Deck 5: Learning

Question 1

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, salivation to the meat was the ________.

A) conditioned response
B) conditioned stimulus
C) unconditioned response
D) unconditioned stimulus

Answer 1

unconditioned response

Question 2

The use of intermittent pairing ________ the rate of learning while it ________ the final strength of the learned response.

A) reduces; also reduces
B) increases; also increases
C) increases; reduces
D) reduces; increases

Answer 2

reduces; also reduces

Question 3

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 ringing of the bell was the ________.

A) unconditioned response
B) unconditioned stimulus
C) conditioned response
D) conditioned stimulus

Answer 3

conditioned stimulus

Question 4

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, salivation to the bell was the ________.

A) conditioned stimulus
B) unconditioned stimulus
C) unconditioned response
D) conditioned response

Question 5

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

A) cupboard door opening
B) cat food
C) running of the cats
D) cat

Question 6

Classical conditioning has been demonstrated ________.

A) in humans and in other animals
B) only in mammals
C) only in dogs
D) in all forms of animals except insects

Question 7

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 meat was the ________.

A) unconditioned response
B) conditioned stimulus
C) unconditioned stimulus
D) conditioned response

Question 8

We associate the name ________ most closely with classical conditioning.

A) E. L. Thorndike
B) Albert Bandura
C) B. F. Skinner
D) Ivan Pavlov

Question 9

A response that takes place in an organism whenever an unconditioned stimulus occurs is a(n) ________.

A) discriminative response
B) conditioned response
C) vicarious response
D) unconditioned response

Question 10

Sara has found that when she opens the cupboard door to get the cat food, the cats come running to the kitchen. Sara knows that this is classical conditioning and that the conditioned response is the ________.

A) cupboard door opening
B) running of the cats
C) cat food
D) cat

Question 11

Which of the following statements is true?

A) In classical conditioning, the learning takes place most quickly if the pairings of the CS and US are separated by a moderate amount of time.
B) In classical conditioning, the learning occurs at about the same pace no matter how far apart the pairings of the CS and US are.
C) In classical conditioning, the learning takes place most quickly if the pairings of the CS and US are separated by a very long time.
D) In classical conditioning, the learning takes place most quickly if the pairings of the CS and US follow each other very rapidly.

Question 12

"Every morning a train goes by my house at 6:30 when I am just sitting down to breakfast. Lately, however, the train has been coming by at 4:30 and I am having a terrible time getting back to sleep because I'm so hungry." In this example of classical conditioning, the conditioned stimulus is ________ and the conditioned response is ________.

A) eating breakfast; hunger
B) the sound of the train; going back to sleep
C) the sound of the train; hunger
D) hunger; eating breakfast

Question 13

Learning is a process by which experience results in ________.

A) acquisition of motivation
B) delayed genetic behavioral contributions
C) amplification of sensory stimuli
D) relatively permanent behavior change or potential behavior change

Question 14

The transfer of a response from one stimulus to another, previously neutral stimulus, is called ________.

A) modeling
B) desensitization
C) operant conditioning
D) classical conditioning

Question 15

A researcher trains a little boy to fear a hamster by banging drums every time the boy approaches the hamster. This type of learning is known as ________.

A) classical conditioning
B) operant conditioning
C) cognitive learning
D) vicarious learning

Question 16

A type of learning that involves associating one event with another is called operant or classical ________.

A) learning
B) contingencies
C) insight
D) conditioning

Question 17

Pairing the conditioned stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus on only a portion of the learning trials is called ________.

A) partial reinforcement
B) shaping
C) intermittent pairing
D) sporadic pairing

Question 18

After conditioning, the response an organism produces when only a conditioned stimulus is presented is a(n) ________.

A) conditioned response
B) unconditioned response
C) reflex
D) vicarious response

Question 19

The process by which experience or practice results in a relatively permanent change in behavior or potential behavior is known as ________.

A) learning
B) intelligence formation
C) cognition
D) imprinting

Question 20

An originally neutral stimulus that is paired with an unconditioned stimulus and eventually produces the desired response when presented alone is a(n) ________.

A) conditioned stimulus
B) reinforcer
C) antecedent
D) unconditioned stimulus

Question 21

Edward Lee Thorndike was known for his work with ________.

A) a Skinner box
B) a puzzle box
C) monkeys
D) modeling

Question 22

Kirk's dorm is rather old, and the plumbing is problematic. Each time he is in the shower, and the toilet flushes, the water automatically runs cold, causing Kirk to flinch and jump back. Eventually, Kirk started jumping back whenever he heard the toilet flush. In this situation, Kirk's learned jump upon hearing the flush is a ________.

A) unconditioned response
B) conditioned response
C) unconditioned stimulus
D) conditioned stimulus

Question 23

Which of the following is NOT an example of preparedness in conditioning?

