Deck 9: Behaviorist Views of Learning

Question 1

Which one of the following situations illustrates extinction of a classically conditioned response?

A)Alfonso thinks school is a waste of time because he doesn't learn anything he can use in his own life.
B)Brian experiences more and more anxiety about mathematics as his math problems become increasingly challenging.
C)Over time Carla becomes less nervous about tests because she finds that she can succeed at them.
D)Deirdre doesn't like keeping her desk clean because she has too much stuff to arrange it all neatly inside.

Answer 1

Over time Carla becomes less nervous about tests because she finds that she can succeed at them.

Question 2

One characteristic common to all behaviorist learning theories is an emphasis on:

A)The importance of rewards
B)The effect of the environment on learning
C)How one learns by observing the behavior of others
D)The importance of every single event in a person's life

Answer 2

The effect of the environment on learning

Question 3

Edward is severely beaten by his alcoholic father on several occasions.Before long, Edward begins to shake whenever his father approaches.In this situation, Edward's father is:

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

Answer 3

A conditioned stimulus

Question 4

Which one of the following is the best example of punishment as behaviorists define it?

A)Kelly has been acting up in the classroom all year.Her teacher's frequent reprimands haven't made much of a difference in Kelly's behavior.
B)Leonard is a real distraction to his classmates, often burping in a way that makes other students laugh.His teacher places him in a corner where others can't hear him burping.
C)Whenever Marvin has trouble sitting still, his teacher has him run up and down the hall three times to release pent-up energy.
D)After Norma spends a few minutes in the time-out room for hurting a classmate's feelings, she acts more compassionately toward that classmate in the future.

Question 5

Which one of the following statements best describes the phenomenon of generalization in behaviorist learning theories?

A)Learning a complex skill is much easier once students have learned other, simpler skills.
B)Students sometimes make an inappropriate response in a particular situation even when they have responded correctly in that situation on numerous other occasions.
C)Students think that because their classmates are allowed to behave in a particular way, such behavior is acceptable for themselves as well.
D)When students learn to respond to a certain stimulus in a particular way, they are likely to respond to similar stimuli in the same way.

Question 6

If we want to apply a classical conditioning view of learning to our teaching behaviors, we should:

A)Make sure students know which stimuli they should respond to.
B)Reinforce acceptable behaviors and ignore unacceptable ones.
C)Reinforce acceptable behaviors and punish unacceptable ones.
D)Plan classroom activities that students find enjoyable.

Question 7

A boy who is beaten severely by his alcoholic father begins to show signs of fearing not only his father but other men as well.His fear of men who have not beaten him is an example of:

A)Extinction
B)Generalization
C)Discrimination
D)Negative reinforcement

Question 8

Classical conditioning typically occurs when:

A)A response is followed by two stimuli.
B)A response is followed by an unpleasant stimulus.
C)A response is followed by a single reinforcing stimulus.
D)Two stimuli are presented at about the same time.

Question 9

Ivan Pavlov conducted a series of studies that led him to propose his theory of classical conditioning.In these studies Pavlov observed how a dog learned to:

A)Bark when meat was presented
B)Bark when meat was taken away
C)Salivate to a simple stimulus such as a light
D)Wake up when a bright visual stimulus such as a light)was presented

Question 10

Which one of the following alternatives describes a conditioned stimulus in classical conditioning?

A)A stimulus that follows the conditioned response
B)A stimulus that follows the unconditioned response
C)A stimulus that begins to elicit a response it has not previously elicited
D)A stimulus that elicits a response without any prior learning being necessary

Question 11

Matthew once had a teacher who punished him severely whenever he did poorly on a mathematics test.Now he refuses to open a math book, saying that he is "too scared" to do so.He has learned to associate mathematics with the pain of punishment.Here, the painful punishment is:

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

Question 12

Ms.Smythe keeps Eric after school whenever he swears in class.Even though Eric has been kept after school each day for the past three weeks, his swearing has increased rather than decreased.Given what we know about the effects of punishment on behavior, Ms.Smythe should probably conclude that:

A)Her punishment is only temporarily suppressing Eric's swearing.
B)Staying after school is reinforcing for Eric.
C)Eric's swearing will decrease eventually.
D)The punishment is too severe.

