Deck 7: Section 2: Learning

Question 1

Which statement about the conditioned stimulus in classical conditioning is true?

A)Before any conditioning trials, the conditioned stimulus produces only one response.
B)The conditioned stimulus is initially neutral and does not produce a response.
C)Learning is not required for a conditioned stimulus to produce a response.
D)The conditioned stimulus must resemble the unconditioned stimulus.

Answer 1

The conditioned stimulus is initially neutral and does not produce a response.

Question 2

The smell of a particular perfume scent causes Juan's heart to flutter because it is the same scent as his girlfriend's. The perfume is a(n):

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

Answer 2

US.

Question 3

A general process in which the repeated presentation of a stimulus leads to a gradual decrease in responding is termed:

A)habituation.
B)classical conditioning.
C)sensitization.
D)association.

Answer 3

habituation.

Question 4

A speck of dirt that gets into your eye will naturally cause a blinking reflex. The speck of dirt is a(n):

A)conditioned stimulus.
B)unconditioned stimulus.
C)neutral stimulus.
D)second-order stimulus.

Question 5

Which of these is NOT an essential feature of learning?

A)It is based on experience.
B)It requires language.
C)It produces changes in the learner.
D)It produces changes that are relatively permanent.

Question 6

Your friend's mother was always baking ginger-flavored cookies whenever you were at their house. You loved those cookies, and would eat several each time you visited. One day, you noticed that you started to salivate as you walked up the front steps to the house, before you smelled the cookies. The reason for this is that the house has become a(n):

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

Question 7

The learning process involves the _____ of new knowledge, skills, or responses as a function of _____.

A)development; time
B)growth; maturity
C)acquisition; experience
D)gradual accumulation; education

Question 8

In Pavlov's research, what was the US?

A)food
B)the humming of a tuning fork
C)salivating at the sound of a bell
D)a tube inserted into the salivary gland

Question 9

An initially neutral stimulus that comes to elicit a response because it has been paired with an unconditioned stimulus is called a(n) _____ stimulus.

A)discriminative
B)habituated
C)conditioned
D)reinforcing

Question 10

In Pavlov's research, what was the CR?

A)pricking ears at the sound of the bell
B)salivating upon food presentation
C)a bell
D)salivating at the sound of a bell

Question 11

A reflexive reaction that is reliably elicited by an unconditioned stimulus is called a(n) _____ response.

A)reinforced
B)sensitized
C)unconditioned
D)conditioned

Question 12

When a neutral stimulus evokes a response after being paired with a stimulus that naturally evokes a response, the result is an example of which phenomena?

A)classical conditioning
B)semantic conditioning
C)episodic conditioning
D)operant conditioning

Question 13

Billy Bob's Big Burger Barn is your favorite restaurant, and lately you've noticed that every time you walk by there on your way to class, your mouth starts to salivate. In this incidence of classical conditioning, the sight of the restaurant is the _____; your salivation is the _____.

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

Question 14

A general process in which the presentation of a stimulus leads to an increased response to a later stimulus is termed:

A)habituation.
B)classical conditioning.
C)sensitization.
D)association.

Question 15

In Pavlov's research, what was the UR?

A)food
B)salivating upon food presentation
C)a tuning fork
D)salivating at the sound of a bell

Question 16

Last week, Harry drank too much tequila and this made him vomit. Now, just the smell of tequila makes his stomach a bit queasy. Vomiting is an example of a(n):

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

Question 17

Which school of psychology is MOST associated with pioneering research on learning?

A)functionalism
B)evolutionary psychology
C)cognitive psychology
D)behaviorism

Question 18

Imagine that your girlfriend loves zydeco music. Eventually, your girlfriend dumps you, walking out of your apartment in the middle of a song. Your stomach tightens, and you are sad and angry. A few weeks later, you happen to hear zydeco music in a friend's car. Assuming classical conditioning occurred, what should happen when you hear the zydeco?