A) Birds quickly learn to avoid drinking water that is the same color as water that previously made them ill.
B) Baby ducklings learn to recognize their mother's sight and call as they follow her around, and soon will follow nobody but their mother.
C) A child learns that brushing teeth always results in praise from parents.
D) Rats learn to avoid drinking water with a salty taste that previously made them ill.

Question 24

Kevin is a good student. He studies hard because when he does he gets the teacher's approval. His studying behavior was probably learned through ________.

A) generalization
B) operant conditioning
C) classical conditioning
D) trial and error

Question 25

Mary Cover Jones first demonstrated that children's fears can be ________.

A) unlearned through classical conditioning
B) unlearned through operant conditioning
C) learned through classical conditioning
D) learned through operant conditioning

Question 26

Classical conditioning can also occur in humans. Often advertisers use comedy in a commercial to evoke a positive emotion, then flash the company's logo at a consumer. With repeated pairings, the logo creates a positive emotion. In this situation, the comedy creating the positive emotion is the _________.

A) unconditioned response
B) conditioned response
C) unconditioned stimulus
D) conditioned stimulus

Question 27

Instrumental conditioning is another term for ________.

A) cognitive restructuring
B) classical conditioning
C) operant conditioning
D) vicarious learning

Question 28

The process by which some stimuli, such as snakes, are readily conditioned for fear responses in humans is called ________.

A) the diathesis-stress model
B) a mental set
C) response acquisition
D) preparedness

Question 29

Emitted, voluntary behavior is BEST modified by ________.

A) trial and error
B) classical conditioning
C) aversive conditioning
D) operant conditioning

Question 30

Mary Cover Jones conditioned Peter to accept an animal he had previously feared by pairing the animal with the presentation of ______.

A) toys
B) music
C) ice-cream
D) candy

Question 31

The psychologist most closely associated with the concept of preparedness is ________.

A) Seligman
B) Wolpe
C) Bandura
D) Jones

Question 32

Classical conditioning can also occur in humans. Often advertisers use comedy in a commercial to evoke a positive emotion, then flash the company's logo at a consumer. With repeated pairings, the logo creates a positive emotion. In this situation, the company's logo is the _________.

A) unconditioned response
B) conditioned response
C) unconditioned stimulus
D) conditioned stimulus

Question 33

Kirk's dorm is rather old, and the plumbing is problematic. Each time he is in the shower, and the toilet flushes, the water automatically runs cold, causing Kirk to flinch and jump back. Eventually, Kirk started jumping back whenever he heard the toilet flush. In this situation, the toilet flushing is a ________.

A) unconditioned response
B) conditioned response
C) unconditioned stimulus
D) conditioned stimulus

Question 34

Conditioned taste aversions are typically learned after ________ pairing(s) between the aversive food and the nauseous reaction to it.

A) a single
B) two to four
C) four to six
D) six to eight

Question 35

Classical conditioning can also occur in humans. Often advertisers use comedy in a commercial to evoke a positive emotion, then flash the company's logo at a consumer. With repeated pairings, the logo creates a positive emotion in viewers. In this situation, the positive emotion resulting from the comedy is the _________.

A) unconditioned response
B) conditioned response
C) unconditioned stimulus
D) conditioned stimulus

Question 36

Conditioned taste aversions are found ________.

A) in humans and other animals with a well-developed sense of taste
B) only in nonhuman animals
C) in virtually all animals
D) only in humans

Question 37

The two researchers most closely associated with operant conditioning are ________.

A) Freud and Perls
B) Skinner and Thorndike
C) Bandura and Ellis
D) Pavlov and Watson

Question 38

An experimenter attempting to classically condition a new behavior in a dog unintentionally presents the CS without the US several times during the conditioning process. She finds that this intermittent pairing ________.

A) increases the rate of learning and the strength of the final learned response
B) has no effect on the rate of learning or the strength of the final learned response
C) increases the rate of learning but decreases the strength of the final learned response
D) reduces the rate of learning and the strength of the final learned response

Question 39

A child learns that whenever he cleans his room, he gets his allowance. This type of learning is best explained by ________.

A) classical conditioning
B) social learning theory
C) biofeedback theory
D) operant conditioning

Question 40

Kirk's dorm is rather old, and the plumbing is problematic. Each time he is in the shower, and the toilet flushes, the water automatically runs cold, causing Kirk to flinch and jump back. Eventually, Kirk started jumping back whenever he heard the toilet flush. In this situation, the cold water is a ________.

A) unconditioned response
B) conditioned response
C) unconditioned stimulus
D) conditioned stimulus

Question 41

________ reinforcers result in the learning of new behaviors or the strengthening of existing ones.

A) Positive, but not negative
B) Neither positive nor negative
C) Negative, but not positive
D) Positive and negative

Question 42

A child is scolded for fighting with his sister. The scolding stops when the child stops bickering with his sibling. Stopping the scolding is an example of ________ reinforcement.

