Question 1

According to Thorndike, reinforcement is an event that

Accepted Answer

Thorndike defined reinforcement as an event that increases the probability of the preceding response. It is not about physically forcing an animal, reminding of past experiences, or fulfilling desires.

Question 2

Edward Thorndike watched cats learn to escape from puzzle boxes. Because they improved gradually over many trials, he concluded that

Accepted Answer

Thorndike's observations led him to propose the law of effect, which states that behaviors followed by satisfying consequences become more likely to occur again, whereas behaviors followed by unpleasant consequences become less likely to occur again. He believed that the cats in the puzzle box experiments were learning through trial-and-error and association between their actions and the resulting consequences, without any higher mental processes such as insight or understanding.

Question 3

In a classical conditioning experiment, an animal associates a light (CS) with a shock (UCS). Then it receives the light and a tone (another CS) at the same time, followed by the UCS. It will display a strong conditioned response to

Accepted Answer

The answer of In a classical conditioning experiment, an animal...

Question 4

A tone is followed by shock until the rat consistently responds to the tone. Then, the tone is accompanied by a light for several additional trials. In later test trials the tone or light is presented separately, the rat will show strong reaction to the tone and little or no reaction to the light. This phenomenon is called the

Accepted Answer

The blocking effect occurs when a previously learned cue (in this case, the tone) prevents or "blocks" the learning of a new cue (the light) when the two are presented together. Since the rat already associates the tone with the shock, it does not learn to associate the light with the shock when the two stimuli are presented together.

Question 5

In operant conditioning, unlike classical conditioning,

Accepted Answer

In operant conditioning, the individual's behavior is strengthened or weakened by consequences, such as the delivery of food or other stimuli. This is in contrast to classical conditioning, where the response is elicited by a stimulus without the individual actively controlling the outcome. Therefore, choice D is the correct answer.

Question 6

The cats in Thorndike's experiments improved their ability to escape his puzzle boxes gradually, not suddenly. What conclusion did he draw from this observation?

Accepted Answer

Thorndike's observation that cats improved their ability to escape his puzzle boxes gradually, not suddenly, led him to conclude that learning is based on strengthening responses, not on insights. This idea is the basis of Thorndike's Law of Effect, which states that behaviors that are followed by a satisfying consequence tend to be repeated, while those that are followed by an unsatisfying consequence tend not to be repeated. This principle is a key concept in behaviorism and operant conditioning.

Question 7

Pavlov believed that presenting the CS at nearly the same time as the UCS caused a connection in the brain to form so that the animal treated the CS as if it were the UCS. Psychologists today believe that the animal

Accepted Answer

Psychologists today believe that the animal uses the CS as a predictor that the UCS is coming. This means that the animal learns to expect the UCS when presented with the CS, rather than treating the CS as if it were the UCS or using it as a positive reinforcer. This is known as Pavlovian or classical conditioning.

Question 8

Edward Thorndike, a pioneer in the study of cats escaping from puzzle boxes, argued that animal learning depends on

Accepted Answer

Thorndike's law of effect states that behaviors that are followed by positive consequences are more likely to be repeated, while behaviors that are followed by negative consequences are less likely to be repeated.

Question 9

In the presence of a light, an animal makes a response that is followed by food. The food is given only when the animal makes the response. Which type of learning is this?

Accepted Answer

This is an example of operant conditioning, where the animal learns to associate its response with the food that follows.

Question 10

Who of the following was the first to investigate operant conditioning?

Accepted Answer

Edward Thorndike was the first to investigate operant conditioning, which he called the Law of Effect, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Ivan Pavlov is known for his work on classical conditioning, David Premack for his work on the Premack principle, and Carl Jung for his work on psychology and personality.

Question 11

Classical conditioning applies primarily to __________ responses; operant conditioning applies primarily to __________ responses.

Accepted Answer

Classical conditioning applies primarily to visceral (involuntary) responses, such as salivation or heart rate changes, which are elicited by stimuli that become associated with a reflexive response. Operant conditioning, on the other hand, applies to skeletal (voluntary) responses, which are behaviors that can be modified through rewards or punishments.

Question 12

Thorndike set up experiments in which cats escaped from puzzle boxes. He argued that learning by the cats was not due to insight or understanding, because if it were

Accepted Answer

Thorndike observed that cats gradually improved their escape times with each trial, rather than suddenly understanding how to escape. This gradual improvement, rather than a sudden insight, supported his theory of learning through trial and error, where actions leading to successful outcomes are strengthened.

Question 13

The main difference between classical conditioning and operant conditioning is that in operant conditioning

Accepted Answer

In operant conditioning, the animal's behavior controls the outcomes, including reinforcers. Classical conditioning involves learning through associations between stimuli, whereas operant conditioning involves learning through consequences of behavior. In operant conditioning, certain behaviors are reinforced or punished based on their consequences.

Question 14

Thondike described "reinforcer" as

Accepted Answer

The answer of Thondike described "reinforcer" as
...

Question 15

The main difference between classical conditioning and operant conditioning is that in classical conditioning

Accepted Answer

In classical conditioning, the animal's responses do not control the reinforcements as the association is made between a neutral stimulus and a naturally occurring stimulus. In operant conditioning, the animal's responses do control the reinforcements as the behavior is reinforced or punished based on the consequences that follow.

Question 16

Responses that are followed by satisfaction to the animal will be more firmly connected with the situation so that they will be more likely to recur in the future. This is a brief statement of the

Accepted Answer

The law of effect states that behaviors that are followed by positive consequences (such as satisfaction to the animal) are more likely to be repeated in the future. This principle emphasizes the importance of reinforcement in shaping, maintaining, and increasing behaviors.

Question 17

What did Thorndike mean by the Law of Effect?

Accepted Answer

Thorndike's Law of Effect states that responses that are followed by reinforcement become more probable.

Question 18

Why did Thorndike conclude that his cats learned by strengthening certain response tendencies, rather than by gaining an understanding or insight?

Accepted Answer

Thorndike observed that the cats improved their speed of escaping gradually over time, rather than suddenly having an "aha" moment. This suggested to him that rather than gaining a sudden insight, the cats were improving by strengthening certain response tendencies through positive reinforcement.

Question 19

Under which of the following circumstances is an animal most likely to display a strong conditioned response to a stimulus?

Accepted Answer

In classical conditioning, the strongest conditioned response occurs when the conditioned stimulus is consistently followed by the unconditioned stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus is not presented at other times (choice A). This leads to a strong association between the two stimuli and a reliable conditioned response. In choice B, the unconditioned stimulus is frequently presented at other times, which can lead to confusion and weaker conditioning. In choice C, the inconsistency of the pairing can weaken the conditioning. Choice D, where the stimulus is never followed by the unconditioned stimulus, would not result in any conditioning at all.

Question 20

In operant conditioning, UNLIKE classical conditioning,

Accepted Answer

In operant conditioning, the individual's response controls the outcome (reinforcement or punishment), whereas in classical conditioning, the stimulus precedes the behavior and the outcome is not controlled by the individual's response. Option A is incorrect since not every response leads to both reinforcement and punishment. Option B is incorrect since individuals learn through active participation and behavior. Option D is incorrect since the stimuli are contingent upon the individual's behavior.

Quiz 6: Learning