Question 1

The skill of discrimination has

Accepted Answer

Discrimination, the ability to distinguish between different stimuli, has survival value in helping animals find food, avoid predators, and locate potential mates. This skill is not only found in lower animals but also in humans and plays an important role in decision making and learning.

Question 2

When a neutral stimulus is paired with an existing conditioned stimulus and thus gains the power to elicit the conditioned response,

Accepted Answer

The process described in the question is known as higher-order conditioning. It is when a neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus by being paired with an existing conditioned stimulus.

Question 3

Tom is in love with Peggy. He now thinks of her when he passes a place where they took a walk, when he hears a song that they listened to together, or when he notices an advertisement for a movie at the cinema they visited. Each of these responses is an example of

Accepted Answer

These responses are examples of higher-order conditioning, where a conditioned response is elicited by a stimulus that is associated with the original conditioned stimulus (Peggy). The places they walked, the song they listened to, and the cinema they visited have become associated with Peggy, and now elicit a response (thinking of Peggy) that was originally conditioned to her. Avoidance learning involves learning to avoid a certain stimulus to prevent a negative outcome, latent learning refers to learning that is not immediately expressed and only becomes evident when there is an incentive to demonstrate it, and spontaneous recovery refers to the reappearance of a conditioned response after a rest period.

Question 4

Over the course of 38 therapy sessions, Watson and Mary Cover Jones used all of the following strategies to remove Peter's fear of the white rabbit, except

Accepted Answer

The strategy of showing pictures and toy rabbits before introducing a real rabbit is not mentioned as part of the methods used by Watson and Mary Cover Jones in Peter's therapy sessions.

Question 5

Using classical conditioning, some advertisers attempt to create pleasant feelings in us when they make their commercials. How do they do this?

Accepted Answer

Advertisers use classical conditioning to create pleasant feelings by pairing a neutral product like toothpaste or soap with attractive people, places or music to make it more appealing. This creates positive emotions in us and makes us more likely to buy the product.

Question 6

Which of the following is not a response initially learned through classical conditioning?

Accepted Answer

Hunger is an innate, unconditioned response that does not need to be learned through conditioning. It is a biological response to a lack of food in the body.

Question 7

Alexi has conditioned Yuri to salivate when a red light is presented. To which of the following colours of light is Yuri most likely to salivate?

Accepted Answer

Since Alexi conditioned Yuri to salivate at a red light, which is closer to orange on the color spectrum than the other options, Yuri is most likely to also salivate when presented with an orange light.

Question 8

In one of Pavlov's experiments, many doges were trained to salivate at the sound of a bell that was repeatedly paired with food. If one dog responded only to the original bell, but did not respond to other similar bells, that dog was showing the ability to

Accepted Answer

Discrimination is the ability to differentiate between similar stimuli and respond only to the original conditioned stimulus. In this case, the dog only responding to the original bell but not other similar bells shows discrimination.

Question 9

In order to teach an animal to salivate when only a certain tone is played, you must

Accepted Answer

This is the process of classical conditioning, where a previously neutral stimulus (the tone) is paired with an unconditioned stimulus (the food) to eventually produce a conditioned response (salivation to the tone alone). In order for the animal to learn to associate the tone with the food, the food must only be presented with the specific tone that is being conditioned. Pairing food with all tones (D) or presenting food before every tone (B) can confuse the animal and prevent effective learning. Punishment or aversive methods (D) are not necessary and can be harmful to the animal's welfare.

Question 10

In Watson and Rayner's study with "Little Albert," what was the conditioned response?

Accepted Answer

The conditioned response in this study was fear of the white rat. Through the process of classical conditioning, Little Albert developed a fear of the white rat (which previously had no inherent fear response) because it was consistently paired with a loud, startling noise (the unconditioned stimulus). Eventually, even the sight of the white rat alone (now the conditioned stimulus) would elicit fear (the conditioned response) from Little Albert.

Question 11

Alex's grandmother always gave him candy when he saw her. Over time, he became excited and happy whenever he saw her. Years later, he experiences the same feeling when he smells her perfume in a store. This kind of conditioning is called

Accepted Answer

This is an example of higher-order conditioning because the initial association between seeing his grandmother and receiving candy became associated with the smell of her perfume through repeated pairings, leading to the same emotional response.

Question 12

Which of the following does not increase the strength of the conditioned response in classical conditioning?

Accepted Answer

Presenting the conditioned stimulus a considerable time before the unconditioned stimulus actually decreases the strength of the conditioned response, as the association between the two stimuli becomes weaker. A and D increase the strength of the response, while B is the basic principle of classical conditioning (associating the conditioned stimulus with the unconditioned stimulus).

Question 13

Classical conditioning has a role in all of the following, except

Accepted Answer

Classical conditioning does not affect maturation, which is a process of natural growth and development over time. It can affect drug tolerance, reactions to advertising, and sexual arousal by pairing a neutral stimulus with a naturally occurring stimulus to elicit a response.

Question 14

Five-year-old Andre was bitten by his neighbour's collie. He won't go near that dog but seems to have no fear of other dogs, even other collies. Which process accounts for his behaviour?

Accepted Answer

Andre's behavior demonstrates discrimination because he distinguishes between the dog that bit him and all other dogs, showing fear only towards the specific dog that caused him harm.

Question 15

Rudy is playing with a white rat when a loud noise suddenly startles him and he begins to cry. He is later given a white rabbit to play with and he begins to cry again. His reaction to the white rabbit illustrates

Accepted Answer

Rudy's reaction to the white rabbit after being startled by a loud noise while playing with a white rat illustrates generalization. This is because he has transferred his response from the original stimulus (the white rat) to a similar stimulus (the white rabbit), indicating that he perceives them as similar enough to elicit the same emotional response.

Question 16

Which of the following would not be an example of classically conditioned response?

Accepted Answer

Working harder to get a raise is a behavior that is motivated by a certain goal or reward, but it is not a learned response to a specific stimulus through classical conditioning. The other options involve learned responses to specific stimuli.

Question 17

Research by Watson and Rayners early in the last century suggested that human beings can sometimes acquire ________ through classical conditioning.

Accepted Answer

Watson and Rayner's research demonstrated that through classical conditioning, a previously neutral stimulus (in their study, a white rat) could become associated with a fear response in a young boy known as Little Albert. This suggests that humans can acquire strong fears through classical conditioning.

Question 18

Which of the following illustrates the use of classical conditioning in advertising?

Accepted Answer

Classical conditioning is based on associating a neutral stimulus with a naturally occurring stimulus to elicit a certain response. In advertising, a neutral stimulus (the product being advertised) is paired with a naturally occurring stimulus (e.g. a popular sports celebrity) to elicit a positive emotional response and increase the likelihood of consumers purchasing the product. Therefore, showing a sports celebrity driving Car A is an example of classical conditioning in advertising.

Question 19

Peter's fear of the white rat transferred to the rabbit, fur coat, and cotton. What process did this demonstrate?

Accepted Answer

This demonstrates the process of generalization, where the fear response of the white rat generalized to other similar stimuli (rabbit, fur coat, and cotton).

Question 20

Morris fell from his bicycle and was badly bruised. Now, whenever he sees any bicycle, Morris becomes very anxious. Morris' anxiety can best be explained on the basis of

Accepted Answer

Morris' anxiety can best be explained on the basis of generalization, which occurs when a response to a specific stimulus is generalized to other stimuli that are similar to the original stimulus. In this case, Morris fell from a bicycle and now feels anxious when he sees any bicycle, even if it is not the same one he fell from. This is an example of stimulus generalization.

Quiz 5: Learning