Deck 5: Section 1: Learning

Question 1

In your textbook, the author explains how classical conditioning can influence drug responses by using an example of caffeine. Describe another example that is not used in your text to illustrate the link between classical conditioning and a specific drug response.

Answer 1

The answer should include the following information (students are free to choose any drug in this answer): A regular alcohol drinker may notice that he or she begins to feel slightly "buzzed" after just a few sips of beer, wine, or liquor. However, it may take an hour or more for the alcohol to reach significant levels in the bloodstream. If the drinker is feeling more "buzzed" before blood levels of alcohol rise, he or she has probably developed a classically conditioned response to the sight, smell, and taste of alcohol.

Question 2

Describe the basic process of classical conditioning, using an original example. Be sure to identify the UCS, UCR, CS, and CR.

Answer 2

The answer should include the following information: Classical conditioning is the process of learning an association between two stimuli. It involves pairing a neutral stimulus (a sign, Billy Bob's Burgers) with an unlearned, natural stimulus (food in the mouth; UCS) that automatically elicits a reflexive response (in this case, salivation; the UCR). If the two stimuli (sign + food) are repeatedly paired, eventually the neutral stimulus (sign; now the CS) elicits the same reflexive response (salivation; CR) as the natural food stimulus even if the food is not present.

Question 3

Discuss criticisms of the famous "Little Albert" study.

Answer 3

The answer should include the following information: While the Little Albert study became quite well known in the developing field of psychology, there were a number of criticisms leveled at the experiment. For example, the experiment was not carefully designed or conducted. Albert's fear and distress were not objectively measured but were subjectively evaluated by Watson and Rayner. There were also ethical issues with the experiment. Watson and Rayner did not extinguish Little Albert's fear of furry animals and objects, even though they believed that such conditioned emotional responses would "persist and modify personality throughout life." This type of experiment could not ethically be conducted today.

Question 4

According to Pavlov, what factors can affect the strength of a classically conditioned response?

Question 5

Describe the famous "Little Albert" study, including the implications of the study's results.

Question 6

Define a discriminative stimulus, and give at least two examples of a discriminative stimulus not used in the text.

Question 7

Provide two examples of how Watson applied classical conditioning principles to advertising.

Question 8

Compare and contrast positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement, and provide an original example of each.

Question 9

Define learning and conditioning as psychologists use the terms, and give examples of three forms of learning.

Question 10

Describe the school or approach to psychology that John Watson founded, and explain why he founded it.

Question 11

Based on Pavlov's research with dogs, describe and provide examples of the following concepts: generalization and discrimination, higher order conditioning, extinction, and spontaneous recovery in classical conditioning.

Question 12

Explain how Robert Rescorla demonstrated that mental processes are involved in classical conditioning.

Question 13

Describe at least three strategies that can be used to change behavior without resorting to punishment.

Question 14

What did Skinner and other behaviorists believe should be the appropriate subject matter of psychology? That is, what should we study?

Question 15

Describe John Garcia's research, and explain why his findings were originally rejected.

Question 16

Explain how the idea of biological preparedness can be applied to human phobias.

Question 17

According to your text, what was Skinner's most radical-and controversial-belief? Explain how the concept of gamification is built upon Skinner's operant conditioning principles.

Question 18

Who was Edward Thorndike, and what were his contributions to the study of learning?

Question 19

Define punishment, describe the two types of punishment, and explain the drawbacks of using punishment.

Question 20

Why did conditioned taste aversions appear to violate the original principles of classical conditioning, and how did they come to be explained?

Question 21

Describe Martin Seligman's research on learned helplessness in dogs.

Question 22

Discuss the relationship between exposure to violent media and increases in aggressive behavior, and explain why some psychologists are cautious in their conclusions about the effects of media violence.

Question 23

What is learned helplessness and how was it first demonstrated?

Question 24

Discuss how the principles of observational learning have been applied to promote social change and healthy behaviors.

Question 25

Define instinctive drift, and explain its implications for operant conditioning.

Question 26

Discuss some of the ways that the concept of learned helplessness has been applied to human behavior, and how learned helplessness can be overcome in academic settings.

Question 27

Describe a study that shows indirect evidence of mirror neurons in humans.

Question 28

Identify three species of animals that have shown evidence of observational learning. Describe one study that had provided evidence of observational learning in animals.

Question 29

What conditions increase the likelihood that a behavior will be imitated?

Question 30

Compare and contrast operant and classical conditioning in terms of types of behavior studied, responses conditioned, extinction processes, and cognitive and evolutionary influences on each.

Question 31

Describe three learning principles that you can use to improve self-control.

Question 32

What is the partial reinforcement effect? What is extinction in operant conditioning, and what is the relationship between partial reinforcement, continuous reinforcement, and extinction?

Question 33

Explain what mirror neurons are and discuss research on the role of mirror neurons in imitation and observational learning in humans and other animals.

Question 34

Explain what is meant by the "adaptive nature of learning" as it relates to classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and observation/imitation.

Question 35

How did Edward Tolman demonstrate the role of mental processes in operant conditioning?

Question 36

Pick two of the four basic schedules of reinforcement, describe them, and give at least one example of the reinforcement schedule operating in daily life.