A)Your stomach clenches.
B)You call your ex-girlfriend on your cell phone and beg her to take you back.
C)You begin discussing your relationship problems with your friend.
D)You immediately think of all the good times that you had with your ex-girlfriend.

Question 19

In Pavlov's research, what was the CS?

A)food
B)a dog
C)a ringing bell
D)the salivary reflex

Question 20

A reaction that usually resembles the unconditioned response but is produced by a conditioned stimulus is termed a(n) _____ response.

A)sensitized
B)habituated
C)conditioned
D)reinforcing

Question 21

The phase of classical conditioning in which the CS and the US are presented together is called:

A)habituation.
B)discrimination.
C)acquisition.
D)generalization.

Question 22

A conditioned compensatory response is a:

A)special type of UR.
B)CR that is of greater intensity than the UR.
C)CR that opposes the UR.
D)drug-paired stimulus.

Question 23

Most animals can adjust to slight variations in the conditioned stimulus, an adaptation known as:

A)discrimination.
B)generalization.
C)extinction.
D)second-order conditioning.

Question 24

Johnny hated going to the doctor because he always received vaccinations. When he entered the doctor's office, he would become anxious and his stomach would hurt. When Johnny reached the age of 8, he was finished with his immunizations. After many trips to the doctor's office with no injections, what should happen with Johnny's anxiety and stomachache?

A)They should get worse with every visit.
B)They should stay the same.
C)They should gradually become less severe and eventually disappear.
D)They should start occurring before he even enters the doctor's office.

Question 25

In Pavlov's experiments on second-order conditioning, dogs were conditioned to salivate at the sight of a black square:

A)by pairing it with food.
B)by rewarding the dog with food when it salivated in the presence of the black square.
C)by presenting food first and then following it with the black square.
D)even though the black square was never directly associated with food.

Question 26

When the veterinarian advised an owner to feed her dog in the morning instead of in the evening, it took several days for the dog to stop salivating late in the afternoon around its previous dinner time. This is an example of:

A)spontaneous recovery.
B)extinction.
C)generalization.
D)second-order conditioning.

Question 27

When a drug of abuse such as heroin is injected, the entire setting (the drug paraphernalia, the room, the lighting, etc.) can become a _____ and elicit responses _____ to the drug.

A)US; similar
B)US; in opposition
C)CS; similar
D)CS; in opposition

Question 28

An animal trainer is conditioning an elephant to startle at the sound of a trombone. Every time she plays the trombone, she then shows the elephant a mouse, which startles the elephant. Eventually the elephant startles at just the sound of the trombone. However, after playing the trombone 10 more times, without a mouse appearing, the elephant exhibits no response. The trainer then gives the elephant an adequate rest period from the trombone. What is MOST likely to occur if the elephant hears the trombone again the following week?

A)The elephant will not react.
B)The elephant will have a greatly delayed startle reaction.
C)The elephant will startle upon hearing the sound.
D)The elephant will startle only if it sees a mouse.

Question 29

An animal trainer is conditioning an elephant to startle at the sound of a trombone. Every time she plays the trombone, she then shows the elephant a mouse, which startles the elephant. Eventually the elephant startles at just the sound of the trombone. However, after playing the trombone 10 more times, without a mouse appearing, the elephant exhibits no response. The result is an example of:

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

Question 30

Lots of cash in hand always makes Charlie's heart race with excitement, due to the phenomenon known as:

A)positive reinforcement.
B)conditioned compensatory response.
C)second-order conditioning.
D)spontaneous recovery.

Question 31

Which of these describes how the intensity of a CR changes during the acquisition phase of classical conditioning?

A)starts low, rises rapidly, then decreases sharply
B)starts low, rises rapidly, then tapers off
C)starts low, rises slowly, then decreases sharply
D)starts high, decreases sharply, then tapers off

Question 32

An experienced user who takes heroin in a new setting has an increased risk of overdose because:

A)she may take more drug than intended.
B)the conditioned compensatory response becomes stronger.
C)changed settings result in added stress.
D)the CS that triggers the compensatory CR is degraded or absent altogether.