Question 13

When are classically conditioned responses most likely to decrease i.e., undergo extinction)?

A)When the unconditioned stimulus is continually experienced in the absence of the conditioned stimulus
B)When the conditioned stimulus is continually experienced in the absence of the unconditioned stimulus
C)When the conditioned response is continually exhibited in the absence of the unconditioned response
D)When, and only when, the conditioned response is not generalized to a new situation

Question 14

The basic idea underlying instrumental conditioning is that:

A)Responses are learned primarily through repetition.
B)Responses are affected by the consequences that follow them.
C)Learners are more motivated to acquire some behaviors than others.
D)Stimulus-response associations, once learned, are permanent.

Question 15

Which one of the following responses is most likely to be learned through classical conditioning?

A)Feeling anxious around horses
B)Taking a walk on a nice day
C)Waving to a friend
D)Doing homework

Question 16

When behaviorists describe the learner as a "black box," they mean that:

A)Nothing occurs inside the learner.
B)Many stimuli have no noticeable effect on the learner.
C)Events occurring within the learner cannot be studied scientifically.
D)A learner makes many responses in the absence of any observed external stimulus.

Question 17

Nick is extremely anxious whenever he takes a test.If we look at this situation from the perspective of classical conditioning, we can help Nick reduce his test anxiety by:

A)Giving him a few easy tests while he is feeling relaxed
B)Reassuring him that he can do well if he tries hard
C)Reinforcing him for each test question he answers correctly
D)Giving him a few extremely difficult tests at first, and then gradually giving him easier ones

Question 18

Which one of the following examples best illustrates the effect of contiguity on learning?

A)Because you studied hard Thursday night, you do well on an exam Friday morning.
B)Because you did well on Friday's exam, you get a good grade at the end of the semester.
C)As you step onto a tennis court for the first time, you recall how you saw tennis players at Wimbledon serve the ball.
D)Because a classmate embarrasses you in front of your friends, you associate that classmate with bad feelings.

Question 19

Three of the following are examples of instrumental conditioning.Which one is not?

A)Andrew gives his dog Maggie a scrap of food from his plate whenever Maggie begs at the dinner table.Before long, Maggie is by Andrew's side begging at every meal.
B)Bart uses obscene words when he speaks in class.His teacher scolds him for such language in front of his classmates.Much to the teacher's dismay, Bart's use of obscene words increases.
C)Carol's room has been a disaster area for more than a month, with toys and clothes lying about everywhere.Carol's mother has told Carol that, once the room has been cleaned, they will spend a day at the zoo.There is no noticeable improvement in Carol's housekeeping habits.
D)Daniel once went to visit the elderly woman next door, and she gave him a couple of homemade cookies.Now Daniel goes to see the woman almost every day after school and comes home a half an hour later still licking crumbs off his lips.

Question 20

A fellow teacher says to you, "I never believe my students have learned anything until I see their behavior change for the better." Without knowing anything else about this teacher, you can guess that he or she agrees with the perspective of learning.

A)behaviorist
B)social cognitive
C)cognitive
D)Piagetian

Question 21

If you wanted to give students feedback that could help them improve their behavior, which one of the following would you be least likely to do?

A)Teach them how to ask for feedback when they need it.
B)Give them at least ten suggestions for how they might improve.
C)Also tell students what things they are doing well.
D)Tell them you have confidence that they can improve.

Question 22

When Mr.Thompson yells at his students, they stop being so noisy.Mr.Thompson is receiving for his yelling behavior.

