Deck 16: Skinner: Behavioral Analysis

Question 1

Which term is LEAST descriptive of B.F.Skinner?

A)psychodynamic
B)determinist
C)environmentalist
D)radical behaviorist

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Skinner's midlife crisis and emotional catharsis ended with

A)the death of his father.
B)his marriage.
C)his writing of Walden Two.
D)his election to the U.S.Senate.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

For Skinner,observable behavior

A)is beyond the realm of science.
B)is limited to internal events.
C)is motivated by hypothetical constructs.
D)results from unconscious psychodynamic processes.
E)None of these is correct.

Answer 3

E

Question 4

As a young man,Skinner wanted to become a

A)physician.
B)lawyer.
C)psychologist.
D)writer.

Question 5

Skinner's scientific behaviorism assumes that

A)the study of human behavior must be based on methods that are quite different from those of other natural sciences.
B)the motives of the subjects being observed must be given special consideration.
C)human behavior is subject to the laws of science.
D)human behavior cannot be studied scientifically.

Question 6

Discuss Skinner's philosophy of science as it applies to the study of human behavior.

Question 7

The label that best fits Skinner's work is

A)social learning theory.
B)humanistic theory.
C)radical behaviorism.
D)interpersonal theory.

Question 8

Discuss the contributions of E. L. Thorndike and J. B. Watson to Skinner's learning theory.

Question 9

In his philosophy of science,Skinner

A)began with complex organisms and then deduced specific principles.
B)held that science must be able to explain the causes of natural phenomena.
C)attempted to predict behavior,but neither to explain it nor to control it.
D)wanted to know how behavior can be described,predicted,and controlled.
E)held behavior to be neither lawful nor determined.

Question 10

Skinner's laboratory research at Harvard consisted exclusively of experiments

A)with only non-human animals.
B)with undergraduates he taught.
C)with fellow graduate students.
D)using psychotherapy patients.
E)with mentally retarded adults.

Question 11

Distinguish negative reinforcement from both positive reinforcement and punishment.

Question 12

What was Skinner's position on such internal mental states as thinking and feeling?

A)They do not exist because they cannot be observed from outside.
B)They exist,but scientists should not attribute behavior to them.
C)They are essential to an understanding of human behavior.
D)None of these is correct.

Question 13

Thorndike's original law of effect stated that

A)responses that are followed immediately by a satisfier tend to be stamped in.
B)responses that are followed immediately by an annoyer tend to be stamped out.
C)Both of these are correct.
D)Neither of these is correct.

Question 14

Operant conditioning is distinguished from classical conditioning primarily in that operant conditioning involves

A)the engagement of instincts.
B)immediate reinforcement of a response.
C)the pairing of a conditioned stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus.
D)elicited rather than emitted behavior.
E)All these are correct.

Question 15

Which of the following is NOT a principal characteristic of science,according to Skinner?

A)Science explains behavior.
B)Science values empirical observation.
C)Science is cumulative.
D)Science is a search for order and lawful relationships.

Question 16

John Watson argued that

A)the goal of psychology should be the prediction and control of behavior.
B)psychologists should be primarily concerned with why people act as they do.
C)psychology should be limited to the study of consciousness.
D)psychology is not and cannot be a science.

Question 17

Skinner believed that the most critical aspect of science is

A)the testing and verification of hypotheses.
B)an attitude valuing empirical observation.
C)the measurement of physiological responses.
D)reliable formulation of hypothetical concepts.

Question 18

According to Skinner,scientists seldom fabricate data mostly because

A)they are inherently more intellectually honest than other people.
B)correct data will be discovered and embarrass the fabricator.
C)they must take an oath of honesty when they become scientists.
D)they are unbiased and uninterested in the results of their studies.

Question 19

Skinner's work was MOST influenced by

A)Ivan Pavlov.
B)John Watson.
C)Harry Stack Sullivan.
D)Albert Bandura.
E)Sigmund Freud.

Question 20

Skinner believed that the most useful data for predicting and controlling behavior are

A)people's psychological components.
B)people's constitutions.
C)people's conscious perceptions.
D)people's personal histories.