Question 33

In Pavlov's experiments on second-order conditioning, dogs were conditioned to salivate at the sight of a black square by:

A)pairing it with a tone that previously had been associated with food.
B)rewarding the dog with food when it salivated in the presence of the black square.
C)presenting food first and then following it with the black square.
D)pairing it with an unconditioned stimulus.

Question 34

The presence of a drug-related conditioned compensatory response produces:

A)tolerance.
B)a natural high.
C)intoxication.
D)an overdose.

Question 35

Pavlov conditioned dogs to salivate at the sound of a bell by following the bell with food. How could Pavlov use extinction to eliminate salivating to bells?

A)Present food repeatedly in the absence of the sound of the bell.
B)Repeatedly ring the bell, but never follow it with food.
C)Ring the bell, and then present poison-laced food to induce sickness.
D)Present food only every other time the bell is rung.

Question 36

Spontaneous recovery demonstrates that:

A)CS-US pairings are not necessary for classical conditioning to occur.
B)learning is greater the more CS-US trials are spaced in time.
C)a stimulus paired with passage of time can come to elicit a response.
D)extinction does not completely erase previous learning.

Question 37

In second-order conditioning, the CS is paired with a:

A)stimulus that naturally elicits a response.
B)biologically relevant stimulus such as food.
C)neutral stimulus such as a black square.
D)previously established CS.

Question 38

The tendency of a previously extinguished behavior to reoccur following a rest period is called:

A)sensitization.
B)generalization.
C)spontaneous recovery.
D)acquisition.

Question 39

You watch a horror movie, and are scared. Running through the background music is a sustained, high-pitched note on a violin. The next day, you are watching a drama that also has background music featuring violin. Suddenly, you feel uneasy. Which process explains this effect?

A)extinction
B)reinforcement
C)generalization
D)acquisition

Question 40

Extinction of a CR involves:

A)repeated presentations of the CS without the US.
B)repeated presentations of the US without the CS.
C)repeated presentations of the UR alone.
D)punishing the organism with an electric shock every time the CR occurs.

Question 41

Holly's blender makes a noise similar to the can opener, but her cat doesn't get up from the sofa when it hears it. This demonstrates:

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

Question 42

Which brain region was critical for Little Albert to form the association between the rat and the loud noise?

A)prefrontal cortex
B)hippocampus
C)Wernicke's area
D)amygdala

Question 43

In people as well as in rats and other animals, the _____ is critically involved in emotional conditioning.

A)reticular formation
B)thalamus
C)amygdala
D)hippocampus

Question 44

Awareness of the CS-US contingency appears to be _____ for a response to be acquired when the:

A)crucial; CS precedes and overlaps the US.
B)crucial; CS and the US are separated by a brief delay.
C)unnecessary; US precedes the presentation of the CS.
D)unnecessary; CS and US are in different sensory domains.

Question 45

Pavlov's dogs learned to salivate to a particular tone but not to other similar tones and buzzers. This process is called:

A)sensitization.
B)discrimination.
C)extinction.
D)habituation.

Question 46

Not only did Little Albert learn to fear white rats, he also cried when presented with a Santa Claus mask or a seal-fur coat. This behavior was the result of:

A)stimulus discrimination.
B)stimulus generalization.
C)second-order conditioning.
D)punishment.

Question 47

The Rescorla-Wagner model predicts that conditioning will be easier when the:

A)CS is an unfamiliar event.
B)CS is a familiar event.
C)UR is predictable.
D)UR is unpredictable.

Question 48

Accustomed to the sound of the old can opener, a cat still rushes to her food dish even when she hears the sound of the new can opener for the first time. This demonstrates:

A)second-order conditioning.
B)discrimination.
C)generalization.
D)spontaneous recovery.

