Question 1

When Sami tried to shape her pet squirrel's behavior to fetch marbles in the backyard, things proceeded quite smoothly at first. As time passed, however, the squirrel started burying the marbles rather than bringing them to her. This is an example of:
A) autoshaping.
B) instinctive drift.
C) negative automaintenance.
D) sign tracking.

Accepted Answer

This behavior is an example of instinctive drift, where an animal reverts to its natural behaviors that interfere with conditioned responses, in this case, the squirrel's instinct to bury objects rather than fetch them as trained.

Question 2

In instinctive drift, the behavior that is being shaped comes to be replaced by:
A) a classically conditioned fixed action pattern.
B) an operantly conditioned fixed action pattern.
C) a classically conditioned adjunctive behavior.
D) an operantly conditioned adjunctive behavior.

Accepted Answer

Instinctive drift occurs when an animal's innate response tendencies interfere with conditioned behaviors, leading to the replacement of the operant behavior with a species-specific fixed action pattern that is more aligned with the animal's natural instincts. This process is more closely related to classical conditioning, as it involves the animal reverting to instinctual behaviors rather than behaviors shaped through operant conditioning.

Question 3

Pavlov once noticed one of his dogs licking a light that signaled the delivery of food. This type of behavior pattern is now known as:
A) adjunctive behavior.
B) sign tracking.
C) CS-US relevance.
D) schedule-induced behavior.

Accepted Answer

Sign tracking, also known as autoshaping, occurs when an animal makes movements towards a stimulus that signals the availability of a primary reinforcer, like food. In Pavlov's observation, the dog licking the light that signaled food delivery is an example of sign tracking, where the dog associates the light (conditioned stimulus) with food (unconditioned stimulus) and thus responds to the light as if it were food.

Question 4

In a sign-tracking experiment, you notice a dog barking at a light that has frequently been paired with the delivery of food. In this instance, the barking is best interpreted as a(n) _____ while the light is a(n) _____.
A) CR; CS
B) operant response; CS
C) operant response; SD
D) elicited behavior; US

Accepted Answer

The barking is a conditioned response (CR) because it is a learned behavior in response to a conditioned stimulus (CS), which in this case is the light that has been paired with food.

Question 5

The tendency of an organism to approach a stimulus that signals the presentation of an appetitive event is known as:
A) adjunctive behavior.
B) instinctive drift.
C) latent inhibition.
D) sign tracking.

Accepted Answer

Sign tracking refers to the behavior of an organism moving towards a stimulus that indicates the upcoming presentation of a positive or rewarding event. This behavior demonstrates how cues associated with rewards can attract the attention and action of the organism.

Question 6

Sign tracking is the tendency of an organism to:
A) approach a stimulus that is associated with an appetitive event.
B) notice a stimulus associated with an appetitive event.
C) pay attention to an SD.
D) Both b and c are correct.

Accepted Answer

Sign tracking is the behavior exhibited by an organism when it approaches a stimulus that signals the availability of a positive or appetitive event, such as food. This is because the organism has learned to associate the stimulus with something rewarding.

Question 7

In the Breland and Breland example of instinctive drift, the rooting that occurred in response to the _____ was a(n) _____.
A) coin; unconditioned response
B) coin; operant response
C) food; conditioned response
D) coin; conditioned response

Accepted Answer

The Breland and Breland example of instinctive drift involved animals reverting to instinctual behaviors. In this case, the rooting behavior was a conditioned response to the coin, which was initially trained but eventually became associated with the animal's natural instincts.

Question 8

Sign tracking has been interpreted by researchers as resulting from a process of:
A) negative reinforcement.
B) intermittent reinforcement.
C) sensitization.
D) classical conditioning.

Accepted Answer

Sign tracking is often associated with classical conditioning, where an organism learns to associate a neutral stimulus with a significant event, leading to a conditioned response.