A)intermittent reinforcement
B)negative reinforcement
C)intrinsic reinforcement
D)vicarious reinforcement

Question 23

Classical conditioning and instrumental conditioning are two types of learning described by behaviorists.A major difference between them is that:

A)Classical conditioning deals almost exclusively with stimuli, whereas instrumental conditioning deals almost exclusively with responses.
B)Classical conditioning deals almost exclusively with responses, whereas instrumental conditioning deals almost exclusively with stimuli.
C)Classically conditioned responses are voluntary, whereas responses learned through instrumental conditioning are involuntary.
D)Classically conditioned responses are involuntary, whereas responses learned through instrumental conditioning are voluntary.

Question 24

One common educational practice is to chart students' progress over time so that students can see their own improvement.These progress charts often lead to higher student achievement in the absence of other observable forms of reinforcement.The effectiveness of such charts in changing behavior illustrates the role of reinforcement as:

A)Feedback
B)A terminal behavior
C)Reflected in the Premack principle
D)An immediate, rather than delayed, consequence

Question 25

Mr.Smart tells his students that they can do whatever they want for the first ten minutes of class, but they must then turn their attention to the day's assignment.The students are delighted with their ten minutes of free time but do not subsequently attend to the assignment when it is time for them to do so.From an instrumental conditioning perspective, what mistake has Mr.Smart made?

A)The "reinforcer" is not contingent on the response.
B)Reinforcement is not immediate.
C)Free time is not an effective reinforcer for most students.
D)He has used negative reinforcement instead of positive reinforcement.

Question 26

Which one of the following is the best example of a social reinforcer?

A)Being told that you did a good job
B)Getting a new outfit that you think is "cool"
C)Feeling good about your own generosity toward a less fortunate classmate
D)Being allowed to play basketball at a friend's house after you finish your homework

Question 27

In the middle of a difficult exam, Robert tells his teacher that his stomach hurts, and the teacher immediately sends him to the school nurse.On several later occasions when he has a difficult test or assignment, Robert again tells his teacher that he doesn't feel well.Each time he is sent to the school nurse without completing his work.From a behaviorist perspective, we can say that Robert is:

A)Being punished for complaining about his stomach
B)Being negatively reinforced for complaining about his stomach
C)Being intermittently reinforced for complaining about his stomach
D)Acquiring an unconditioned response to complain

Question 28

Which one of the following is an example of negative reinforcement?

A)A teacher praises Kevin profusely to the point that it embarrasses him)when he does his homework.
B)When Kathleen insults another student while waiting in line for lunch, her teacher moves her to the end of the line.
C)When Edward complains about a classmate who is picking on him, his teacher allows him to come in from recess on a bitterly cold day.
D)When Priscilla answers a teacher's question incorrectly, Mike teases her unmercifully.

Question 29

Bill's behaviors in Ms.Kennedy's class are really distracting to other students.For example, he whispers to the boy beside him when Ms.Kennedy is giving directions on how to do an assignment.He flings paper clips at a girl across the room.He makes strange grunting noises that a few classmates find amusing.Ms.Kennedy glares at him or admonishes him whenever he behaves in a distracting way, yet his inappropriate behaviors are increasing rather than decreasing.Which one of the following interpretations best explains why Bill's behaviors are increasing?

A)Ms.Kennedy is negatively reinforcing him for the distracting behaviors.
B)Ms.Kennedy is positively reinforcing him for the distracting behaviors.
C)Ms.Kennedy is vicariously reinforcing him for the distracting behaviors.
D)Ms.Kennedy is punishing him for the distracting behaviors.

Question 30

Which one of the following is a primary reinforcer?