Question 49

In his experiment with Little Albert, one of John Watson's goals was to show that:

A)humans, unlike other animals, are not susceptible to classic conditioning.
B)fear can be learned by means of classical conditioning.
C)conditioning can produce only behavioral responses, not emotional ones.
D)one's environment is not responsible for behavior.

Question 50

Rescorla and Wagner introduced a(n) _____ component to classical conditioning.

A)cognitive
B)behavioral
C)neural
D)emotional

Question 51

Nine-month-old Albert cried when a large steel bar was struck with a hammer while he viewed a white rat. In this acquisition phase, the white rat was the:

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

Question 52

Who conducted the "Little Albert" study on conditioned fear?

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

Question 53

Under most circumstances, the cognitive elements of classical conditioning reflect _____ mechanisms that:

A)conscious; relate co-occurrences of events to prior experiences.
B)conscious; record the frequency of co-occurrences of events.
C)nonconscious; relate co-occurrences of events to prior experiences.
D)nonconscious; record the frequency of co-occurrences of events.

Question 54

What was the US in the Little Albert study?

A)a white rat
B)a loud noise
C)fear
D)anything white and furry

Question 55

Rescorla and Wagner theorized that a stimulus will only become a CS when it is _____ the US.

A)similar to
B)sometimes paired with
C)a reliable indicator of
D)perceived as

Question 56

Which brain region's functions are responsible for eyeblink conditioning?

A)amygdala
B)reticular formation
C)cerebellum
D)hypothalamus

Question 57

Little Albert was a:

A)human infant conditioned to fear a white rat.
B)human infant raised in a modified operant chamber.
C)Bobo doll in Bandura's experiments on observational learning.
D)affectionate nickname given to the Bobo doll in Bandura's experiments.

Question 58

Rescorla and Wagner originated which theory?

A)Behavioral responses can be conditioned in animals.
B)Classical conditioning occurs only when the animal has learned to set up an expectation.
C)Humans, as well as animals, are capable of undergoing classical conditioning.
D)Conditioning works more quickly when the conditioned stimulus is familiar.

Question 59

What was the UR in the Little Albert study?

A)crying when exposed to a loud noise
B)fear of a white rat
C)fear of anything white and furry
D)Little Albert's natural temperament of being "stolid and unemotional"

Question 60

The nonconscious cognitive elements that give rise to expectancies in classical conditioning are largely the result of the functions of the:

A)cerebellum.
B)prefrontal cortex.
C)hippocampus.
D)hypothalamus.

Question 61

Severing the connections between the amygdala and the _____ will result in the autonomic responses to fearful stimuli _____.

A)hypothalamus; intensifying
B)hypothalamus; ceasing
C)hippocampus; intensifying
D)hippocampus; ceasing

Question 62

Tammy ate raw oysters for the first time and, four hours later, became extremely sick to her stomach. Now, the smell of oysters makes her stomach queasy. What is the CR?

A)stomach queasiness at the smell of oysters
B)the taste of an oyster
C)a bacterium or other toxin
D)vomiting to a toxin

Question 63

In rats, taste aversions are elicited by _____; in birds, taste aversions are elicited by _____.

A)visual cues; texture
B)texture; smells
C)visual cues; smells
D)smells; visual cues

Question 64

Every time Kasey, the dog, whines, her owners give her a doggie treat. As a result of her clueless owners, Kasey is a very whiney dog, illustrating the effects of _____ conditioning.

A)observational
B)emotional
C)classical
D)operant

Question 65

What principle describes why the taste and smell stimuli that produce food aversions in rats does NOT work with most species of birds?

A)law of effect
B)operant conditioning
C)biological preparedness
D)extinction

Question 66

Classical conditioning is the study of behaviors that are _____, whereas operant conditioning studies behaviors that are _____.

