Question 1

Rachel has found that when she opens up the cupboard door to get the cat food,the cats come running to the kitchen.Rachel knows that this is classical conditioning,that the unconditioned stimulus is the __________ and that the conditioned stimulus is the ___________.

Accepted Answer

In classical conditioning, the unconditioned stimulus (US) is something that naturally and automatically triggers a response without any learning needed. In this case, the cat food is the US because it naturally makes the cats come running. The conditioned stimulus (CS) is a previously neutral stimulus that, after being associated with the US, triggers a conditioned response. Here, the cupboard door opening is the CS because it has been associated with the cat food and now causes the cats to come running.

Question 2

Most young children put their hands over their ears when they hear the loud boom of firecrackers at a Fourth of July festival,but at first pay scant attention to the person lighting the firecrackers.However,after just a few firecrackers have been exploded,some of the children put their hands over their ears as soon as they see the person approach the firecracker with a match! What is the conditioned stimulus?

Accepted Answer

The conditioned stimulus is the person lighting the firecrackers because the children have learned to associate the person with the loud booming sound made by the firecrackers, which is the unconditioned stimulus. Over time, the children have developed a conditioned response of putting their hands over their ears when they see the person about to light the firecrackers, even before the loud boom occurs. The response of putting their hands over their ears when the firecrackers explode is the conditioned response.

Question 3

Most young children put their hands over their ears when they hear the loud boom of firecrackers at a Fourth of July festival,but at first pay just scant attention to the person lighting the firecrackers.However,after just a few firecrackers have been exploded,some of the children put their hands over their ears as soon as they see the person approach the firecracker with a match! What is the unconditioned stimulus?

Accepted Answer

The unconditioned stimulus is the loud booming sound made by the firecrackers because it elicits an unlearned response of the children putting their hands over their ears. The person lighting the firecrackers and the children putting their hands over their ears when they see the person approach the firecracker with a match are not unconditioned stimuli as they do not initially elicit a response. The children putting their hands over their ears when the firecrackers explode is a conditioned response that develops after the loud booming sound (unconditioned stimulus) has been paired with the sight of the person approaching the firecrackers (conditioned stimulus).

Question 4

In classical conditioning,when a neutral stimulus is paired with a stimulus that naturally elicits a response,the neutral stimulus eventually elicits a similar response or becomes a/an _______ stimulus.

Accepted Answer

In classical conditioning, a neutral stimulus (that initially does not produce a response) is paired with an unconditioned stimulus (that naturally elicits a response), resulting in the neutral stimulus becoming a conditioned stimulus (that eventually elicits a similar response as the unconditioned stimulus). Therefore, choice A) conditioned is the best answer. The other options are not appropriate for describing the process of classical conditioning.

Question 5

Rachel has found that when she opens the cupboard door to get the cat food,the cats come running to the kitchen.Rachel knows that this is classical conditioning and that the unconditioned stimulus is the __________.

Accepted Answer

The unconditioned stimulus is the stimuli that naturally and automatically triggers a response, in this case, the cat food acts as the unconditioned stimulus that triggers the cats' response of coming to the kitchen.

Question 6

Classical conditioning:

Accepted Answer

Classical conditioning involves pairing a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus to create a conditioned response. This type of learning is primarily concerned with reflexes and involuntary responses, such as salivation in response to the sound of a bell. The process of classical conditioning is passive, in that the learner does not need to actively engage in any behavior in order to acquire the new response. Therefore, all of the above options are correct.

Question 7

When Casey opens the closet door to get some dog food,her dog salivates.What is the conditioned stimulus in this example?

Accepted Answer

The salivation response of the dog is a learned behavior and is triggered by the conditioned stimulus, which is the sound of the closet door opening. Over time, the dog has associated the sound of the closet door with the presence of food, leading to this response.

Question 8

Which of the following statements about classical conditioning is true?

Accepted Answer

Classical conditioning typically requires repeated trials in order to produce a significant and lasting change in behavior. This repetition helps to strengthen the association between the conditioned stimulus and the conditioned response.

Question 9

Presenting the unconditioned stimulus before the conditioned stimulus is known as _________ conditioning.

Accepted Answer

Presenting the unconditioned stimulus before the conditioned stimulus is known as the backward conditioning. In this type of conditioning, the association between the two stimuli is weak or non-existent, and therefore, the conditioned response is not easily formed. Classical conditioning involves pairing a neutral stimulus (conditioned stimulus) with an unconditioned stimulus to elicit a response. Operant conditioning involves learning through rewards and punishments. Aversive conditioning involves associating an unpleasant stimulus with an undesired behavior to decrease the frequency of that behavior.

Question 10

A kind of therapy closely related to classical conditioning is known as __________ therapy.

