Question 1

Behaviorists believe that people are inherently bad at birth but they can learn to be good.

Accepted Answer

Behaviorists believe that behavior is shaped by environmental factors, such as reinforcement and punishment, rather than innate characteristics. Therefore, they do not believe that people are inherently bad or good at birth, but rather that their behavior is learned through experiences.

Question 2

The pigeons in the Skinner box demonstrated ______________when they determined that reinforcers would only be provided by pecking the green light and not the red light.

Accepted Answer

Discrimination refers to the ability of an individual to distinguish between different stimuli and respond differently to each one. In this scenario, the pigeons were able to discriminate between the green and red lights and realized that only the green light resulted in reinforcement, leading them to peck only at the green light. Extinction refers to the process of reducing or eliminating a behavior by no longer reinforcing it. Generalization refers to the tendency to respond similarly to stimuli that are similar to the original conditioned stimulus. Desensitization refers to becoming less responsive or sensitive to a stimulus over time.

Question 3

Which of the following is NOT positive reinforcement?

Accepted Answer

Positive reinforcement involves adding a desirable stimulus after a behavior to increase the likelihood of that behavior occurring again. Choices A, B, and C all describe scenarios where a desirable stimulus (attention, a sticker, money) is given after a behavior, increasing the likelihood of the behavior. Choice D, however, describes a change in behavior (buying lowfat desserts) to achieve a goal (losing weight) without the addition of a desirable stimulus after a behavior, making it not an example of positive reinforcement.

Question 4

What was the result of Watson and Rayner's experiment with Little Albert?

Accepted Answer

Watson and Rayner's experiment with Little Albert demonstrated that fear could be conditioned to a neutral stimulus through classical conditioning. Albert's fear of rats generalized to other furry objects, such as rabbits and dogs.

Question 5

Behaviorism maintains that psychological disorders are a result of maladaptive learning.

Accepted Answer

According to behaviorism, psychological disorders result from maladaptive learning behaviors and can be treated by modifying these behaviors through reinforcement and punishment techniques.

Question 6

Which is true concerning goal in behavior therapy?

Accepted Answer

Goals in behavior therapy should be specific and measurable so that progress can be evaluated. This allows the therapist and client to determine if the therapy is effective and make adjustments as needed.

Question 7

Token economies were developed from what behavioral theory?

Accepted Answer

Token economies were developed based on the principles of operant conditioning, which involve reinforcing desired behaviors through rewards or punishments. Tokens are used as a type of conditioned reinforcer in this system to encourage and reinforce positive behaviors.

Question 8

Which behavior therapy founder is not matched correctly with his theory?

Accepted Answer

While Meichenbaum is associated with cognitive-behavioral therapy, which includes desensitization, desensitization itself is more closely associated with Wolpe's theory of anxiety hierarchies.

Question 9

Joan loses her keys, gets very upset, ends up being late to work and then is informed that she will have to come in on the weekend to make up the time. From the behavioral perspective, what is the antecedent?

Accepted Answer

According to the behavioral perspective, the antecedent is the event that triggers a behavior. In this scenario, losing the keys is the event that triggered Joan's behavior (being upset, being late for work, and having to go to work on the weekend). Therefore, A is the correct answer.

Question 10

The first wave of behavior therapy challenged the conventional wisdom of prior behaviorists that asserted that cognitive variables were irrelevant to understanding a person's behavior.

Accepted Answer

The first wave of behavior therapy emphasized the importance of observable behavior and largely ignored cognitive variables. It was the second wave of behavior therapy that brought attention to the role of thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes in shaping behavior.

Question 11

The third wave of cognitive behavior therapists draws from Western traditions.

Accepted Answer

The third wave of cognitive behavior therapy incorporates mindfulness and acceptance strategies, which are influenced by Eastern traditions such as Buddhism, rather than solely Western traditions.

Question 12

Which explanation for behavior is a behavior therapist least likely to support?

Accepted Answer

A behavior therapist is least likely to support the explanation that Anna is fearful of snakes because it is a phallic symbol, as this falls under the realm of psychoanalytic theory rather than the principles of behaviorism.

Question 13

Joan loses her keys, gets very upset, ends up being late to work and then is informed that she will have to come in on the weekend to make up the time. From the behavioral perspective, what is the consequence?

Accepted Answer

The consequence from the behavioral perspective is the outcome that follows a behavior, and in this case, the consequence is having to go to work on the weekend as a result of being late. Losing the keys, being upset, and being late for work can all be considered antecedents or contributing factors to the consequence, but they are not the consequence itself.

Question 14

Which is NOT part of systematic desensitization?

Accepted Answer

Completing a functional behavioral assessment is not part of systematic desensitization. Systematic desensitization involves learning deep muscle relaxation, creating an anxiety hierarchy, and using reciprocal inhibition. A functional behavioral assessment is a separate process used to identify the function and antecedents of problem behavior.

Question 15

Who among the following is NOT considered to be a founder of behavioral therapy?

Accepted Answer

Maslow is not considered to be a founder of behavioral therapy. He is best known for his work on humanistic psychology, particularly his hierarchy of needs theory. The other three, Watson, Skinner, and Wolpe are all key figures in the development of behavioral therapy.

Question 16

Every time someone flushes the toilet when Robert is in the shower, the water becomes scalding hot and he jumps. Now, even when he is not in the shower, he jumps when he hears the toilet flush. In this scenario, what is the conditioned stimulus?

Accepted Answer

The conditioned stimulus in classical conditioning is the stimulus that is repeatedly paired with the unconditioned stimulus (in this case, the hot water). In this scenario, the toilet flushing is the stimulus that is repeatedly paired with the hot water, causing the jump response to become associated with it. Therefore, the conditioned stimulus is the toilet flushing.

Question 17

An unconditioned response is a natural response to a stimulus.

Accepted Answer

An unconditioned response is an innate, automatic response to a particular stimulus, such as blinking when something suddenly moves towards your face or feeling hungry when you smell food cooking. It does not require any prior learning or conditioning.

Question 18

Skinner would support which of the following beliefs?

Accepted Answer

Skinner believed that punishment is not an effective way to control behavior because it only temporarily suppresses behavior and does not teach the individual what behavior is expected. Instead, Skinner believed in positive reinforcement to encourage desired behavior.

Question 19

Behavior therapists form warm and empathetic relationships with clients.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. Behavior therapists recognize the importance of developing a strong therapeutic relationship with their clients and often establish warmth, empathy, and trust in order to foster an effective therapeutic alliance.

Question 20

Which of the following is negative reinforcement?

Accepted Answer

Negative reinforcement occurs when a behavior is strengthened by the removal of an unpleasant stimulus. In this case, Emmanuel's mother gives him a cookie to stop his temper tantrum, which is an unpleasant stimulus. This is likely to increase the likelihood that Emmanuel will have temper tantrums in the future in order to get cookies.

Quiz 4: Behavior Therapy and Psychopharmacology