A)A penny
B)A hundred dollars
C)A glass of water
D)Praise

Question 31

Stacey dislikes physical education class because her classmates tease her about her lack of strength and coordination.One day Stacey unintentionally hits one of her classmates, and the teacher sends her to the principal's office for the remainder of the class session.Stacey becomes increasingly aggressive in class and so spends more and more time in the principal's office.From a behaviorist perspective, we can explain this situation by saying that Stacey is:

A)Receiving a social reinforcer
B)Being reinforced through the Premack Principle
C)Being negatively reinforced for her aggression
D)Generalizing her response to the principal's office

Question 32

Ms.Aguilar's third-grade students enjoy art and spend much of their free time drawing and painting.If she tells them, "You can paint as soon as you finish your arithmetic problems," she is providing:

A)Negative reinforcement
B)An activity reinforcer
C)An intrinsic reinforcer
D)Intermittent reinforcement

Question 33

Which one of the following is the best example of intrinsic reinforcement?

A)Being told that you did a good job
B)Getting a new outfit that you think is "cool"
C)Feeling good about your own generosity toward a less fortunate classmate
D)Being allowed to play basketball at a friend's house after you finish your homework

Question 34

Which one of the following statements best describes positive reinforcement?

A)A desirable classroom behavior is reinforced.
B)An undesirable classroom behavior is reinforced.
C)Reinforcement consists of getting something a learner wants.
D)Reinforcement consists of getting rid of something a learner doesn't want.

Question 35

The term negative reinforcement can best be described as a situation in which:

A)Something the learner wants is presented after a response
B)Something the learner wants is taken away after a response
C)Something the learner doesn't want is presented after a response
D)Something the learner doesn't want is taken away after a response

Question 36

Good grades are reinforcing to some students, but not to others.Someone explaining this fact from a behaviorist perspective would say that good grades are most likely to be reinforcers to students who:

A)Have never received a grade above C
B)Come from middle-socioeconomic backgrounds
C)Have been told that good grades can help them get a scholarship
D)Have previously associated grades with other reinforcers

Question 37

In three of the following situations, positive reinforcement is occurring.In which situation is positive reinforcement not occurring?

A)Sara begins behaving better in class when Ms.Jones allows her to spend extra time with her friends for exhibiting appropriate behavior.
B)Mr.Lewis consistently praises Mark for completing his independent seatwork on time, and Mark's work habits improve.
C)Ms.Villareal scolds Jeremy every time he speaks out of turn, but Jeremy's speaking out is increasing rather than decreasing.
D)Mr.Salazar smiles at Ellen every time she acts appropriately toward her classmates, but Ellen's social behaviors don't improve.

Question 38

Jerome is a student in your classroom for whom the only effective reinforcer is something to eat, such as candy.You would like Jerome to find your praise reinforcing as well.From a behaviorist perspective, your best strategy would be which one of the following?

A)Whenever you give Jerome something to eat, give him praise as well.
B)Explain to Jerome that praise gives him feedback about the things he is doing well.
C)Show Jerome that all his classmates respond positively to praise.
D)Explain to Jerome how important it is that he not be so reliant on concrete reinforcers.

Question 39

Which one of the following is the best example of the use of the Premack principle?

A)Being told that you did a good job
B)Getting a new outfit that you think is "cool"
C)Feeling good about your own generosity toward a less fortunate classmate
D)Being allowed to play basketball at a friend's house after you finish your homework

Question 40

Primary reinforcers are stimuli that:

A)Satisfy biologically built-in needs
B)Are the most effective of all reinforcers
C)Work only with students in the lower elementary grades
D)Are effective even when presented before the desired response

Question 41

In Mr.Medeiros's classroom, students are given play money each time they turn in an assignment; they receive additional amounts of money if the assignment is turned in on time and if it is done correctly.At the end of each week, students can use their play money to purchase special privileges free time, special privileges, etc.).Mr. Medeiros's approach can best be characterized as:

A)Intermittent reinforcement
B)A group contingency
C)A token economy
D)A contingency contract

Question 42

Which one of the following is the major advantage of in-school suspension over out-of- school suspension as a consequence for serious and chronic misbehavior?

A)In-school suspension gives teachers and administrators a better chance to explain why the punished behavior is unacceptable.
B)In-school suspension eliminates the need for parents to become involved in school affairs.
C)In-school suspension is more convenient and less expensive for the school district.
D)In-school suspension enables a student to keep up with schoolwork.