Question 21

Heather has a painful headache.She takes some aspirin and the pain stops.In the future when she has a headache,she will also take aspirin.Skinner would say that the taking of aspirin to reduce headache pain is

A)positively reinforced.
B)negatively reinforced.
C)extinguished.
D)successively approximated.
E)spontaneously recovered.

Question 22

Skinner believed that the effects of punishment are

A)the same as the effects of reward.
B)the exact opposite to those of reward.
C)more predictable than those of reward.
D)less predictable than those of reward.

Question 23

Which of these did Skinner NOT list as an effect of punishment?

A)suppression of the behavior punished
B)suppression of related behavior
C)shaping of the targeted behavior
D)conditioning of negative feelings

Question 24

According to Skinner,a clear example of a conditioned reinforcer would be

A)sex.
B)physical comfort.
C)food.
D)money.
E)sleep.

Question 25

The three conditions essential to operant conditioning are

A)the situation,behavior,and conditioned stimulus.
B)the unconditioned stimulus,the conditioned stimulus,and the organism.
C)the antecedent,the behavior,and the consequence.
D)the unconditioned stimulus,the "Skinner box",and the experimenter.

Question 26

Which of these would NOT be considered by Skinner to be a generalized reinforcer?

A)affection
B)approval
C)money
D)attention
E)food

Question 27

A response to a similar environment in the absence of previous reinforcement was Skinner's definition of

A)stimulus generalization.
B)stimulus control.
C)stimulus discrimination.
D)shaping.

Question 28

Payment by piece rate (for example,paying a bricklayer a set amount for each brick laid) most closely approximates which schedule of reinforcement?

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

Question 29

When operant conditioning is used to shape complex behavior such as playing a piano,reinforcement is applied

A)through successive approximations.
B)by the process of punishment.
C)through an intermediary agent.
D)by waiting for the target behavior to appear,then rewarding it.

Question 30

Negative reinforcement and punishment are similar in that they both

A)strengthen a response.
B)weaken a response.
C)involve aversive stimuli.
D)have unpredictable effects on behavior.

Question 31

Skinner defines negative reinforcement as any condition that,

A)when removed from a situation,increases the probability that a given behavior will occur.
B)when added to a situation,increases the probability that a given behavior will occur.
C)when removed from a situation,decreases the probability that a given behavior will occur.
D)when added to a situation,decreases the probability that a given behavior will occur.

Question 32

Which of these schedules would cost the experimenter the most reinforcers for the least number of responses?

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

Question 33

Concerning reinforcement,Skinner would most likely say that

A)money is an innate reinforcer.
B)money is reinforcing because it has value.
C)money has value because it is reinforcing.
D)All of these are correct.

Question 34

For Skinner,an important distinction between classical conditioning and operant conditioning is that in classical conditioning behavior is _______,whereas in operant conditioning behavior is ________.

A)generalized; discriminated
B)emitted; elicited
C)extinguished; generalized
D)recovered; discriminated
E)elicited; emitted

Question 35

Skinner called any stimulus within the environment that strengthens behavior a

A)reward.
B)punishment.
C)reinforcer.
D)respondent.

Question 36

Negative and positive reinforcement are alike in that they

A)strengthen the behavior they follow.
B)involve the presentation of a beneficial stimulus.
C)involve the removal of an aversive stimulus.
D)extinguish the behavior they follow.
E)are not affected by schedules of reinforcement.

Question 37

Fixed-ratio,variable-ratio,fixed-interval,and variable-interval are examples of

A)intermittent schedules.
B)continuous schedules.
C)schedules of punishment.
D)slot machine payoffs.

Question 38

Unlike punishment,reinforcement

A)cannot derive from natural consequences.
B)can derive from human intervention.
C)gives information as to desired behavior.
D)involves adding a negative stimuli or removing a positive stimuli.
E)can be used to control behavior.

Question 39

Any behavior that tends to reduce or avoid conditions that are detrimental to the survival of the organism is

A)positively reinforced.
B)negatively reinforced.
C)extinguished.
D)punished.

Question 40

During World War II,Skinner

A)served in the Naval Air Force as a fighter pilot.
B)trained pigeons to pilot missiles into enemy targets.
C)worked in a VA hospital as a psychotherapist.
D)made an unsuccessful attempt to become a U.S.senator.

