuli.
D)conditioned responses.

Question 20

Gale had Chinese food for the first time when she was 6. Unfortunately for Gale, she got sick from food poisoning later that night. It has been 27 years since that experience, and Gale still can't eat Chinese food. According to the research of Garcia, she has developed a(n)

A)phobia for Chinese food.
B)taste aversion.
C)operational consequence.
D)negative reinforcement.

Question 21

Alex, your dog, has just been switched from dry dog food to canned dog food. Alex has always made a fast dash to the kitchen every time he heard the dog food bag rattling. Switching to canned food will most likely result in

A)the sound of the bag losing its status as a CS for Alex.
B)Alex immediately running to the sound of the can opener.
C)Alex continuing to always come running to the sound of a bag being opened.
D)none of these

Question 22

After the bell became an effective CS, Pavlov then paired it with a light. Eventually, the light was able to elicit the response of salivation. This is an example of

A)response hierarchy.
B)higher-order conditioning.
C)generalization.
D)stimulus-response hierarchy.

Question 23

Why would the term extinction be a possible misnomer?

A)Because a CS is never really extinguished
B)Because a CS always has the potential of eliciting a UR
C)Because the US always elicits a CR
D)Because we see spontaneous recovery of CRs

Question 24

Using a conditioned stimulus to condition a neutral stimulus is called

A)multi-level conditioning.
B)reverse conditioning.
C)higher-order conditioning.
D)partial reinforcement.

Question 25

Camouflage prevents

A)generalization.
B)discrimination.
C)extinction.
D)spontaneous recovery.

Question 26

The most thrilling part of a roller coaster ride is the speed of the rapid descent. Yet your excitement begins to build as you wait in line and gradually increases as you board the train, strap yourself in, and begin the slow incline. These increments in level of excitement during this whole process are an example of

A)response hierarchy.
B)stimulus-response hierarchy.
C)higher-order conditioning.
D)generalized conditioning.

Question 27

Your front doorbell has a higher pitch than your back doorbell. When one rings, you always know which door to answer. This is an example of

A)discrimination.
B)generalization.
C)higher-order conditioning.
D)response generalization.

Question 28

A reduction of conditioned responses in the absence of the unconditioned stimulus is called

A)spontaneous recovery.
B)generalization.
C)aversion.
D)extinction.

Question 29

John Watson was criticized for his experiments with Little Albert. One of these criticisms was that he did not attempt to ________ Little Albert, thereby minimizing his fear of white furry objects.

A)countercondition
B)extinguish
C)desensitize
D)discriminate

Question 30

Unlike other forms of conditioning, taste aversion is powerful and rapidly acquired, suggesting that it

A)is specific to certain organisms.
B)is because the CS and US are contiguous.
C)only occurs in humans and not lower animals.
D)has adaptive significance.

Question 31

Stop at red. Go at green. Go very fast at yellow. These are examples of

A)generalization.
B)discrimination.
C)reinforcement.
D)punishment.

Question 32

All of the following are elements related to conditioning of fear except

A)that once developed, fears are difficult to extinguish.
B)that fears are easily recognizable stimuli related to survival.
C)that fears are primarily learned through observing others.
D)fears are controlled by a specific neural circuit that has been shaped by evolution.

Question 33

A good definition of counterconditioning would be

A)punishment.
B)associating a stimulus with another stimulus.
C)associating a response with another response.
D)reassociating a stimulus with a different response.

Question 34

Because of the phenomenon of spontaneous recovery, psychologists believe that

A)extinction of a CR can never really occur.
B)extinction of a CS can never really occur.
C)the CR is not really extinguished but merely inhibited during extinction trials.
D)the UR is not really extinguished but merely inhibited during extinction trials.

Question 35

The idea that humans are primed to develop certain fears that ensure survival is known as

A)biological preparedness.
B)fear response.
C)survival of the fitness.
D)all of these

Question 36

A child is bitten by a snake. Whenever he sees a snake, he gets scared. Now, whenever he hears the word "snake," he gets scared. The last situation is called

A)higher-order conditioning.
B)reverse conditioning.
C)punishment.
D)partial reinforcement.

Question 37

Many fear responses are probably acquired through the process of _______ conditioning.

A)classical
B)temporary
C)primary
D)secondary

Question 38

Mimi, your cat, comes running into the kitchen every time you use the electric can opener. Your vet has instructed you to switch her from canned cat food to dry cat food, the kind in a bag. Which of the following will likely occur?

A)She will always come running to the sound of the electric can opener.
B)The sound of the bag will not become an effective CS for Mimi.
C)Eventually, the sound of the electric can opener will lose its status as a CS for Mimi.
D)Mimi will immediately come running to the sound of the bag and not to the sound of the electric can opener.

Question 39

Your little brother learned that a cow says "moo." When he sees a horse he calls it "moo moo," which is an example of

A)higher-order conditioning.
B)response discrimination.
C)generalization.
D)discrimination.