Question 43

Which one of the following is the major reason why assigning extra schoolwork is not an appropriate punishment for classroom misbehavior?

A)It is negative reinforcement rather than punishment.
B)It gives students the message that classwork is an unpleasant task.
C)It decreases the likelihood that students will do their assignments appropriately.
D)It asks students to perform tasks without the scaffolding they need for completing those tasks successfully.

Question 44

If you wanted to encourage kindergartners to delay gratification, you would be most likely to:

A)Tell them that how well they behave at the end of the day is what really counts
B)Ask them to focus on how good it feels to do something nice for a classmate
C)Talk about how their learning efforts today will pay off in the years to come
D)Occasionally remind them that they will get a bigger reward by waiting a couple of hours

Question 45

Ms.Frago has several students who are chronic misbehavers.She meets individually with each student, and together she and the student agree to a plan for improving the student's behavior and a suitable reinforcement for appropriate behavior change.Ms.Frago is using:

A)Reinforcement of an incompatible behavior
B)A contingency contract
C)Self-reinforcement
D)Positive-practice overcorrection

Question 46

Tammy is scolded for submitting a messy math homework paper, so she tries to do her math problems more neatly after that.The scolding Tammy received is an example of:

A)Positive reinforcement
B)Negative reinforcement
C)Presentation punishment
D)Removal punishment

Question 47

When Judy becomes verbally aggressive toward her peers, she is placed in a quiet and boring room for five minutes.The procedure being used here is most commonly known as:

A)Time-out
B)Response cost
C)In-school suspension
D)A logical consequence

Question 48

A police officer visits Ms.Duhaime's first-grade class one morning to talk about safety precautions at home and on the street.The students listen quietly and attentively while the officer speaks.At the end of the visit, the officer and teacher agree that the students' good behavior warrants some kind of reinforcement.Given what we know about effective reinforcers at different grade levels, their best choice would be:

A)Twenty minutes of free time at the end of the day
B)Plastic toy police "badges" awarded by the officer
C)A letter home to parents describing the children's good behavior
D)An official-looking "good behavior" certificate given at the school's award ceremony the following week

Question 49

When Rochelle has an on-the-road lesson as part of her driver education class, she fails to stop at a school crossing zone, as is required by law.Her instructor has her drive around the block several times and stop each time at the crossing zone.He also insists that, once she has stopped, she must wait at least eight seconds before proceeding.The instructor's strategy illustrates the use of as a way of changing her behavior.

A)Response cost
B)Positive-practice overcorrection
C)A logical consequence
D)Intermittent reinforcement

Question 50

George enjoys being on the debating team, but he is taken off the team when he inadvertently utters an obscene word during a debate.Being taken off the team is an example of:

A)Reinforcement of an incompatible behavior
B)Negative reinforcement
C)Presentation punishment
D)Removal punishment

Question 51

Alex loses his best friend Tyler after he tattles on Tyler at recess.Alex learns that tattling on friends is not a good idea.The loss of Tyler's friendship is an example of:

A)Positive reinforcement
B)Negative reinforcement
C)Presentation punishment
D)Removal punishment

Question 52

In Mr.Marshall's classroom, students who acquire 20 points in one day can have a half hour of free time at the end of the day.Mr.Marshall awards points to his students for good behavior and deducts points when they misbehave.The deduction of points for misbehavior is known as:

A)Time-out
B)Response cost
C)In-school suspension
D)A logical consequence

Question 53

An essential element of a contingency contract is that:

A)All students receive the same reinforcers.
B)Every student has a contract concerning the same behavior.
C)Behaviors are reinforced in a concrete fashion at least once a day.
D)Teacher and student agree on the desired behavior and its consequence.

Question 54

Only one of the following consequences has been shown to be an effective and appropriate punishment for most students.Which one?

