Question 1

John Watson's famous address at Columbia University in 1913 argued that

Accepted Answer

John Watson's famous address at Columbia University in 1913 argued that psychology had failed as a science because it was too focused on introspection and consciousness, which he believed were subjective and not scientifically measurable. He proposed that psychology should instead focus on observable behavior.

Question 2

Darwin's theory of evolution made possible the field of

Accepted Answer

Darwin's theory of evolution laid the groundwork for comparative psychology, which involves comparing the behaviors and mental processes of different species to understand their evolutionary relationships.

Question 3

The principal method by which George Romanes studied animal behavior was called

Accepted Answer

George Romanes is known for his method of "introspection by analogy," where he inferred the mental processes of animals based on observed behavior and by analogy to human mental processes.

Question 4

C. Lloyd Morgan's canon in animal research argued that in explaining animal behavior

Accepted Answer

Lloyd Morgan's canon is a principle in comparative psychology that suggests simpler explanations (lower mental processes) should be preferred over more complex ones (higher mental processes) when explaining animal behavior, unless the simpler explanations are inadequate.

Question 5

Thorndike wrote that "Any act which in a given situation produces satisfaction becomes associated with that situation, so that when the situation recurs the act is more likely than before to recur as well." This statement is known as

Accepted Answer

Thorndike's statement is a description of the Law of Effect, which posits that behaviors followed by satisfying consequences are more likely to recur in the future, whereas behaviors followed by unpleasant consequences are less likely to recur.

Question 6

Pavlov's discovery of what would later be labeled classical conditioning came about because he noticed that his dogs

Accepted Answer

Pavlov's discovery of classical conditioning was based on his observation that dogs began to salivate not only when food was presented but also in anticipation of it, such as when they saw the lab assistant who fed them or heard the footsteps of the assistant, indicating that they had learned to associate these previously neutral stimuli with the food.

Question 7

Of the research methods advocated by Watson which one did he most prefer?

Accepted Answer

John B. Watson, the founder of behaviorism, most preferred classical conditioning as his research method. This approach, exemplified by the famous experiments with dogs by Ivan Pavlov, focuses on understanding how behavior is influenced by environmental stimuli. Watson's emphasis was on observable behavior and the conditions that elicit and maintain it, rather than introspective methods that rely on subjective reports of mental states.

Question 8

John Watson's most famous study with the infant, Albert B., demonstrated that

Accepted Answer

John Watson's most famous study with the infant, Albert B., demonstrated that fear could be conditioned in humans. This study involved conditioning "Little Albert" to fear a white rat by pairing the presentation of the rat with a loud, frightening noise.

Question 9

The label "behaviorist manifesto" refers to

Accepted Answer

Watson's 1913 address at Columbia University is often referred to as the "behaviorist manifesto" because in this address, Watson outlined the principles of behaviorism, marking a significant shift in the focus of psychology towards the study of observable behavior.

Question 10

John Watson's book on child rearing warned parents against using too much

Accepted Answer

John Watson's book on child rearing notably warned against the use of too much affection, arguing that it could lead to dependent and spoiled children.

Question 11

Although Watson published his influential article in 1913, it wasn't until the ________ that behaviorism began to dominate American psychology.

Accepted Answer

Behaviorism began to dominate American psychology in the 1920s, following the publication of John B. Watson's influential article in 1913. Watson's work laid the foundation for behaviorism to become a leading psychological theory during that era.

Question 12

Neobehaviorism is a label used to describe American psychology in what time period?

Accepted Answer

Neobehaviorism refers to a movement in American psychology that took place from the 1930s to the 1970s, emphasizing a more scientific approach to psychological research, focusing on observable behaviors and excluding unobservable phenomena like thoughts and moods.

Question 13

The neobehaviorists were principally interested in

Accepted Answer

Neobehaviorists, such as B.F. Skinner, were primarily interested in the study of learning and motivation, particularly through the lens of operant conditioning.

Question 14

Edward Tolman's psychology could be described as

Accepted Answer

Edward Tolman's psychological approach is best described as purposive behaviorism, which emphasizes the purpose or goal behind behavior, rather than just the mechanical aspects of stimulus-response relationships.

Question 15

A number of Tolman's maze studies of rats demonstrated that

Accepted Answer

Tolman's maze studies with rats demonstrated that rats could develop cognitive maps of their surroundings, indicating that they could learn and navigate the maze even without immediate rewards, challenging behaviorist notions that learning only occurs with direct reinforcement.

Question 16

In Tolman's plus-shaped maze, which animals learned to find food the fastest?

Accepted Answer

Place learners learn the fastest in Tolman's plus-shaped maze because they use cognitive maps to navigate to the food, rather than a simple stimulus-response pattern.

Question 17

Clark Hull's grand theory of behavior was established using what method?

Accepted Answer

Hull's grand theory of behavior, which aimed to explain learning and motivation by scientific laws, was established using the hypothetico-deductive method. This approach involves formulating hypotheses based on theoretical considerations and then testing these hypotheses through experiments and observations.

Question 18

For Hull, the mechanism for reinforcement was

Accepted Answer

Hull's theory of learning emphasized drive reduction as the primary mechanism for reinforcement, where a reduction in biological drives (such as hunger or thirst) strengthens the association between stimuli and responses.

Question 19

According to Hull, habit strength, a measure of the strength of learning, was directly enhanced by

Accepted Answer

Hull proposed that habit strength, which reflects the strength of learning, increases with the number of reinforcements. This is a key principle in his theory of learning, emphasizing the role of repeated reinforcement in strengthening a learned behavior.

Question 20

Unlike classical conditioning, Skinner's operant conditioning was not concerned with the

Accepted Answer

Skinner's operant conditioning focuses on the consequences of behavior to modify behavior, unlike classical conditioning, which is concerned with the association between stimuli. Skinner emphasized the role of reinforcement and punishment after a behavior, rather than the stimuli that elicit the behavior.

Quiz 8: Behaviorism