A)active; reactive
B)reactive; active
C)inactive; reactive
D)voluntary; involuntary

Question 67

Tammy ate raw oysters for the first time and, four hours later, became extremely sick to her stomach. Now, the smell of oysters makes her stomach queasy. What is the US?

A)the smell of the oysters
B)a bacterium or other toxin that was definitely present in the oysters
C)a bacterium or other toxin that may or may not have been in the oysters
D)stomach sickness

Question 68

Tammy ate raw oysters for the first time and, four hours later, became extremely sick to her stomach. Now, the smell of oysters makes her stomach queasy. What is the CS?

A)the smell of the oysters
B)a bacterium or other toxin that was definitely present in the oysters
C)a bacterium or other toxin that may or may not have been in the oysters
D)stomach queasiness

Question 69

Tammy ate raw oysters for the first time and, four hours later, became extremely sick to her stomach. Now, the smell of oysters makes her stomach queasy. What is the UR?

A)the smell of the oysters
B)eating oysters
C)a bacterium or other toxin
D)stomach sickness

Question 70

Thorndike found that, with continued experience in the puzzle box, effective responses _____ and ineffective responses ______.

A)increased; increased
B)increased; decreased
C)decreased; decreased
D)decreased; increased

Question 71

_____ conducted research with cats in puzzle boxes.

A)Tolman
B)Skinner
C)Lashley
D)Thorndike

Question 72

_____ is most known for his work on conditioned taste aversion.

A)Pavlov
B)Garcia
C)Watson
D)Thompson

Question 73

From an evolutionary perspective, effective learning to avoid any food that has made you sick in the past should have all of these EXCEPT:

A)rapid learning.
B)conditioning capable of taking place over very long intervals.
C)development of the aversion to the smell or taste of the food instead of its ingestion.
D)development of an aversion more often to familiar than to unfamiliar foods.

Question 74

The _____ nucleus of the amygdala plays a critical role in emotional conditioning.

A)dorsal
B)central
C)ventral
D)anterior

Question 75

A type of learning in which the consequences of an organism's behavior determine whether or not it will be repeated is called _____ conditioning.

A)observational
B)evolutionary
C)operant
D)classical

Question 76

In Thorndike's research involving cats in puzzle boxes, when did the puzzle box open, allowing the cat freedom and food?

A)after a fixed period of time that the cat had been inside the box
B)after escape attempts had been extinguished
C)when the cat engaged in a behavior that moved a concealed lever
D)500 milliseconds after a buzzer sounded

Question 77

A CS paired with shock will produce all of these in a rat EXCEPT:

A)stress hormones released into the bloodstream.
B)increase in heart rate and blood pressure.
C)decrease in respiration.
D)a behavioral freezing response.

Question 78

Cancer patients experiencing nausea from chemotherapy often develop taste aversions to the foods they had eaten earlier. Based on the research of Garcia and colleagues, researchers developed a technique for minimizing this negative effect involving:

A)flashing different pictures of a patient's favorite food on an overhead monitor while the patient underwent treatment.
B)giving a patient unusual foods, such as coconut or root-beer flavored candy, at the end of their last meal before undergoing treatment.
C)administering food to a patient in the middle of the treatment cycle.
D)telling a patient to eat samples of favorite foods before entering therapy, thereby ensuring that the patient remembered what the favorite foods were even after treatment.

Question 79

If the connections between the amygdala and midbrain regions are severed, a CS paired with shock will no longer elicit _____ in a rat:

A)freezing.
B)increases in heart rate and blood pressure.
C)release of stress hormones.
D)nonconscious cognitive expectancies.

Question 80

The idea that behaviors followed by a "satisfying state of affairs" tend to be repeated and those that produce an "unpleasant state of affairs" are less likely to be repeated is known as:

A)Pavlov's law of law of classical conditioning.
B)Thorndike's law of effect.
C)Garcia's theory of evolutionary conditioning.
D)Tolman's theory of latent learning.