A)Scolding
B)Extra homework
C)Suspension from school
D)Embarrassment in front of classmates

Question 55

Imagine that you are a middle school teacher with three chronic misbehavers in one of your classes.You decide to help them improve their classroom behavior by reinforcing them for appropriate actions.If you wanted to make sure that you use reinforcers that are truly reinforcing for these students, which one of the following would you be least likely to do?

A)Ask the students' parents about possible effective reinforcers.
B)Use concrete reinforcers rather than social reinforcers.
C)Ask the students what consequences they might appreciate.
D)Observe the students' behaviors to identify activities they find enjoyable.

Question 56

Linda wears bell-bottom pants to school, and her classmates tease her about them.As soon as she gets home, Linda throws the pants in the trash.Linda's being teased is an example of:

A)Reinforcement of an incompatible behavior
B)Negative reinforcement
C)Presentation punishment
D)Removal punishment

Question 57

Which one of the following illustrates all the necessary elements of a contingency contract?

A)Mr.Osaka wants to reduce Penny's aggressive behaviors toward her classmates.He and Penny meet and discuss the problem, agreeing on the specific behaviors she should demonstrate and the reinforcers she will receive when she does so.They both sign a contract that describes the desired behaviors and the reinforcement.
B)Ms.Quineras wants Ramon to learn to stay in his seat and complete his assignments during independent seatwork time.She makes up a contract for Ramon that describes the consequence he can expect if he does not behave appropriately.They both sign it, and she follows through with the consequence when he misbehaves.
C)Mr.Sellers wants to help Trina learn to complete her homework in a more timely fashion.He has Trina write up a contract stating that she will complete her homework on time and specifying the reinforcer she would like to receive each time she does so.Both teacher and student sign the contract, and Mr.Sellers reinforces Trina as she has requested.
D)Mr.Enright develops a contract for her fifth graders that lists several classroom rules the students must agree to abide by.Each student signs the contract, thereby

Question 58

If you were to apply the concept of terminal behavior in teaching a lesson, which one of these things would you do?

A)Identify the things students should be able to do at the end of the lesson.
B)Identify the sequence in which you should teach various parts of the lesson.
C)Reward students who successfully complete the lesson.
D)Make sure all students have mastered the prerequisite skills on which the lesson depends.

Question 59

Which one of the following accurately describes the difference between negative reinforcement and punishment?

A)Negative reinforcement increases the frequency of behavior, whereas punishment decreases it.
B)Both consequences decrease behavior, but punishment is more likely to make students angry and defiant.
C)Negative reinforcement always decreases the frequency of behavior, whereas punishment often increases it.
D)Negative reinforcement is essentially the same as punishment, but without the negative connotations that punishment has.

Question 60

Six-year-old Jack has recently learned to appreciate the value of money, so his father assigns him some simple housekeeping chores to be performed throughout the week.He tells Jack that completion of these chores will earn him an allowance of one dollar every Saturday.Jack rarely completes his chores.From a behaviorist perspective, which one of the following is most likely to be the reason why Jack is not doing his chores?

A)Reinforcement is not immediate.
B)Reinforcement is not contingent on the desired response.
C)Money is not an effective reinforcer for most six-year-olds.
D)The reinforcer is presented before the response.

Question 61

Which one of the following statements most accurately describes intermittent reinforcement?

A)The reinforcement a student receives becomes stronger over time.
B)A particular response is reinforced on some occasions but not on others.
C)A primary reinforcer is used at first, but it is gradually replaced by a secondary reinforcer.
D)One response is reinforced for a while, then another response is reinforced, then another, and so on, over a period of several weeks or months.

Question 62

Ms.Hernandez is concerned about Brian, a student in her high school chemistry class who rarely interacts with other students.Ms.Hernandez decides to smile at Brian on those occasions when she happens to notice him talking with another student.Yet after three weeks she sees little change in his behavior.Based on this information, which one of the following is definitely wrong with Ms.Hernandez's approach?

