Question 1

The gradual molding of responses to a desired pattern is known as

Accepted Answer

Shaping is the process of gradually molding or training an organism to perform a specific response by reinforcing any responses that are similar to the desired response. This technique is often used in behavior modification programs.

Question 2

You are a very good skater, but you did not start out that way. Your mother reinforced you for each small improvement you made over several months. This process is known as

Accepted Answer

Shaping involves reinforcing successive approximations toward a desired behavior, which is what the mother did by reinforcing each small improvement in skating skills.

Question 3

Each time he steps up to the plate, a baseball player touches the bill of his cap three times, just as he did before hitting a home run in a previous game. Which of the following accounts for his actions?

Accepted Answer

This behavior is an example of superstitious behavior, where the player believes that repeating a specific action (touching the bill of his cap three times) will bring about a positive outcome (hitting a home run) because it preceded a successful event in the past, despite there being no logical connection between the action and the outcome.

Question 4

Skinner once placed some pigeons in Skinner boxes and reinforced them with food randomly no matter what they were doing. Despite the fact that there was no real connection between their behavior and its consequences, each pigeon acted as if there were with one bird flapping its left wing, another hopping on one foot, and a third turning in complete circles. Skinner used which of the following terms to describe such behaviors that are repeated because they appear to produce reinforcement when really the behaviors are unnecessary?

Accepted Answer

Skinner described these behaviors as "superstitious behavior," because the pigeons developed a false belief that their actions were causing the food to appear, even though the food was given at random. This illustrates how organisms can develop behaviors based on false associations between their actions and outcomes.

Question 5

A puppy has begun to cry and bark in order to be let into the house. To extinguish this response, you would

Accepted Answer

Ignoring the crying and only letting the puppy in when it is quiet is an example of extinguishing a behavior by not reinforcing it. By not responding to the crying and barking, the puppy learns that these actions do not lead to being let inside, which should reduce or eliminate the behavior over time.

Question 6

The brief return of an operant response after its apparent extinction is known as

Accepted Answer

Spontaneous recovery refers to the reappearance of a previously extinguished response after a period without exposure to the conditioned stimulus. This phenomenon is observed in operant conditioning, indicating that the extinction process suppresses the conditioned response rather than eliminating it entirely.

Question 7

Even though it will be four years before you graduate, you study and work hard because you know that having the degree will help you obtain a good job. Looking toward this degree helps maintain your hard work through a series of courses even through the reinforcement is delayed for several years. This illustrates

Accepted Answer

A response chain is a sequence of behaviors that are linked together, with the completion of one behavior leading to the next. In this case, the student's studying and working hard is a response chain that is linked to the goal of obtaining a good job. The student's hard work is maintained through a series of courses even though the reinforcement (getting a good job) is delayed for several years.

Question 8

Gordon wears the same blue shirt to class each time he has a major test because he believes that wearing that shirt will assure him an "A" just like he got on the first test when he was wearing this blue shirt. This illustrates

Accepted Answer

Gordon's belief that wearing the same blue shirt to class for major tests will assure him an "A" is an example of superstitious behavior. This is because he associates the shirt with success without any logical basis to believe that the shirt actually influences his test scores.

Question 9

The entire sequence of events necessary to prepare a meal can be reinforced by the final dining experience through

Accepted Answer

A response chain involves a series of actions where the completion of each step serves as the cue for the next step, culminating in a final outcome or reward, such as the enjoyment of a meal. This sequence in meal preparation and dining fits the concept of a response chain, where each step is linked to the next by the completion of the previous action.

Question 10

A series of responses that gradually approach a desired pattern of behavior are called

Accepted Answer

Successive approximations refer to a series of responses that get closer and closer to a desired behavior. This technique is often used in behavior modification programs, such as those employing operant conditioning principles, where rewards are given for behaviors that are closer to the desired behavior.

Question 11

Anthony wears his lucky socks every time he has a baseball game because the socks were accidentally paired with a good RBI. Anthony's behavior is an example of

Accepted Answer

Anthony's behavior is an example of a superstitious behavior because he associates wearing his lucky socks with having a good RBI, even though there is no causal relationship between the two. This is a form of irrational belief that a specific action or ritual will influence the outcome of an event.

Question 12

If you wanted to train a dog to play the piano or a cat to turn on the living room lights, you would most likely use

Accepted Answer

Successive approximations, also known as shaping, involve rewarding behaviors that are closer and closer to the desired behavior. This technique is ideal for teaching complex tasks like playing the piano or turning on lights, where the final behavior is achieved through gradual steps.

Question 13

You are training a rat to press a bar. Instead of waiting for the rat's first accidental bar press, you reinforce the rat with a food pellet for facing the bar and then turning toward the bar. Next, you reinforce the rat every time he takes a step toward the bar, until he touches the bar. Lastly, you reinforce the rat for pressing the bar. You are

Accepted Answer

This process is known as shaping, where behaviors are reinforced step by step, leading to a final desired behavior. Each step that gets closer to the final behavior is reinforced, gradually guiding the rat to press the bar.

Question 14

Regarding superstitious behavior, which of the following statements is TRUE?

Accepted Answer

Superstitious behavior arises when an individual believes there is a connection between their action (response) and an outcome (reinforcer), even if no such causal link exists. This can occur in both humans and animals, as demonstrated in experiments where animals develop superstitious behaviors if a reward seems to be triggered by their actions, despite no actual causal relationship.

Question 15

Extinction in operant conditioning involves

Accepted Answer

Extinction in operant conditioning involves withholding reinforcement for a previously reinforced behavior, leading to a decrease in the occurrence of that behavior over time.

Question 16

Bernice is "potty training" 18-month-old Kenny. First, she allows him to become familiar with the potty chair, next she reinforces Kenny for just sitting on the potty, and finally she reinforces Kenny for actually "using" the potty. Bernice is using a procedure called

Accepted Answer

Bernice is using shaping, a technique in behavioral psychology where successive approximations of a desired behavior are reinforced. She starts by reinforcing Kenny for sitting on the potty, a behavior closer to the final goal, and then reinforces the actual use of the potty, gradually guiding him towards the desired behavior.

Question 17

Superstitious behaviors are

Accepted Answer

Superstitious behaviors are repeated because they are believed to produce reinforcement, even if there is no causal relationship between the behavior and the reinforcement. This phenomenon has been observed in both animals and humans, indicating that such behaviors are not necessary for producing response-contingent reinforcement and are not exclusive to humans.

Question 18

By changing the rules about what makes a successful response, we can gradually, through successive approximations, train an animal or a person to make a chain of responses or to improve a skill. This process is called

Accepted Answer

Shaping involves reinforcing behaviors that are progressively closer to a desired behavior, allowing the subject to gradually learn or improve a skill through successive approximations.

Question 19

Rituals to bring rain, ward off illness, or produce abundant crops very likely earn the faith of participants because they occasionally appear to succeed. This illustrates

Accepted Answer

These rituals are examples of superstitious behavior because they are based on the belief that certain actions, performed under specific conditions, can influence outcomes in a way that defies natural laws, often reinforced by the occasional perceived success.

Question 20

The process through which a response is taught by rewarding successive approximations to the final desired response is called

Accepted Answer

Shaping is a conditioning paradigm used in behavioral psychology to train a subject to perform a certain behavior by reinforcing successive approximations of the desired behavior.

Quiz 6: Conditioning and Learning