A) negative
B) tertiary
C) secondary
D) positive

Question 43

A "Skinner box" is most likely to be used in research on ________.

A) operant conditioning
B) cognitive learning
C) vicarious learning
D) classical conditioning

Question 44

A box used in operant conditioning of animals, which limits the available responses and thus increases the likelihood that the desired response will occur, is called a ________ box.

A) Skinner
B) Watson
C) trial
D) response

Question 45

Operant conditioning operates on the principle that behaviors occur more often when they are ________.

A) modeled
B) punished
C) ignored
D) reinforced

Question 46

According to the law of effect, a behavior is most likely to be repeated when it is ________.

A) paired with a neutral stimulus
B) ignored
C) followed by reinforcement
D) preceded by reinforcement

Question 47

Any event whose presence increases the likelihood that an ongoing behavior will recur is a(n) ________.

A) conditioned stimulus
B) unconditioned stimulus
C) positive reinforcer
D) negative reinforcer

Question 48

Any stimulus that follows a behavior and increases the likelihood that the behavior will be repeated is called a ________.

A) higher-order conditioner
B) situational artifact
C) reinforcer
D) cue

Question 49

In negative reinforcement, the ________ of a(n) ________ stimulus follows a behavior and changes the likelihood of that response reoccurring.

A) termination; aversive
B) termination; pleasant
C) onset; aversive
D) onset; pleasant

Question 50

Any stimulus that follows a behavior and decreases the likelihood that the behavior will be repeated is called a(n) ________.

A) aversive stimulus
B) punisher
C) negative reinforcer
D) antecedent

Question 51

Any event whose reduction or termination increases the likelihood that an ongoing behavior will recur is a(n) ________.

A) positive reinforcer
B) antecedent
C) negative reinforcer
D) punisher

Question 52

A budding author wishes to improve her typing. Which of the following would be least helpful in a program to help her reach her goal?

A) giving herself reinforcement each time she consistently improves in either speed or accuracy
B) keeping a careful record of her current rates of speed and accuracy
C) punishing herself whenever she fails to achieve the goals she has set for herself
D) deciding on specific improvements she wishes to make in speed and accuracy

Question 53

When someone uses negative reinforcement to change a behavior, the behavior is likely to ________.

A) occur at the same rate
B) completely stop
C) occur more frequently
D) occur less frequently

Question 54

Changing behavior through the reinforcement of successive approximations of a desired response is called ________.

A) modeling
B) negative reinforcement
C) shaping
D) classical conditioning

Question 55

Which of the following steps is the basic principle of self-modification of behavior?

A) Provide yourself with a positive reinforcer that is contingent upon specific improvements in the target behavior.
B) Decide what behavior you want to acquire.
C) Monitor your present behavior.
D) Define the target behavior precisely.

Question 56

Positive reinforcement ________ the likelihood that the behavior preceding it will happen again while negative reinforcement ________ the likelihood that the preceding behavior will happen again.

A) decreases; also decreases
B) decreases; increases
C) increases; also increases
D) increases; decreases

Question 57

To teach a tiger to jump through a flaming hoop, the tiger is first reinforced for jumping up on a certain pedestal, then for leaping from that pedestal to another. Next, the tiger has to jump through a hoop between the pedestals to get the reward. Finally, the hoop is set afire and the tiger must jump through it to get the reward. This is an example of ________.

A) secondary learning
B) modeling
C) negative reinforcement
D) shaping

Question 58

The idea that a behavior will increase or decrease based on the consequences that follow that behavior is crucial to ________.

A) operant conditioning
B) insight learning
C) vicarious learning
D) classical conditioning

Question 59

The 5-year-old child of two very busy parents has been throwing tantrums. Whenever the child gets angry or upset the parents immediately fuss over the child. Nevertheless, the child's tantrums do not diminish. In fact, they seem to occur more often. We may assume that the parents' fussing over this child serves as a(n) ________.

A) unconditioned response
B) positive reinforcer
C) punisher
D) negative reinforcer

Question 60

At the National Zoological Park in Washington, D. C., a polar bear suffered a broken tooth and keepers needed a safe way of treating the problem. The bear was rewarded first for sticking its nose through a slot in the cage door, then for allowing a keeper to lift its lip and touch its teeth. Finally, a veterinarian was able to treat the damaged tooth while the bear waited placidly for its familiar reward. This is an example of ________.

A) negative reinforcement
B) secondary learning
C) learned helplessness
D) shaping

Question 61

Presenting an aversive stimulus to eliminate undesired behavior is an example of ________.

