Deck 3: Learning, Reinforcement and Self-Management

Question 1

Operant conditioning is the view that learning is achieved when the consequences of a behaviour lead to changes in the probability of its occurrence.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

The process of controlling behaviour by manipulating its consequences is called operant conditioning.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Social learning is achieved through reciprocal interactions among people, behaviour and environment.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Classical conditioning has largely replaced operant conditioning for managerial use.

Question 5

Cognitive learning is achieved by thinking about the perceived relationship between events and individual goals and expectations.

Question 6

The law of contingency is the foundation for reinforcement theory.

Question 7

Burnout is a psychological concept associated with the experience of long term exhaustion or diminished interest usually within the workplace.

Question 8

When reinforcement consequences for a behaviour are withdrawn and the behaviour weakens or decreases in frequency, negative reinforcement has occurred.

Question 9

The manager who administers punishment to a subordinate may end up being viewed negatively by that subordinate.

Question 10

Among the guidelines for punishment is the advice to avoid telling the individual being punished what he or she has done wrong.

Question 11

Reinforcement theory is usually acclaimed for its positive contributions; it is very difficult to find critics of the theory.

Question 12

Self-management strategies are closely related to social learning theory.

Question 13

People with high self-efficacy believe that they have the necessary ability for a given job.

Question 14

People with high efficacy believe that they lack self-control.

Question 15

Teaching organizations are those in which knowledge is acquired or developed so that it modifies behaviour.

Question 16

Learning is:

A) a relatively temporary change in behaviour resulting from experience
B) not related to behaviour or experience
C) a relatively permanent change in behaviour resulting from experience
D) concerned with both permanent and temporary changes

Question 17

Which of the following is NOT included in general approaches to learning?

A) social learning
B) operant conditioning
C) motivation learning
D) cognitive learning

Question 18

Operant conditioning is illustrated by:

A) Pavlov's dog salivating at the bell
B) a department store manager congratulating employees for replacing product on demand
C) a previous reaction when asked to step into the boss's office
D) a person experiencing a sharp pain when seeing an electric prod after being tortured with one

Question 19

Positive reinforcement is a part of:

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

Question 20

Kolb's learning theory is an example of:

A) Social Learning Theory
B) Classical Conditioning Theory
C) Operant Conditioning Theory
D) Experiential Learning Theory

Question 21

The use of operant conditioning to modify animal and human behaviour was popularised by:

A) B. F. Skinner
B) Abraham Maslow
C) E. L. Thorndike
D) Victor Vroom

Question 22

People acquiring new behaviours by directly observing and then imitating the behaviour of others is called:

A) shaping
B) positive reinforcement
C) social learning
D) cognitive conditioning

Question 23

Social learning theory is associated with the work of:

A) Abraham Maslow
B) B. F. Skinner
C) E L. Thorndike
D) Albert Bandura

Question 24

A worker being reprimanded for absenteeism is an example of which OB Mod strategy?

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

Question 25

Both positive and negative reinforcement attempt to:

A) encourage a desirable behaviour
B) reward excellent workers on a timely basis
C) discourage an undesirable behaviour
D) weaken a worker's desire for monetary rewards

Question 26

The more immediate the delivery of a reward after the occurrence of a desirable behaviour, the:

A) greater the reinforcing effect on the behaviour
B) less likely the reward will act as a positive reinforcer
C) greater the need for extinction on the part of the organization
D) greater the capacity for negative reinforcement

Question 27

The creation of new behaviour by the positive reinforcement of successive approximations to the desired behaviour is known as:

A) extinction
B) shaping
C) operant conditioning
D) classical conditioning

Question 28

Ethical concerns about systemic use of punishment include that:

A) it is always the innocent worker who is punished
B) it is not effective at all in changing behaviour
C) it is inequitably administered
D) managers can abuse their power

Question 29

Approach avoidance conflict occurs when:

A) a person tries to avoid a positive or negative consequence.
B) a person must decide to do something that has both positive and negative consequences.
C) a person must decide between two negative consequences.
D) a person must decide between two positive consequences.

Question 30

Strengthening of desirable behaviour comes from:

A) positive and negative reinforcement
B) positive reinforcement and extinction
C) extinction and avoidance
D) avoidance and punishment

Question 31

Single loop learning is concerned with:

A) the understanding and reflecting upon experience
B) innovation and creativity
C) learning by rote, with an emphasis on memorisation rather than comprehension
D) accessing, retrieving and capturing knowledge

Question 32

When a worker meets his/her production quota to avoid nagging by the supervisor it is an example of:

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

Question 33

When a manager counsels an employee's co-workers to stop 'covering up' for the worker's lateness and poor performance, it is an application of:

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

Question 34

Lifelong learning can be defined as:

A) The total experience that we have during our working careers.
B) The commitment that an organization shows to employee development and learning
C) The adoption of a philosophy that we learn throughout our lives, and that learning does not cease when we reach a certain age
D) the culmination of qualifications that we accrue over our lifetime

Question 35

Self-management behaviour strategies do NOT include:

