Question 1

Luca, who experiences extreme anxiety when taking an exam, practices meditation breathing to reduce her anxiety prior to taking a test. Her meditation breathing is an example of
A) negative punishment.
B) negative reinforcement.
C) positive punishment.
D) positive reinforcement.

Accepted Answer

Negative reinforcement involves the removal of an aversive stimulus (in this case, anxiety) following a desired behavior (meditation breathing), which increases the likelihood of the behavior occurring again in the future.

Question 2

Three conditions must be met for punishment to have any observable effects on behavior:
A) application, explanation, and reinforcement.
B) selection, focus, and severity.
C) significance, immediacy, and consistency.
D) quality, quantity, and relevance.

Accepted Answer

Punishment must be significant, meaning it must be noticeable or have a strong impact on the individual. It must also be immediate, meaning it must occur shortly after the behavior in question. Finally, punishment must be consistent in order to be effective; the punishment must occur each time the behavior is exhibited.

Question 3

A reinforcer that gains value from being associated with other things that are valued is called a(n) _____ reinforcer.
A) unconditioned
B) primary
C) conditioned
D) associative

Accepted Answer

A reinforcer that gains value through association with other things is called a conditioned reinforcer. This is also known as a secondary reinforcer or a learned reinforcer. Conditioned reinforcers are learned through their association with other reinforcers, such as primary reinforcers or unconditioned reinforcers, which are inherently rewarding.

Question 4

Which of the following is an example of a conditioned reinforcer?
A) Food
B) Money
C) Sleep
D) Water

Accepted Answer

Money is an example of a conditioned reinforcer because it only gains value through association with primary reinforcers (like food or water) and is not innately valuable on its own. It is only valuable because we have learned to value it as a means to obtain other things we need or want.

Question 5

Derek is frustrated that his 1½-year-old dog does not let him know when he needs to go outside to urinate. Sometimes he comes home to find a mess near the door. Which training method is most likely to be successful?
A) Derek takes his dog outside on a fixed schedule and gives him a treat when they return to the house, whether he urinated or not.
B) Derek takes his dog over to the mess, puts the dog's nose near it so he smells it, and tells him "bad dog, don't do this again!"
C) If Derek comes home and finds a mess by the door, he ignores his dog for an hour.
D) Derek takes his dog outside on a fixed schedule and promptly gives him a treat for urinating outside.

Accepted Answer

Taking the dog outside on a fixed schedule and giving a prompt treat for urinating outside is the most effective method for house training a dog. This will reinforce the behavior of going outside to urinate and create a positive association with it. Option A is somewhat effective but giving a treat for simply going outside may not address the issue of the dog not signaling when it needs to go. Option B is not effective as it is punishing the dog for a behavior it may not understand is wrong. Option C is also not effective as ignoring the dog for an hour does not clearly communicate to the dog why it is being ignored.

Question 6

Which of the following methods of behavior modification adheres to the Premack Principle?
A) Knowing his daughter loves to ride her bike, Miguel states: "You can ride your bike as soon as you clean your room."
B) Donna comes home to find that her dog has chewed her expensive new shoes and yells: "Bad dog."
C) Knowing his daughter loves to ride her bike, Miguel states: "You didn't clean your room today, so no bike riding for you this weekend."
D) Donna makes a loud noise each time her dog approaches her shoes; causing him to veer away.

Accepted Answer

The Premack Principle states that a more preferred behavior (in this case, riding a bike) can be used to reinforce a less preferred behavior (in this case, cleaning a room). By making bike riding contingent on cleaning the room, Miguel is using the more preferred behavior as a reward for completing the less preferred behavior.

Question 7

The method for increasing behaviors that allow an organism to escape or avoid an unpleasant consequence is referred to as
A) positive punishment.
B) positive reinforcement.
C) negative punishment.
D) negative reinforcement.

Accepted Answer

The method for increasing behaviors that allow an organism to escape or avoid an unpleasant consequence is called negative reinforcement. Negative reinforcement involves removing or avoiding an unpleasant or aversive stimulus to increase the likelihood of a desired behavior. It is different from punishment, which involves adding an aversive stimulus to decrease the likelihood of an undesired behavior. Positive reinforcement involves adding a desirable stimulus to increase the likelihood of a desired behavior, while negative punishment involves removing a desirable stimulus to decrease the likelihood of an undesired behavior.

Question 8

A consequence that eliminates or reduces the frequency of a behavior by applying an aversive stimulus is referred to as
A) negative reinforcement.
B) positive punishment.
C) negative punishment.
D) positive reinforcement.

Accepted Answer

Positive punishment involves adding an aversive stimulus to decrease the frequency of a behavior. Negative reinforcement involves removing an aversive stimulus to increase the frequency of a behavior. Negative punishment involves removing a desirable stimulus to decrease the frequency of a behavior. Positive reinforcement involves adding a desirable stimulus to increase the frequency of a behavior.

