Question 1

According to social learning theory, whether we engage in delinquency is largely a function of:

Accepted Answer

Social learning theory emphasizes that delinquency is influenced by the behaviors and attitudes of those we associate with or are exposed to, suggesting that individuals learn deviant behavior from others.

Question 2

If we wanted to test social learning theory, the best question to ask would be:

Accepted Answer

Social learning theory emphasizes the importance of observing, modeling, and imitating the behaviors, attitudes, and emotional reactions of others. Therefore, asking how one's friends would react to a delinquent act directly relates to understanding the influence of peer behavior and attitudes, which is central to social learning theory.

Question 3

The term "differential reinforcement" refers to the:

Accepted Answer

Differential reinforcement refers to the concept that different behaviors are reinforced at different rates or under different conditions, rather than the source, type, or power of the reinforcement.

Question 4

TJ sneaks into a movie theater with friends. After the movie, he and his friends laugh and congratulate each other on their success in seeing a new movie without having to pay. According to social learning theory, TJ's behavior has been:

Accepted Answer

According to social learning theory, behaviors followed by positive outcomes are more likely to be repeated. In this scenario, TJ's behavior of sneaking into a movie theater is followed by a positive outcome (enjoyment and social approval from friends), which acts as a positive reinforcement, making it more likely that TJ will repeat this behavior in the future.

Question 5

After Sandy returns home past her curfew, her parents decide that she cannot go with her friends to a party next Friday. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Negative punishment involves removing a desirable stimulus after a behavior, in this case, taking away the opportunity to go to a party to decrease the likelihood of Sandy returning home past curfew again.

Question 6

Billy tells his friends that he is sick and tired of the way that their teacher treats him. His friends dare him to get even with the teacher. They taunt and tease Billy until he puts glue in the teacher's cup. According to social learning theory, Billy is ____________ when his friends stop teasing him.

Accepted Answer

According to social learning theory, Billy is negatively reinforced when his friends stop teasing him. Negative reinforcement occurs when a behavior is strengthened as a result of stopping or avoiding a negative condition. In this case, the negative condition (his friends' teasing) stops when Billy performs the behavior (putting glue in the teacher's cup), which reinforces the behavior.

Question 7

Tiffany's day-care provider yells at her for taking a toy away from another child. Tiffany has just been _____________ for her behavior.

Accepted Answer

Tiffany has been positively punished because yelling at her for taking a toy away is an addition of an unpleasant stimulus (yelling) following her behavior, which is meant to decrease that behavior in the future. Positive punishment involves adding something to decrease a behavior.

Question 8

Agnew and Brezina state in their discussion on social learning theory that the major sources of reinforcements and punishments for juveniles are:

Accepted Answer

Agnew and Brezina, in their discussion on social learning theory, emphasize that the primary sources of reinforcements (rewards) and punishments for juveniles are their family members and friends. This is because these groups are the closest social contacts for most juveniles, and they significantly influence their behaviors and attitudes through direct interactions and observations.

Question 9

Behaviors that are reinforced on a(n) __________ schedule are more difficult to eliminate than those reinforced on a(n) _________ schedule.

Accepted Answer

Behaviors reinforced on an intermittent schedule (D) are more resistant to extinction than those reinforced on a continuous schedule because the unpredictability of reinforcement under intermittent schedules leads to the behavior being more deeply ingrained and harder to eliminate. Continuous reinforcement means a reward follows every correct response, which can be quickly learned but also quickly extinguished once the reinforcement stops.

Question 10

Experience teaches Jill that she will most likely get away with cheating on exams in large classes. In this example, class size functions as a _______ for Jill.

Accepted Answer

A discriminative stimulus signals the availability of reinforcement or punishment following a behavior. In this case, the large class size signals to Jill that cheating is likely to go undetected, thus acting as a discriminative stimulus for the behavior of cheating.

Question 11

Drawing on Agnew and Brezina's discussion of beliefs favorable to delinquency, which of the following is TRUE?

Accepted Answer

Delinquents often employ techniques of neutralization to justify or excuse their delinquent acts, suggesting that they might not inherently approve of delinquency but find ways to rationalize their behavior.

Question 12

Holding a neutral attitude toward a delinquent act:

Accepted Answer

Holding a neutral attitude toward a delinquent act can increase the likelihood of delinquency because it may indicate a lack of internalized norms against such behavior, making an individual more susceptible to engaging in delinquent acts.

Question 13

Agnew and Brezina identify ___________ as a general value(s) that is (are) conducive to delinquency.

Accepted Answer

Agnew and Brezina, in their discussions on the causes of delinquency, identify a range of general values that are conducive to delinquent behavior. These include the desire for quick and easy success, a disdain for hard work, wanting excitement, and trying to be "macho." These values can lead individuals to engage in delinquent acts as they seek to fulfill these desires in ways that are outside the bounds of legal and socially acceptable behavior.

Question 14

Sarah stole nail polish and lipstick from Wal-Mart. Even though she generally thinks stealing is wrong, she justified her act by stating that the store has a lot of money and will not even miss such small items. According to Sykes and Matza, she has justified her delinquent act with a:

Accepted Answer

Sarah's justification is a "denial of injury," as she argues that her actions do not cause harm because the store will not miss the small items she stole. This rationalization minimizes the perceived wrongfulness of the act by suggesting no real harm was done.

Question 15

According to social learning theory, juveniles are most likely to imitate the behavior of a model that:

Accepted Answer

Social learning theory suggests that juveniles are more likely to imitate behaviors of models they like, see receiving reinforcement for the behavior, and who exhibit signs of pleasure, making all of the options correct.

Question 16

According to social learning theory, we tend to _______ behaviors that are reinforced and _____ those that are punished.

Accepted Answer

According to social learning theory, individuals are more likely to adopt a modeled behavior if it results in a positive outcome (reinforcement) and less likely to adopt a behavior that leads to a negative outcome (punishment). Thus, we tend to repeat behaviors that are reinforced and avoid those that are punished.

Question 17

Kevin is 17 years old and occasionally drinks beer. Kevin does not consider his action delinquent and believes that drinking is a typical behavior for someone his age. According to Agnew and Brezina, this is an example of:

Accepted Answer

The answer of Kevin is 17 years old and occasionally...

Question 18

Intrinsic reinforcers that are not derived from others are sometimes referred to as:

Accepted Answer

Intrinsic reinforcers that are not derived from others are referred to as nonsocial reinforcers because they originate from within the individual and do not depend on social interaction or approval.

Question 19

Which statement is TRUE regarding intermittent schedules of reinforcement?

Accepted Answer

Intermittent schedules of reinforcement do not reinforce every instance of a behavior but rather do so at irregular intervals or ratios. This approach is often more effective in maintaining behaviors over time compared to continuous reinforcement, where every instance of the behavior is reinforced. Continuous reinforcement can lead to rapid learning of the behavior, but the behavior is also more quickly extinguished if the reinforcement stops. In contrast, behaviors maintained by intermittent reinforcement are more resistant to extinction, making them more sustainable over the long term.

Question 20

Agnew and Brezina point out that some criminologists have argued that young people can "get hooked" on crime and delinquency. What may be a reason why young people become "hooked" on crime?

Accepted Answer

All the options provided (A, B, and C) are reasons that have been suggested to explain why young people might become "hooked" on crime, including the search for stimulation, emotional rewards, and the activation of reward processes in the brain.

Quiz 7: Social Learning Theory