Question 40

"I will only buy products made in America!" This is an example of

A)generalization.
B)discrimination.
C)extinction.
D)distinction.

Question 41

To reduce Mary Ann's fear of birds, a behavior therapist had her relax and think of a bird. Then she showed Mary Ann a picture of some birds, after which they both watched the Hitchcock movie about birds. After a few sessions, she took Mary Ann to the aviary. This is an example of what type of behavior therapy?

A)Systematic desensitization
B)Flooding
C)Higher-order conditioning
D)Aversion conditioning

Question 42

A student's preference for a grade of "A" rather than "F" is most likely the result of

A)classical conditioning.
B)operant conditioning.
C)adaptation conditioning.
D)counterconditioning.

Question 43

An involuntary response is to classical conditioning as a voluntary response is to

A)operant conditioning.
B)extinction.
C)reinforcement.
D)generalization.

Question 44

To reduce Patty's fear of horses, a behavior therapist took her immediately to the nearby horse farm. She instructed Patty to stand in the stables, where she was surrounded by 20 horses. This is an example of what kind of behavior therapy?

A)Aversion-hierarchy conditioning
B)Higher-order conditioning
C)Systematic desensitization
D)Flooding

Question 45

During World War II, B. F. Skinner was to head up "Project Pigeon," where

A)he would train pigeons to carry messages between army camps.
B)he would train pigeons to guide missiles to their targets.
C)he was to train pigeons to drop bombs on the enemy.
D)pigeons were used as projectiles and shot out of cannons.

Question 46

One major difference between the Skinner box and Thorndike's puzzle box is

A)a "correct" response does not allow the animal to escape and have to be recaptured.
B)the animal is permitted to escape, but the experimenter can recapture it.
C)the Skinner box allows for observation.
D)there is no difference

Question 47

You are absolutely terrified of dogs. Your behavior therapist is taking you to a kennel where you will be surrounded by 10 dogs. This therapeutic approach is known as

A)systematic desensitization.
B)higher-order conditioning.
C)aversion conditioning.
D)flooding.

Question 48

Behavior therapists prefer systematic desensitization to flooding as a behavior therapy to reduce fears because

A)it takes less time.
B)it exposes the individual to the fear-evoking stimuli all at once.
C)the process of relaxation and gradual exposure to varied forms of the feared stimuli is more pleasant.
D)the client is not exposed to the feared stimuli.

Question 49

Which of the following best illustrates operant conditioning, according to Skinner?

A)A dog salivates at the sound of a dinner bell.
B)A cat comes running when it hears the sound of a can opener.
C)A dolphin is given a fish every time it jumps through a hoop.
D)The mating behavior of salmon.

Question 50

This psychologist used cats in puzzle boxes to develop his understanding of behavior.

A)Edward Thorndike
B)B.F. Skinner
C)John B. Watson
D)Sigmund Freud

Question 51

Tim repeatedly placed his pigeon in a cage, with birdseed just outside the cage door. The only way the pigeon could reach the birdseed was to peck a button fixed on one of the walls. This opened the door and allowed the pigeon to reach the seed. According to the law of effect, which of the following would most likely occur?

A)The pigeon would ignore the birdseed.
B)The pigeon would experience frustration and go to sleep.
C)The pigeon would eventually peck the button and access the food, but never try to do this again.
D)The pigeon would eventually peck the button and access the food, and each subsequent time, peck the button more quickly than before.

Question 52

According to the law of effect,

A)an operant becomes strengthened if rewarded.
B)the S-R connection is weakened after several trials.
C)the CS and CR become "stamped in" even after extinction.
D)a rat will press a bar even if not rewarded.

Question 53

Anything that increases the probability of a response is called a(n)

A)reinforcement.
B)punishment.
C)operant.
D)shaper.

Question 54

In operant conditioning, behavior is a result of its

A)responses.
B)stimuli.
C)consequences.
D)innate pathways.

Question 55

Your dog is upset and agitated around your new cat. Your new cat is not particularly happy around your dog, either. Then you start to feed them together, side by side. They begin to like each other (or at least tolerate each other). This happened in accordance with the principle of

A)fear hierarchy conditioning.
B)counterconditioning.
C)backward conditioning.
D)trace conditioning.

Question 56

Gradually exposing someone to fear-inducing stimuli while they are in a relaxed state is called

A)systematic desensitization.
B)flooding.
C)extinction therapy.
D)reverse conditioning.

Question 57

Kate hated to be sticky. She had a phobia about it. Her therapist put her in a room and covered her with orange juice and Pepsi, and she had to stay there for six hours. This type of therapy is called

A)systematic desensitization.
B)flooding.
C)extinction therapy.
D)reverse conditioning.