Question 9

Which of the following is likely to be the most effective form of punishment?
A) Marjorie promptly takes away her son Ben's crayons each time he refuses to share with his younger brother, causing Ben to cry.
B) Alice catches her daughter Debby smoking in the attic and shouts: "Just wait until your father gets home this weekend!"
C) Ken sometimes yells at his son Artie for coming home later than his curfew.
D) Jane sends her son Josh to bed without supper when he uses swear words at the dinner table; although hungry, Josh uses this time to read in his room.

Accepted Answer

Prompt and consistent consequences like taking away crayons immediately after the undesired behavior (refusing to share) are likely to be the most effective form of punishment because they directly follow the behavior they are meant to discourage, making the connection clear and immediate for the child.

Question 10

A modified cage containing levers or buttons that can be pressed or pecked by animals and is used to investigate operant conditioning is referred to as a
A) puzzle box.
B) sequential conditioning chamber.
C) Skinner box.
D) pigeon chamber.

Accepted Answer

The Skinner box is a modified cage that contains levers or buttons that animals can press or peck to investigate operant conditioning, also known as instrumental conditioning. The animal is reinforced when it performs a desired behavior, leading to an increase in the likelihood of that behavior occurring again. The other options (A, B, and D) are incorrect or not commonly used terms in the field of psychology.

Question 11

How can extinction be avoided with operant conditioning?
A) Establish a strong value for a conditioned stimulus.
B) Introduce variable reinforcement paradigms.
C) Merge classical conditioning with operant conditioning techniques.
D) Continuously reinforce a behavior, even after it is learned.

Accepted Answer

Continuously reinforcing a behavior, even after it is learned, can help prevent extinction. This is because if the reinforcement is consistently given, the behavior will continue to be performed. If the reinforcement is slowly faded away, or if the behavior is not consistently reinforced, it may eventually extinguish.

Question 12

Which of the following approaches would B. F. Skinner recommend to reduce an undesirable behavior?
A) Offering candy to persuade a child to stop having a tantrum in the grocery store
B) Standing by but ignoring a child who is having a tantrum in the grocery store
C) Immediately removing a child from the grocery store when he or she is having a tantrum
D) Threatening to leave the child behind at the grocery store when he or she is having a tantrum

Accepted Answer

B. F. Skinner's approach to reducing an undesirable behavior would be to ignore the behavior, as punishment or reinforcement of any kind may unintentionally reinforce the negative behavior. Standing by but ignoring the child having a tantrum in the grocery store would be the best approach based on Skinner's principles of operant conditioning.

Question 13

Sonia first trains her new dog by saying "good dog!" before giving him a food treat. She then trains her dog to sit and stay, saying "good dog!" when he provides the correct behavior, while continuing to periodically provide a food treat. Sonia is using which method(s)?
A) Operant conditioning only
B) Operant conditioning and observational learning
C) Classical conditioning and operant conditioning
D) Classical conditioning only

Accepted Answer

Sonia is using classical conditioning by pairing the phrase "good dog!" with a food treat, which eventually leads to the phrase alone becoming a conditioned positive reinforcement. She is also using operant conditioning by reinforcing the specific behaviors of sitting and staying with food treats and verbal praise.

Question 14

Martha wants to teach her dog Max the command, "Get beer, Max." This involves going to the refrigerator and opening it by pulling on a dishtowel tied to the handle, taking out a can of beer with his mouth, and bringing it to her dinner guest. Which of the following training methods is likely to work best?
A) Chaining and positive reinforcement
B) Shaping and positive punishment
C) Chaining and negative punishment
D) Shaping and negative reinforcement

Accepted Answer

Chaining is necessary as multiple behaviors need to be linked together for Max to successfully complete the command. Positive reinforcement should be used to reward Max for each successful behavior in the chain.

Question 15

Mrs. Collora teaches social studies to junior high school students. Two boys in her class often loudly make jokes about the material being discussed. She has tried several techniques without success: (1) ignoring them; (2) encouraging and rewarding them for contributing to the class discussion; (3) removing their opportunities to participate in field trips; and (4) requiring them each to write an essay on proper behavior. In the order presented, list the operant conditioning principles she has applied to the situation.
A) Extinction, positive reinforcement, negative punishment, positive punishment
B) Positive punishment, positive reinforcement, extinction, negative punishment
C) Negative punishment, negative reinforcement, positive punishment, extinction
D) Extinction, positive reinforcement, positive punishment, negative punishment

Accepted Answer

Mrs. Collora has applied the following operant conditioning principles in the order presented: 
1) Ignoring the behavior is an example of extinction, which involves removing the reinforcement that is maintaining a behavior in order to decrease its frequency. 
2) Encouraging and rewarding the boys for contributing to the class discussion is an example of positive reinforcement, which involves giving a reward to increase the frequency of a behavior. 
3) Removing their opportunities to participate in field trips is an example of negative punishment, which involves taking away a valued stimulus to decrease the frequency of a behavior. 
4) Requiring them to write an essay on proper behavior is an example of positive punishment, which involves adding an aversive stimulus to decrease the frequency of a behavior.

Therefore, the correct order of operant conditioning principles applied is A) extinction, positive reinforcement, negative punishment, positive punishment.