Question 9

Which of the following concepts suggests that it will be more difficult to train a dog to run away from you to earn food than to run toward you to earn food?
A) Sign tracking
B) CS-US relevance
C) Adjunctive behavior
D) Overshadowing

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following concepts suggests that...

Question 10

Bob tends to hang around a coffee shop that is frequented by a woman to whom he is very attracted, even when he knows for certain that she will not be there. This behavior pattern is most similar to the phenomenon of:
A) schedule-induced behavior.
B) sign tracking.
C) dishabituation.
D) instinctive drift.

Accepted Answer

Bob's behavior is most similar to sign tracking, where an organism follows or approaches a stimulus that signals the availability of a primary reinforcer, even in the absence of the primary reinforcer itself. In this case, the coffee shop acts as the stimulus associated with the presence of the woman he is attracted to, leading him to frequent the location even when she is not there.

Question 11

According to the concept of species-specific defense reaction, rats easily learn to _____ to avoid shock because these actions are actually _____.
A) play dead; elicited behaviors that are natural reactions to danger
B) run or freeze; elicited behaviors that are natural reactions to danger
C) play dead; negatively reinforced by the offset of shock
D) run or freeze; negatively reinforced by the offset of shock

Accepted Answer

Species-specific defense reactions (SSDRs) are behaviors that animals are naturally predisposed to perform in response to threats or danger. For rats, running or freezing are natural reactions to danger, making these behaviors easier to learn in the context of avoiding shock.

Question 12

Two-year-old Sarah likes to snuggle up to the pillow that her mother uses. This seems most similar to the phenomenon of:
A) adjunctive behavior.
B) instinctive drift.
C) sign tracking.
D) overshadowing.

Accepted Answer

Sarah's behavior is most similar to sign tracking, where an organism follows or approaches a stimulus that signals the arrival of a primary reinforcer, in this case, the pillow associated with her mother's presence.

Question 13

When the Brelands attempted to train a pig to drop a coin in a piggy bank, the coin became a(n) _____ for the _____ of rooting. A) US; UR B) CS; CR C) S^D; operant response D) CS; operant response

Accepted Answer

The coin acted as a conditioned stimulus (CS) for the conditioned response (CR) of rooting, as the pig associated the coin with the natural rooting behavior.

Question 14

When Sami tried to shape her pet squirrel's behavior to fetch marbles in the backyard, things proceeded quite smoothly at first. Then, the squirrel started burying the marbles rather than bringing them to her. This behavior pattern is likely:
A) an unconditioned fixed action pattern.
B) an operantly conditioned behavior pattern.
C) a classically conditioned fixed action pattern.
D) a positively reinforced fixed action pattern.

Accepted Answer

The answer of When Sami tried to shape her pet...

Question 15

You train your dog to follow a targeting stick and reward him with food as a result of his success. After a few days, you notice that your dog occasionally licks the stick. This scenario is an example of:
A) adjunctive behavior.
B) instinctive drift.
C) sign tracking.
D) CS-US relevance.

Accepted Answer

Sign tracking occurs when an animal makes a conditioned response to a stimulus (in this case, the targeting stick) that is associated with a reward (food), indicating that the dog has learned to associate the stick with the reward.

Question 16

In sign-tracking experiments, the stimulus that an animal approaches is best interpreted as a(n) _____, while the approach behavior is a(n) _____.
A) S DS1S1P0 ; operant response
B) CS; CR
C) US; UR
D) SR ; adjunctive response

Accepted Answer

In sign-tracking experiments, the stimulus that an animal approaches (such as a light that signals food) is considered a conditioned stimulus (CS), because it predicts the presentation of an unconditioned stimulus (like food). The approach behavior towards the CS is a conditioned response (CR), as it is a learned response to the conditioned stimulus.

Question 17

Instinctive drift involves the classical conditioning of a _____ during an operant conditioning procedure.
A) fixed action pattern
B) simple reflex
C) novel behavior pattern
D) taste aversion

Accepted Answer

Instinctive drift occurs when an animal's innate response patterns (fixed action patterns) interfere with conditioned responses, demonstrating the limits of operant conditioning by reverting to instinctual behaviors.