Question 58

Behavior followed by a positive outcome will be repeated while behavior followed by a negative outcome will not. This is called

A)Skinner's law of behavior.
B)Thorndike's law of effect.
C)Watson's law of nature.
D)Darwin's law of evolution.

Question 59

After studying cats in the puzzle box, __________ came up with the "law of effect."

A)Ivan Pavlov
B)John B. Watson
C)B. F. Skinner
D)Edward Thorndike

Question 60

The major difference between counterconditioning and flooding is that counterconditioning

A)is based on the concept of extinction.
B)exposes the client to a hierarchy of feared stimuli under relaxed conditions.
C)is not used by behavior therapists.
D)repeatedly pairs a pleasant stimulus with the fear-evoking stimulus.

Question 61

Positive reinforcement is to increasing behavior as ______________ is to decreasing behavior.

A)negative reinforcement
B)extinction
C)shaping
D)generalization

Question 62

Any stimulus that, when removed, increases the likelihood that an operant will continue is called a(n)

A)positive reinforcer.
B)negative reinforcer.
C)conditioned stimulus.
D)unconditioned stimulus.

Question 63

Which of the following is a primary reinforcer?

A)Money
B)Food
C)Cigarettes
D)Job success

Question 64

We know punishment is effective when

A)the behavior in question decreases.
B)there is a lot of crying.
C)the behavior is reinforced.
D)the behavior increases.

Question 65

Which of the following is a secondary reinforcer?

A)Money
B)Food
C)Warmth
D)Water

Question 66

Eunjoo's mother told her she would get a lollipop if she stayed on the sidewalk and did not run into the street. Eunjoo's mother is using

A)positive reinforcement.
B)negative reinforcement.
C)punishment.
D)systematic desensitization.

Question 67

Which of the following best describes giving a dog food after rolling over?

A)A negative, primary, immediate reinforcer was given.
B)A positive, secondary, immediate reinforcer was given.
C)A positive, primary, immediate reinforcer was given.
D)A negative, primary, delayed reinforcer was given.

Question 68

Which of the following statements is incorrect concerning punishment?

A)Physically punished children are more likely to be aggressive.
B)Physically punished children are more likely to abuse their children when they have them.
C)Physically punished children are more likely to abuse their spouses when they have them.
D)Physical punishment does not decrease behavior.

Question 69

Renee and Josh are considering the use of physical punishment to control their daughter's misbehavior. In making their decision, they should consider which of the following facts?

A)Their daughter is less likely to develop internal moral standards if physically punished.
B)Their daughter may become more physically aggressive.
C)Their daughter may develop poor relationships with them in the future.
D)They should consider all of these

Question 70

Spontaneous recovery of extinguished operants supports the notion that

A)the operant was not permanently lost.
B)the operant was innate.
C)the UR was not permanently lost.
D)the UR was innate.

Question 71

Renee and Josh want to teach Isabella to play nicely with her cousins through verbal praise. In order to effectively use praise, it should be

A)paired with a piece of candy.
B)delayed.
C)immediate.
D)followed by a second reinforcer.

Question 72

Carrie takes an aspirin every time she feels like she is about to get a headache. This is an example of

A)positive reinforcement.
B)negative reinforcement.
C)punishment.
D)systematic desensitization.

Question 73

Which of the following is not an example of a reinforced behavior?

A)Praising a dog for rolling over
B)Patting a dog for rolling over
C)Ringing a bell before a dog rolls over
D)Giving a dog a "biscuit" for rolling over.

Question 74

We stop at a red traffic light and go when it is green because, individually, both lights serve as

A)reinforcers.
B)generalized stimuli.
C)discriminative stimuli.
D)discriminative responses.

Question 75

Adrienne and Gus want to stop their son's temper tantrums through the use of physical punishment. Research would support this strategy because

A)physical punishment has been shown to quickly and effectively change behavior.
B)physical punishment creates a closer bond between a parent and a child.
C)physical punishment helps create internal moral standards.
D)none of these would be supported by research

Question 76

The two types of reinforcers are

A)primary and secondary.
B)incidental and delayed.
C)primary and negative.
D)positive and negative.

Question 77

Working hard to avoid the loss of your paycheck next week is an example of a

A)negative, secondary, delayed reinforcer.
B)positive, secondary, delayed reinforcer.
C)positive, primary, immediate reinforcer.
D)negative, primary, delayed reinforcer.

Question 78

Extinction in operant conditioning involves

A)the elimination of a response.
B)the removal of the reward that maintains the response.
C)a decrease in behavior.
D)all of these

Question 79

When a behavior is followed by negative reinforcement, the behavior is likely to

A)extinguish.
B)be suppressed.
C)decrease.
D)increase.

Question 80

Spontaneous recovery describes the event in which an organism performs

A)a new or novel behavior.
B)a behavior that was never reinforced.
C)a previously extinguished response.
D)none of these