Question 16

Nick wants to encourage his 6-year-old daughter, Anna, to help with family chores. He makes an outline of a rainbow with seven bands so that Anna can color in a band each time she does a chore. If she does seven chores in a week, coloring in the full rainbow, she gets $1. Nick's technique demonstrates which methods?
A) Habituation, positive punishment, and a fixed interval schedule
B) Shaping, negative reinforcement, and a variable interval schedule
C) Chaining, negative punishment, and a variable ratio schedule
D) A token economy, positive reinforcement, and a fixed ratio schedule

Accepted Answer

Nick is implementing a token economy, where Anna receives tokens (coloring in the rainbow bands) for completing chores, and the tokens can be exchanged for a tangible reward (money). This is an example of positive reinforcement, as Anna is being rewarded for her behavior of completing chores. The fixed ratio schedule is also being used, as Anna must complete a set number of chores (7) before receiving the reward.

Question 17

Determining whether an action constitutes reinforcement or punishment requires understanding of the
A) intrinsic quality of the consequence.
B) specific social and cultural norms associated with the action.
C) action's effect on behavior.
D) external stimulus driving the action.

Accepted Answer

Reinforcement and punishment are defined by their effects on behavior; reinforcement increases the likelihood of a behavior occurring again, while punishment decreases it. The intrinsic quality, social norms, or external stimuli are not direct determinants of whether an action is considered reinforcement or punishment.

Question 18

After a stressful day of work, Jamie often takes two aspirin, which she feels helps to relieve her stress and anxiety. This type of behavior is an example of
A) positive punishment.
B) negative reinforcement.
C) positive reinforcement.
D) negative punishment.

Accepted Answer

Jamie's behavior is an example of negative reinforcement because taking aspirin removes (or decreases) her stress and anxiety, making it more likely that she will continue to use this behavior in the future to alleviate those negative feelings.

Question 19

Which of the following is likely to provide the most powerful method for managing behavior?
A) Positive punishment
B) Positive reinforcement
C) Negative punishment
D) Conditioned reinforcement

Accepted Answer

Positive reinforcement is likely to provide the most powerful method for managing behavior because it involves rewarding desired behaviors, which increases the likelihood of those behaviors being repeated. It focuses on encouraging and reinforcing positive behavior rather than punishing negative behavior. Positive punishment (A) involves adding an unpleasant consequence to decrease the likelihood of a behavior being repeated, while negative punishment (C) involves taking away a desired item to decrease the likelihood of a behavior being repeated. Conditioned reinforcement (D) involves pairing a neutral stimulus with a primary reinforcer to eventually make the neutral stimulus a reinforcer on its own, but it may not be as powerful as positive reinforcement in managing behavior.

Question 20

Ivan, who is 16 years old, has been staying up all night playing online video games and his grades are dropping. As a result, he is grounded by his parents. He is not allowed to play video games, go to his friends' houses, or use his cellphone for one week. His parents' actions illustrate
A) negative reinforcement.
B) positive punishment.
C) positive reinforcement.
D) negative punishment.

Accepted Answer

Ivan's parents are removing privileges (playing video games, going to friends' houses, using his cellphone) as a consequence of his actions (staying up all night playing online video games and his grades dropping), which is an example of negative punishment. Negative punishment involves taking away a desirable stimulus to decrease a behavior.

Quiz 8: The Adaptive Mind Learning

Luca, who experiences extreme anxiety when taking an exam, practices meditation breathing to reduce her anxiety prior to taking a test. Her meditation breathing is an example of

Three conditions must be met for punishment to have any observable effects on behavior:

A reinforcer that gains value from being associated with other things that are valued is called a(n) _____ reinforcer.

Which of the following is an example of a conditioned reinforcer?

Derek is frustrated that his 1½-year-old dog does not let him know when he needs to go outside to urinate. Sometimes he comes home to find a mess near the door. Which training method is most likely to be successful?

Which of the following methods of behavior modification adheres to the Premack Principle?

The method for increasing behaviors that allow an organism to escape or avoid an unpleasant consequence is referred to as

A consequence that eliminates or reduces the frequency of a behavior by applying an aversive stimulus is referred to as

Which of the following is likely to be the most effective form of punishment?

A modified cage containing levers or buttons that can be pressed or pecked by animals and is used to investigate operant conditioning is referred to as a

How can extinction be avoided with operant conditioning?

Which of the following approaches would B. F. Skinner recommend to reduce an undesirable behavior?

Sonia first trains her new dog by saying "good dog!" before giving him a food treat. She then trains her dog to sit and stay, saying "good dog!" when he provides the correct behavior, while continuing to periodically provide a food treat. Sonia is using which method(s) ?

Determining whether an action constitutes reinforcement or punishment requires understanding of the

After a stressful day of work, Jamie often takes two aspirin, which she feels helps to relieve her stress and anxiety. This type of behavior is an example of

Which of the following is likely to provide the most powerful method for managing behavior?

Ivan, who is 16 years old, has been staying up all night playing online video games and his grades are dropping. As a result, he is grounded by his parents. He is not allowed to play video games, go to his friends' houses, or use his cellphone for one week. His parents' actions illustrate