A)A smile is not an effective reinforcer.
B)Brian has little to gain by changing his behavior.
C)Social interaction is not an intrinsically reinforcing activity.
D)Brian is receiving intermittent rather than continuous reinforcement.

Question 63

Mr.Johnson wants a hyperactive boy to be able to sit quietly for at least 15 minutes at a time.To do this, he begins praising the boy for sitting still for one minute, then for two minutes, and then only for four minutes, and so on.Mr.Johnson's strategy reflects which one of the following concepts?

A)Shaping
B)Generalization
C)Discrimination learning
D)Intermittent reinforcement

Question 64

Warren has earned himself a reputation for being the class clown.His teacher, Ms. Washington, used to laugh at Warren's funny remarks but is now trying to discourage Warren's disruptive behavior by ignoring his jokes.In spite of Ms.Washington's attempts to ignore Warren, Warren sometimes tells a joke so funny that Ms.
Washington laughs in spite of herself.Rather than decreasing his joke telling, Warren begins telling even more outrageous jokes.Inadvertently, Ms.Washington is modifying Warren's joke-telling behavior through:

A)Negative reinforcement
B)Punishment
C)Extinction
D)Shaping

Question 65

John and Bill have both learned that when they whine and complain, their teacher will hurry over to see what's wrong.John's teacher gives him attention every time he complains.However, Bill's teacher gives him attention only on some of the occasions he complains.Both teachers eventually realize that they are reinforcing inappropriate behavior, and so they both stop attending to the boys when they whine and complain.From a behaviorist perspective, we can predict that:

A)Both boys will whine and complain even more than before.
B)Both boys will stop their whining and complaining almost immediately.
C)John's complaining will decrease more rapidly than Bill's.
D)Bill's complaining will decrease more rapidly than John's.

Question 66

Mr.Richards gives his class fifteen minutes of free time whenever at least 95% of the class gets a passing grade on a test.Mr.Richards is using:

A)A social reinforcer
B)Intrinsic reinforcement
C)A group contingency
D)A token economy

Question 67

Which one of the following statements best illustrates the process of cueing acceptable behaviors?

A)"Does anyone know why Henry isn't in school today?"
B)"Who is planning to try out for the school play after school today?"
C)"Students who are sitting quietly will be the first ones to be dismissed."
D)"Thank you, everyone, for following the format I asked you to use on your math papers.It makes them easier for me to grade."

Question 68

Which one of the following best describes shaping?

A)Reinforcement becomes gradually stronger over time.
B)Reinforcement is weaned away over time, until a student is doing something without being reinforced.
C)The behavior being reinforced changes over time so that it increasingly resembles the desired terminal behavior.
D)Praise is the only reinforcer used but the specific things that are said to a student change as the student improves.

Question 69

A teacher wants to encourage her students to work cooperatively with one another as they study classroom subject matter.If she wants to use the concept of a setting event to encourage such cooperative behavior, she might:

A)Praise her students when they cooperate with one another
B)First assign an activity in which students cannot work with one another
C)Provide instructional materials that students can use only by working together
D)Say, "I like how Sally and John are helping one another today," loudly enough that other students can hear

Question 70

Three of the following teacher behaviors illustrate cueing as a way of dealing with inappropriate behavior.Which one does not illustrate cueing?

A)Putting a student in time-out after she's insulted a classmate
B)Moving closer to a student who may be cheating on an exam
C)Putting one's finger on one's lips when the class gets too noisy
D)Glaring at a student who is reading a comic book instead of getting to work on an assignment

Question 71

Sean is a high school student who seems angry most of the time.He often vents his anger by swearing at his teacher.One day his teacher decides to extinguish Sean's swearing by ignoring him whenever he swears.Yet over the next few weeks, Sean continues to swear as frequently as he always has.Three of the following are possible explanations as to why Sean's swearing is not decreasing.From a behaviorist perspective, which one is not a likely explanation based on this information?