Question 41

Skinner believed that human behavior is shaped by all these factors EXCEPT

A)the individual's personal history of reinforcement.
B)natural selection.
C)cultural practices.
D)the individual's personal drive state.

Question 42

Payment by salary or wage most closely approximates which schedule of reinforcement?

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

Question 43

For Skinner,natural selection

A)is irrelevant to operant conditioning.
B)explains some animal behavior but no human behavior.
C)accounts for most human behavior.
D)is probably responsible for some human behavior.

Question 44

According to Skinner,human behavior is shaped by

A)drives which have been learned.
B)living in society.
C)the contingencies of survival.
D)reproduction.
E)unintentional injuries.

Question 45

Regarding human thoughts and cognitions,Skinner believed that

A)they can be understood by applying the principles of operant and respondent conditioning.
B)they are covert behaviors that take place within the skin.
C)they cannot be changed by the contingencies of reinforcement.
D)they do not exist.

Question 46

To Skinner,human personality is shaped by

A)contingencies of reinforcement.
B)natural selection.
C)both of these.
D)neither of these.

Question 47

The systematic withholding of reinforcement previously contingent upon a response until the probability of the response diminishes to zero is Skinner's definition of

A)punishment.
B)aversion.
C)extinction.
D)successive approximation.
E)negative reinforcement

Question 48

Skinner would view warfare as an example of

A)an aggressive instinct.
B)a maladaptive remnant of cultural evolution.
C)a maladaptive negative reinforcer.
D)a behavior independent of cultural evolution.

Question 49

Skinner explained problem solving by

A)the reinforcement of covert responses.
B)the existence of a storehouse of memory.
C)the fact that humans have creative minds.
D)cue-producing responses.
E)innate drives.

Question 50

With reference to inner states such as thoughts and drives,Skinner said that they

A)are fictional constructs with no real existence.
B)exist,but should not be used to explain behavior.
C)are the foundations for explanations of behavior.
D)motivate,but do not explain,behavior.

Question 51

For humans,playing slot machines best illustrates the influence of a _____ schedule of reinforcement.

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

Question 52

Concerning emotions,Skinner believed all EXCEPT which of the following?

A)A person's emotions are not directly observable to others.
B)The physical concomitants of emotions can be measured.
C)A majority of human behaviors are the result of emotions.
D)Emotions are subjectively real to the personing them.
E)Pleasant emotions tend to be reinforcing for an individual.

Question 53

Behavior reinforced on an intermittent schedule is

A)learned very rapidly.
B)extinguished very rapidly.
C)resistant to extinction.
D)extinguished rapidly through punishment.

Question 54

To stop her 2-year-old daughter from crying,Sandy consistently gives the child a piece of candy whenever she cries.Such behavior is

A)positively reinforcing for the child.
B)negatively reinforcing for Sandy.
C)neither one of these.
D)both of these.

Question 55

According to Skinner,the rate of operant extinction depends largely upon the

A)use of aversive stimuli.
B)inhibition of respondent extinction.
C)schedule of reinforcement.
D)use of continuous punishment.

Question 56

When she was in the 7^th grade,Dawn made 10 written book reports.Now,she can no longer recall the title of eight of those books.Skinner would say this loss is most likely due to

A)repression.
B)forgetting.
C)respondent extinction.
D)operant extinction.

Question 57

Young Tyler has learned that his mother always hides the cookies on the top shelf of the hall closet.After Tyler's mother noticed cookies missing,she decided to hide the cookie jar in a new place.After several unrewarding trips to the top shelf of the hall closet,Tyler stops looking there.Skinner would say that the disappearance of this response is due to

A)forgetting.
B)repression.
C)respondent extinction.
D)operant extinction.

Question 58

Concerning drives,Skinner said that they

A)are the sources of most human behaviors.
B)have no subjective existence.
C)can be either innate or learned.
D)are responses to deprivation or satiation.

Question 59

From the view of radical behaviorism,drives are

A)objective,observable causes of behavior.
B)the result of natural selection.
C)internal needs.
D)explanatory fictions.

Question 60

With what schedule of reinforcement is an organism reinforced for the first response following a designated period of time?

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

Question 61

According to Skinner,abused children may choose to remain with their parents because

A)one parent may be rewarding them while the other is abusive.
B)they may lack the means of countercontrol.
C)they may be receiving a powerful intermittent reward.
D)Any or all of these reasons are correct.