A) rehearsing and self-punishing
B) self-setting goals and self-observing
C) managing cues and self-rewarding
D) establishing constructive thought patterns and rehearsing

Question 36

The "Law of effect" is most commonly associated with:

A) B. F. Skinner
B) Abraham Maslow
C) E. L. Thorndike
D) Victor Vroom

Question 37

Extinction is:

A) The stopping of undesirable behaviour by punishment
B) The withdrawal of the reinforcing consequences of behaviour
C) When behaviour changes as a result of successive punishments
D) The administration of negative consequences that lead to behavioural changes

Question 38

Intermittent reinforcement:

A) is a reinforcement schedule that rewards behaviour only periodically
B) is a reinforcement schedule that administers a reward each time a desired behaviour occurs
C) is the creation of new behaviour by positive reinforcement
D) is reinforcement only after punishment is administered

Question 39

The difference between organizational learning and teaching organizations is:

A) organizational learning is done by individuals whereas teaching organizations are those that teach all employees
B) none
C) teaching organizations aim to pass on learning to others to achieve and maintain success, whereas organizational learning is simply the sum of all learning in the organization
D) teaching organizations aim to pass on learning to others to achieve and maintain success, whereas organizational learning explains the process of acquiring or developing knowledge that can change behaviour and improve performance

Question 40

Sam is paid each week by cheque. This an example of a reward delivered by a __________ schedule.

A) fixed interval
B) fixed ratio
C) variable ratio
D) constant interval

Question 41

Sam's manager likes to spot-check Sam's work output and then give him praise for desirable behaviour. This is an example of a(n) __________ schedule.

A) variable interval
B) variable ratio
C) fixed ratio
D) fixed internal

Question 42

When Sam's manager nods his head in agreement to Sam's suggestion for a new staff roster, this is:

A) negative reinforcement
B) fixed internal reinforcement
C) positive reinforcement
D) extinction

Question 43

Sam is driving to work and he stops at a red light in order to avoid a ticket. This illustrates:

A) positive reinforcement
B) negative reinforcement
C) extinction
D) intermittent reinforcement

Question 44

Sam is late for work. He takes the risk and does not stop at a red light. As a result he is given a ticket by the police. Punishment as a strategy of reinforcement is:

A) the same as negative reinforcement
B) finishing the job to avoid negative consequences
C) finishing the job to get a reward
D) avoiding negative consequences by refraining from an undesirable behaviour

Question 45

A manager counselling co-workers not to laugh at another worker's jokes in a meeting is using:

A) positive reinforcement
B) avoidance
C) punishment
D) extinction

Question 46

Sam likes to visit the casino and play the slot machines. The act of putting coins into slot or gaming machines illustrates:

A) intermittent reinforcement
B) continuous reinforcement
C) negative reinforcement
D) shaping behaviour

Question 47

Sam is working on a group project in his Organizational Behaviour class. His team was praised for their excellent work by their lecturer. As a result the project team's performance improved dramatically. This scenario illustrates the use of:

A) extinction
B) positive reinforcement
C) both positive and negative reinforcement
D) negative reinforcement and extinction

Question 48

When the manager gets Sam's co-workers to stop laughing at his jokes at meetings and praises him for valuable comments, this illustrates __________ reinforcement.

A) both negative and positive
B) both extinction and negative
C) both extinction and positive
D) both punishment and positive

Question 49

When Sam's manager watches Sam learning to use a new machine and praises Sam each time the process is done perfectly, the reinforcement schedule is:

A) fixed interval
B) fixed ratio
C) continuous
D) variable

Question 50

Define learning and explain how organizational learning might occur.

Question 51

Distinguish between Learning and Teaching Organizations.

Question 52

Explain the difference between negative and positive reinforcement.

Question 53

Explain the concept of extinction using an example.

Question 54

What is meant by 'social learning theory'? Describe how self-management strategies may be used to enhance self-efficacy and the worker's feeling of self-control.

Question 55

What is a learning organization? What steps does an organization have to take in order to become a learning organization?

Question 56

Explain 'organizational behaviour modification'. Describe how one or more reinforcement strategies could be used to deal with an employee who is consistently late for work but very productive when present.

Question 57

Visual Diagram Questions
(These diagrams can be used to test understanding of concepts rather than mere recollection. The provision of the diagrams removes the pressure to remember but does draw on the ability to explain a visual image. Instructors should take care if using a mix of other questions with visual diagram questions to ensure that the diagram does not provide answers to other questions in a test or exam.)
-Using the diagram below:
a) Explain the meaning of conditioned stimuli.
b) Explain how the consequences of a behaviour have an impact on future behaviour.
c) Give another example of each.

Question 58

Visual Diagram Questions
(These diagrams can be used to test understanding of concepts rather than mere recollection. The provision of the diagrams removes the pressure to remember but does draw on the ability to explain a visual image. Instructors should take care if using a mix of other questions with visual diagram questions to ensure that the diagram does not provide answers to other questions in a test or exam.)
-The following chart shows behaviour-focused strategies for self-management.
a) Fill in the gaps.
b) Give an example of each.