Accepted Answer

Desensitization therapy, also known as exposure therapy, involves gradually exposing individuals to the source of their phobia or anxiety in a controlled and safe environment, allowing them to learn to cope with and ultimately overcome their fear through classical conditioning. This process involves the pairing of a relaxation response with the feared object or situation, eventually leading to the development of a new and positive response to the previously feared stimulus.

Question 11

A research participant hears a tone followed by a puff of air directed toward his eye.Later,he blinks when he hears the tone.Before ending the experiment,what could the researcher do in order to extinguish the blinking to that tone?

Accepted Answer

The process of extinction involves repeatedly presenting the conditioned stimulus (the tone) without the unconditioned stimulus (the puff of air). This will eventually lead to a weakening or elimination of the conditioned response (the blinking) to the tone. Option B, presenting the unconditioned stimulus alone, may reinforce the association between the tone and the puff of air, and could actually strengthen the conditioning. Options C and D are not relevant to the process of extinction.

Question 12

Which of the following is an example of classical conditioning?

Accepted Answer

This is an example of classical conditioning because the child has learned to associate the ringing of the bell with the puff of air to the eye, and now blinks in anticipation of the puff of air when hearing the bell.

Question 13

In classical conditioning,the interstimulus interval refers to the amount of time between ________.

Accepted Answer

The interstimulus interval in classical conditioning refers to the amount of time between the presentation of the conditioned stimulus and the presentation of the unconditioned stimulus, which is a critical factor in the learning process.

Question 14

Instinctive or involuntary behavior would probably be BEST modified by ___________ .

Accepted Answer

Instinctive or involuntary behavior is not under conscious control, so operant conditioning and shaping, which rely on reinforcement and punishment, would not be effective. Trial and error may lead to accidental modification of behavior but is not a reliable method. Classical conditioning, on the other hand, can modify reflexes and automatic responses, making it the best option for modifying instinctive or involuntary behavior.

Question 15

Most young children put their hands over their ears when they hear the loud boom of firecrackers at a Fourth of July festival,but at first pay scant attention to the person lighting the firecrackers.However,after just a few firecrackers have been exploded,some of the children put their hands over their ears as soon as they see the person approach the firecracker with a match! What is the unconditioned response?

Accepted Answer

The unconditioned response is the natural response that is not learned. In this case, the unconditioned response is the children putting their hands over their ears when the firecrackers explode. This response is not learned or conditioned, as even young children who have never been exposed to firecrackers would likely have a similar response. The other options - the person lighting the firecrackers, the loud booming sound made by the firecrackers, and the children putting their hands over their ears when they see the person about to light the firecrackers - are all conditioned responses that are learned through experience.

Question 16

How does one know he/she has classically conditioned a person or an animal?

Accepted Answer

Classically conditioned behavior is demonstrated by the ability of the conditioned stimulus to elicit a conditioned response in the absence of the unconditioned stimulus. Therefore, if the conditioned stimulus alone elicits the conditioned response, it is a good indication that classical conditioning has taken place. A and D are incorrect because the unconditioned stimulus and response are not involved in demonstrating the acquisition of a classically conditioned behavior. B is incorrect because the unconditioned stimulus should not be involved in the elicitation of the conditioned response after conditioning has taken place.

Question 17

By pairing the ringing of a bell with the presentation of meat,Pavlov trained dogs to salivate to the sound of a bell even when no meat was presented.In this experiment,the presentation of the meat was the __________.

Accepted Answer

In classical conditioning, the unconditioned stimulus (UCS) is the natural stimulus that triggers a response without any learning. In this experiment, the meat naturally triggered a reflexive response of salivation in the dogs, without any prior learning or association with other stimuli. Therefore, the meat is the UCS.

Question 18

New learning that works in the opposite direction from the original learning results in ________.

Accepted Answer

When new learning works in the opposite direction from the original learning, it leads to extinction. Extinction occurs when the previously learned behavior gradually decreases and eventually ceases to exist due to the lack of reinforcement.

Question 19

An automatic,innate,and involuntary response to an environmental event is an ________.

Accepted Answer

All the options describe an automatic, innate, and involuntary response to an environmental event.

Question 20

We associate the name of ___________ most closely with classical conditioning.

Accepted Answer

Ivan Pavlov is most closely associated with classical conditioning, as he conducted the famous experiments with dogs where he conditioned them to salivate at the sound of a bell. B.F. Skinner is associated with operant conditioning, Robert Rescorla is known for his work on contingency and classical conditioning, and Albert Bandura is known for his work on social learning theory.

Quiz 7: Learning and Conditioning

Rachel has found that when she opens up the cupboard door to get the cat food,the cats come running to the kitchen.Rachel knows that this is classical conditioning,that the unconditioned stimulus is the and that the conditioned stimulus is the _.