Question 62

Skinner's technique of "doing something else" is used

A)solely with self-control.
B)solely with social control.
C)with either self-control or social control.
D)with neither self-control nor social control.

Question 63

What is Skinner's basic view of human freedom?

A)The idea of freedom is positively reinforcing for many people.
B)By nature,people desire freedom and are resistant to control.
C)Societies can advance only when they value individual freedom.
D)People can never be free until they have embraced responsibility.
E)All of these are correct.

Question 64

People who make rewards or punishments contingent on the behavior of another are using which of Skinner's methods of social control?

A)operant conditioning
B)respondent conditioning
C)extinction
D)describing contingencies

Question 65

Skinner accepted the concept of unconscious

A)mental processes.
B)cognition.
C)conflicts.
D)behavior.
E)motivation.

Question 66

Which of these,according to Skinner,would be a means of self-control?

A)physical restraint
B)physical aids
C)satiation
D)deprivation
E)All of these.

Question 67

Skinner's view of humanity can best be termed as

A)humanistic.
B)teleological.
C)pessimistic.
D)deterministic.

Question 68

According to Skinner,advertising is a method of social control through

A)operant conditioning.
B)describing contingencies.
C)manipulating deprivation.
D)manipulating satiation.

Question 69

On the subject of dreams,Skinner believed that

A)many dreams spring from a collective unconscious.
B)dreams are beyond the scope of radical behaviorism.
C)dreams can be used to predict the future.
D)many dreams serve a wish-fulfillment purpose.

Question 70

Skinner saw creative behavior as being the result of

A)imagination.
B)mutations.
C)intelligence.
D)sublimations.
E)a creative power.

Question 71

What Freud saw as unconsciously motivated defense mechanisms,Skinner viewed as

A)consciously motivated defense mechanisms.
B)attempts to protect the self-concept against anxiety.
C)behaviors shaped by environmental contingencies.
D)unsuccessful attempts to defend the ego against guilt.

Question 72

Skinner saw the psychotherapist as a

A)controlling agent.
B)punitive authority figure.
C)major source of knowledge about human behavior.
D)necessary component of scientific psychology.
E)medical specialist.

Question 73

Skinner's principal contribution to psychotherapy was as

A)a writer whose ideas have influenced the behavior therapy movement.
B)a writer whose ideas have helped shape current psychoanalytic thinking.
C)a practicing psychotherapist.
D)the author of Walden Two.

Question 74

Skinner believed that some behavior is unconscious because the person does not think about the aversive stimuli connected with it.Not thinking about aversive stimuli is an example of

A)positive reinforcement.
B)negative reinforcement.
C)punishment.
D)a reaction formation.

Question 75

Grant has been planning a trip to Italy after he graduates with a degree in art.How would Skinner explain Grant's planning?

A)Grant's planning behavior is positively reinforcing.
B)Grant's personal history of insufficient planning has been negatively reinforced.
C)Grant simply desires to view Italian art.
D)Grant has obsessive thoughts of viewing Italian art.

Question 76

Skinner believed that self-control depends ultimately upon

A)will power.
B)punishment.
C)use of physical restraints.
D)environmental variables.
E)aversive stimuli.

Question 77

Research with Skinner's behavior management techniques has generally shown that

A)punishment tends to improve learning for people with high levels of anxiety.
B)differences in temperament affect the ways that people respond to behavior management techniques.
C)behavior management techniques change behavior only if people are motivated to change.
D)behavior management techniques are typically less effective that hypnosis in treating drug addiction.

Question 78

Skinner viewed the unhealthy personality as

A)being essentially genetic in origin.
B)a means of coping with excessive social control.
C)stemming from internal conflict.
D)lacking in productive interpersonal relationships.

Question 79

For Skinner,inappropriate behavior is shaped by

A)contingencies of positive reinforcement.
B)contingencies of negative reinforcement.
C)the effects of punishments.
D)none of these.
E)all of these.

Question 80

Skinner believed that passive resistance is most likely to be used

A)before the strategy of escape.
B)prior to revolt.
C)in conjunction with physical restraint.
D)after escape and revolt have failed.
E)as a form of negative reinforcement.