A)Sean's swearing has previously been reinforced on an intermittent basis.
B)Sean is being reinforced for swearing by means of the Premack Principle.
C)Other students are reinforcing Sean's swearing.
D)Swearing allows Sean to release pent-up anger, so he is being negatively reinforced.

Question 72

Three of the following statements are consistent with the textbook's recommendations regarding the effective use of reinforcement.Which statement is not consistent with the textbook's recommendations?

A)Use the same reinforcer for everyone.
B)Describe desired behaviors concretely.
C)Be explicit about what behaviors lead to what consequences.
D)Monitor students' progress when using reinforcement to improve behavior.

Question 73

Leonard rarely says nice things to anyone else.Using behaviorist terminology, we can say that:

A)Leonard has little tolerance for such behavior.
B)Leonard's baseline for this behavior is very low.
C)Leonard's social skills are generalizing to a different situation.
D)Leonard will benefit only from intrinsic reinforcement for such behavior.

Question 74

Ms.O'Connor reinforces James every time she sees him reading independently.Once he is reading frequently, she begins to reinforce him only every second time, then only every third time, and so on, gradually reinforcing him less and less often.From a behaviorist perspective, we can predict that Jimmy will:

A)Continue to read independently
B)Read less and less often
C)Read only when he is forced to do so
D)Stop reading altogether

Question 75

Caleb continually blurts out the answers to Mr.Karowski's questions, to the point that other students rarely have a chance to respond.Mr.Karowski decides to ignore Caleb's behavior, hoping that it will decrease if he doesn't pay attention to it.Mr.Karowski is applying the behaviorist principle of in his treatment of Caleb.

A)intermittent reinforcement
B)incompatible behavior
C)punishment
D)extinction

Question 76

Sharon has learned that her language arts teacher is happy to answer her questions but that her biology teacher discourages questions.Sharon therefore asks questions in language arts but not in biology.In behaviorist terminology, Sharon is:

A)Being shaped
B)Undergoing extinction
C)Showing generalization
D)Showing discrimination

Question 77

Oliver tells a tasteless joke at a party and gets a big laugh.The next day, he tells the same joke in class, thinking people will laugh.Instead, his teacher takes him aside after class and gives him a stern lecture about why he should not say such things about a particular ethnic group.In behaviorist terminology, we could say that Oliver:

A)Has generalized from one situation to another inappropriately
B)Is receiving negative reinforcement for his joke-telling behavior
C)Experiences a group contingency at the party but not in class
D)Is being shaped to tell tasteless jokes

Question 78

A physics teacher wants her students to work on several difficult physics problems that involve calculating velocity, acceleration, or time using the formula v = a x t.The teacher first has her students work on a few easy problems involving the formula.She then presents the more difficult problems; when she does so, she finds that her students are reasonably persistent in working at the problems, and most of her students eventually solve them correctly.By using the easy problems to promote persistence in her students during the more difficult ones, the teacher is, in behaviorist terminology, using the concept of:

A)cueing
B)discrimination
C)behavioral momentum
D)intermittent reinforcement

Question 79

Which one of the following examples best illustrates the concept of baseline as behaviorists use the term?

A)Dimitri is afraid of the school swimming pool after he almost drowns in it one day.
B)Louisa likes the attention she gets from boys when she wears tight shirts.
C)Marsha starts copying her best friend's homework assignments regularly after she finds out that she gets better grades if she does so.
D)Justin talks in class all the time, even though his teacher and classmates do nothing to encourage him.

Question 80

At the beginning of the school year, Mr.Webber is concerned that Frances rarely does her independent seatwork.He begins praising Frances for each seatwork assignment she completes, and by January she is completing her assignments regularly.To make sure that the behavior continues in the years to come, what would behaviorists tell Mr.Webber to do now?

A)Praise her more often than before.
B)Praise her for only some of her completed assignments.
C)Punish Frances when she doesn't complete an assignment.
D)Switch from a social reinforcer to the Premack principle.