Question 1

Explain how operant conditioning is different from classical conditioning.

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Question 2

Carlita used to get nervous whenever she has to travel by airplane. Recently, her friend taught Carlita some deep-breathing techniques to help her relax. Carlita tried them out and felt much better when she next flew. Now, she always does deep breathing exercises before she flies. Is this an example of classical or operant conditioning? Explain.

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Question 3

List and describe the four factors that determine the effectiveness of punishment, as discussed in the textbook.

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Question 4

The distancing approach to fighting an addiction involves:
A) avoiding the stimulus that triggers the unwanted response.
B) removing the reinforcement for producing the unwanted response.
C) increasing the amount of time between the unwanted response and reinforcment.
D) rewarding desirable responses instead.

Accepted Answer

The distancing approach specifically refers to avoiding the stimulus that triggers the unwanted response, which helps in reducing the likelihood of engaging in the addictive behavior.

Question 5

Suppose a mayor who wants to use punishment to decrease crime in the city. Based on the textbook's discussion, how can the mayor make sure the punishment is as effective as possible?

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Question 6

Give one example of negative reinforcement, and explain why it is negative reinforcement. Make clear what behavior is being reinforced in the example.

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Question 7

Discuss the evidence suggesting that dopamine is involved in reinforcement.

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Question 8

Jonah has listened to his new CD over and over since he bought it. His favorite song is the fourth song on the album. Now, when he hears the third song, he becomes excited in anticipation of hearing his upcoming favorite song. Is this an example of classical or operant conditioning? Explain.

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Question 9

Suppose a teenager spends more time talking on the phone than doing her homework. According to the Premack principle, how could her parents get their daughter to do her homework more often?

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Question 10

Describe how one could use shaping to get a child to do his homework.

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Question 11

What is the role of the dorsal striatum in operant conditioning? Discuss one piece of evidence to support the claim.

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Question 12

Indicate which schedule of partial reinforcement (FR, VR, FI, or VI) is being used in the following example: A manager gets his paycheck every other Friday. Explain the selected choice.

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Question 13

Andrea is trying to stop biting her nails. Whenever she gets the urge to bite her nails, she forces herself to count to 100 before giving in to her urge. This is an example of:
A) extinction.
B) distancing.
C) reinforcement of alternative behaviors.
D) delayed reinforcement.

Accepted Answer

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Question 14

Suppose one has a friend who drinks alcohol. How would one determine whether her drinking is just a bad habit and not a pathological addiction?

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Question 15

Give an example of a secondary reinforcer, and explain how it might be related to a primary reinforcer.

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Question 16

Normally, Francis's children must go to bed at 8 p.m. But when grandma visits, the children are allowed to stay up late if they ask. Identify the stimulus, response, and outcome in this scenario.

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Question 17

Lauren is trying to stop her son from banging his spoon on the table during meals by praising him whenever he uses his spoon to eat his food. This is an example of:
A) extinction.
B) distancing.
C) reinforcement of alternative behaviors.
D) delayed reinforcement.

Accepted Answer

Lauren is using reinforcement of alternative behaviors by praising her son for using his spoon to eat his food instead of banging it on the table, thus encouraging the desired behavior through positive reinforcement.

Question 18

Indicate which schedule of partial reinforcement (FR, VR, FI, or VI) is being used in the following example: A soccer player makes a goal on average of every 20 attempts. Explain the selected choice.

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Question 19

Which is the BEST example of extinction?
A) A child is praised every time he raises his hand instead of shouting out the answer
B) A young child throws a tantrum when he doesn't get what he wants. The parents decide to ignore the child every time there's a tantrum.
C) John feels the need to smoke when he's around smokers, so he stays away from them.
D) All of the answers are correct.

Accepted Answer

Extinction in behavioral psychology refers to the gradual weakening and eventual disappearance of a conditioned response when it is no longer reinforced. In choice B, ignoring the child's tantrums (the conditioned response) is an attempt to stop reinforcing the behavior, leading to its extinction. Choices A and C involve reinforcement and avoidance strategies, respectively, rather than extinction.

Question 20

Suppose one's roommate has gotten into the bad habit of talking whenever the roommate is trying to study. The roommate decides to ignore this habit. This is an example of:
A) extinction.
B) distancing.
C) reinforcement of alternative behaviors.
D) delayed reinforcement.

Accepted Answer

Extinction in behavioral psychology refers to the gradual weakening and eventual disappearance of a conditioned response when it is no longer reinforced. In this scenario, by ignoring the roommate's talking habit, the behavior is not being reinforced, which could lead to its extinction over time.

Quiz 5: Operant Conditioning: Learning the Outcome of Behaviors