A) positive reinforcement
B) negative reinforcement
C) punishment
D) shaping

Question 62

College students faced with unsolvable problems eventually give up and make only half-hearted attempts to solve new problems, even when the new problems can be solved easily. This behavior is probably due to ________.

A) contingency blocking
B) response generalization
C) latent learning
D) learned helplessness

Question 63

Learning to avoid engaging in behaviors that will result in punishment is called ________ training.

A) reconditioning
B) aversive
C) avoidance
D) modeling

Question 64

In terms of superstitious behavior, which of the following is true?

A) Animals cannot learn superstitious behavior.
B) Humans must have certain personality traits in order to exhibit superstitious behavior.
C) Skinner called behavior superstitious because his animal believed that it was something it had just done that cued the reinforcement that was given.
D) According to Skinner, superstitious behavior is not learned.

Question 65

Each of the following is true of biofeedback except ________.

A) it can be used to help people control their brain waves
B) it does not work for everyone
C) learning biofeedback techniques is quick, simple, and easy
D) it has become a well-established treatment for a variety of medical problems

Question 66

Which of the following would be most appropriate for the use of biofeedback procedures?

A) conditioning children who are bullies to be less aggressive
B) conditioning children to be on time for school
C) conditioning executives to reduce their blood pressure
D) conditioning coyotes to stay away from sheep

Question 67

When someone uses punishment to change a behavior, the probability of the behavior reoccurring is likely to ________.

A) decrease
B) increase
C) generalize
D) remain the same

Question 68

Skinner found that if he randomly presented rewards to pigeons in a Skinner box, the pigeons ________.

A) refused to eat the food
B) ceased all movement until the food pellets were randomly presented for a second time
C) developed a series of trial and error behaviors in an attempt to get the reward
D) developed a series of superstitious behaviors

Question 69

An operant conditioning technique in which a learner gains voluntary control over some physiological process is called ________.

A) preparedness
B) contingency training
C) biofeedback
D) social learning

Question 70

Which of the following statements is true?

A) The effectiveness of punishment depends solely on its force.
B) Punishment usually enhances the learning process.
C) Punishment should be applied intermittently.
D) Punishment does not always work.

Question 71

Failure to take steps to avoid or escape from an unpleasant or aversive stimulus that occurs as a result of previous exposure to unavoidable painful stimuli is called ________.

A) vicarious learning
B) learned helplessness
C) avoidance learning
D) aversive conditioning

Question 72

An animal is placed in a box with a bar and also a wire floor that can deliver a mild shock. The experimenter first sounds a buzzer, then a few seconds later turns on the shock. Pressing the bar after the buzzer sounds but before the shock is delivered will prevent the shock from occurring. This is an example of ________.

A) avoidance training
B) classical conditioning
C) punishment learning
D) modeling

Question 73

The person most closely associated with research on learned helplessness is ________.

A) Bandura
B) Wolpe
C) Thorndike
D) Seligman

Question 74

The basic difference between punishment and reinforcement boils down to a difference between ________.

A) conditioned and unconditioned stimuli
B) presenting and removing stimuli
C) stimuli and responses
D) decreasing and increasing response rates

Question 75

Superstitious behaviors are most commonly learned through ________.

A) subliminal learning
B) operant conditioning
C) vicarious learning
D) classical conditioning

Question 76

Punishment is a(n) ________ controller of behavior.

A) powerful
B) weak
C) sporadic
D) reinforcing

Question 77

Oscar takes vitamins to prevent illnesses related to vitamin deficiencies. This is an example of ________.

A) shaping
B) classical conditioning
C) avoidance training
D) modeling

Question 78

Jonesy often gets tension headaches from his stressful job. His doctor taught him to control them by attaching an electronic device that emits a tone to his head. Even slight relaxation of his head muscles causes the tone to drop. By relaxing his head muscles, his headaches are relieved. This technique is known as ________.

A) contingency training
B) social learning
C) biofeedback
D) preparedness

Question 79

Which of the following statements is true?

A) Positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, and punishment all serve to increase the occurrence of a given behavior.
B) Positive reinforcement serves to increase the occurrence of a given behavior whereas negative reinforcement and punishment serve to decrease its occurrence.
C) Positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement serve to increase the occurrence of a given behavior whereas punishment serves to decrease its occurrence.
D) Positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, and punishment all serve to decrease the occurrence of a given behavior.

Question 80

In an experiment, two groups of dogs are given shocks to their feet. One group is able to escape the shocks by jumping over a barrier. The second group is harnessed and cannot escape. After several trials, both groups are put in situations where they can escape. The first group escapes the shocks, but the second group just sits and whines, refusing to attempt to escape. The response of the second group is due to ________.

A) response generalization
B) learned helplessness
C) latent learning
D) contingency blocking