Question 18

In _____, the behavior that is being operantly conditioned is gradually supplanted by a classically conditioned fixed action pattern
A) sign tracking
B) instinctive drift
C) CS-US relevance
D) negative automaintenance

Accepted Answer

Instinctive drift occurs when an animal's innate behaviors interfere with behaviors being reinforced through operant conditioning, leading to the animal reverting to instinctual behaviors rather than the learned operant behaviors. This phenomenon demonstrates how powerful innate behaviors can be, even in the face of direct reinforcement for alternative actions.

Question 19

When the Brelands attempted to train a raccoon to drop a coin in a piggy bank, the coin became a(n) _____ for the raccoon's behavior of rubbing it between its paws.
A) SD
B) SR
C) US
D) CS

Accepted Answer

The coin became a conditioned stimulus (CS) for the raccoon's behavior of rubbing it between its paws.

Question 20

The tendency for pigeons to peck at a light that has been associated with the noncontingent delivery of food is referred to as:
A) negative automaintenance.
B) autopecking.
C) schedule-induced pecking.
D) autoshaping.

Accepted Answer

Autoshaping is the correct term for the phenomenon where pigeons (or other animals) peck at a light or similar stimulus that has been associated with the delivery of food, even though their pecking is not required to obtain the food. This process occurs without explicit training for the pecking behavior, hence the term "auto" shaping.

Quiz 12: Biological Dispositions in Learning

When Sami tried to shape her pet squirrel's behavior to fetch marbles in the backyard, things proceeded quite smoothly at first. As time passed, however, the squirrel started burying the marbles rather than bringing them to her. This is an example of:

In instinctive drift, the behavior that is being shaped comes to be replaced by:

Pavlov once noticed one of his dogs licking a light that signaled the delivery of food. This type of behavior pattern is now known as:

In a sign-tracking experiment, you notice a dog barking at a light that has frequently been paired with the delivery of food. In this instance, the barking is best interpreted as a(n) _ while the light is a(n) _.

The tendency of an organism to approach a stimulus that signals the presentation of an appetitive event is known as:

Sign tracking is the tendency of an organism to:

In the Breland and Breland example of instinctive drift, the rooting that occurred in response to the _ was a(n) _.

Sign tracking has been interpreted by researchers as resulting from a process of:

Which of the following concepts suggests that it will be more difficult to train a dog to run away from you to earn food than to run toward you to earn food?

Bob tends to hang around a coffee shop that is frequented by a woman to whom he is very attracted, even when he knows for certain that she will not be there. This behavior pattern is most similar to the phenomenon of:

According to the concept of species-specific defense reaction, rats easily learn to _ to avoid shock because these actions are actually _.

Two-year-old Sarah likes to snuggle up to the pillow that her mother uses. This seems most similar to the phenomenon of:

When the Brelands attempted to train a pig to drop a coin in a piggy bank, the coin became a(n) _ for the _ of rooting.

When Sami tried to shape her pet squirrel's behavior to fetch marbles in the backyard, things proceeded quite smoothly at first. Then, the squirrel started burying the marbles rather than bringing them to her. This behavior pattern is likely:

You train your dog to follow a targeting stick and reward him with food as a result of his success. After a few days, you notice that your dog occasionally licks the stick. This scenario is an example of:

In sign-tracking experiments, the stimulus that an animal approaches is best interpreted as a(n) _, while the approach behavior is a(n) _.

Instinctive drift involves the classical conditioning of a _____ during an operant conditioning procedure.

In _____, the behavior that is being operantly conditioned is gradually supplanted by a classically conditioned fixed action pattern

When the Brelands attempted to train a raccoon to drop a coin in a piggy bank, the coin became a(n) _____ for the raccoon's behavior of rubbing it between its paws.

The tendency for pigeons to peck at a light that has been associated with the noncontingent delivery of food is referred to as: