Deck 6: Learning

Question 1

In Pavlov's "salivating dogs" studies, the UCR was

A)salivation.
B)food.
C)tone.
D)biting.

Answer 1

salivation.

Question 2

Because dogs do not need to be conditioned to salivate to food, salivation to food is a(n)

A)conditioned response.
B)conditioned reflex.
C)unconditioned response.
D)neutral response.

Answer 2

unconditioned response.

Question 3

Which of the following statements pertaining to the conditioned response is accurate?

A)The conditioned response is elicited by the unconditioned stimulus.
B)The conditioned response is an instinctual behaviour.
C)The conditioned response is elicited by the conditioned stimulus.
D)The conditioned response is a reflex.

Answer 3

The conditioned response is elicited by the conditioned stimulus.

Question 4

According to the theory of classical conditioning, an unconditioned stimulus is a stimulus that elicits

A)a response after being paired with a conditioned stimulus.
B)a conditioned response.
C)a response after being paired with another stimulus.
D)an automatic response.

Question 5

For several weeks, Allen had to clean the men's restroom at the restaurant where he worked. The task always made him nauseated. He has since gone on to better things, but still cannot walk by the door to a men's restroom without becoming slightly queasy. For Allen, the door to the men's room has become a(n)________.

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

Question 6

In Pavlov's "salivating dogs" studies, the salivation triggered by the sound of the tone was the

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

Question 7

The abbreviation UCR stands for ________.

A)unconditional reinforcement
B)uniform conditioned rule
C)unconditioned response
D)unconventional response

Question 8

Whenever five-year-old Claire goes to the dentist, she becomes anxious and cries. Since she was not afraid of the dentist on her first visit, her fear was a learned behaviour. The UCS in this case was probably

A)the dentist's beard.
B)sweet toothpaste.
C)the pain associated with teeth cleaning.
D)the sound of the music in the dentist's waiting room.

Question 9

The conditioned stimulus is defined as

A)the stimulus that automatically produces the unconditioned response.
B)the previously neutral stimulus that automatically produces the unconditioned response.
C)the previously neutral stimulus that has acquired the capacity to produce the conditioned response.
D)the previously neutral stimulus that automatically produces the conditioned response.

Question 10

Using classical conditioning, describe how you would train a three-year-old to safely cross the street. Be sure to identify the CS, UCS, CR, and UCR.

Question 11

________ was the first person to describe learning as acquired through classical conditioning while studying the digestive process of dogs.

A)John Watson
B)Ivan Pavlov
C)B) F. Skinner
D)Albert Bandura

Question 12

In Pavlov's "salivating dogs" studies, the UCS was

A)food.
B)noise.
C)salivation.
D)joy.

Question 13

Young Albert is initially not afraid of white rats, but if white rats and loud noises are presented in sequence, Albert may learn to fear the rats. In this example, white rats would be the

A)CS.
B)UCS.
C)CR.
D)UCR.

Question 14

________ is credited with developing the theory of classical conditioning.

Question 15

The abbreviation UCS stands for ________.

A)unconditional statement
B)uniform conditioned subject
C)unconditioned sensation
D)unconditioned stimulus

Question 16

Alan always turns the aquarium light on before putting fish food into the tank. After a while, he notices that the fish swim to the top to look for the food as soon as he turns on the light. In this example, the ________ is the unconditioned stimulus.

A)presence of Alan near the aquarium
B)fish swimming to the top
C)fish food
D)aquarium light

Question 17

Salivation in response to food being placed in the mouth, and an eyeblink response to a puff of air, are both examples of ________.

A)unconditioned stimuli
B)conditioned responses
C)conditioned stimuli
D)unconditioned responses

Question 18

In Pavlov's classic salivating dog experiment, meat powder was the ________ stimulus.

Question 19

The precursor to Pavlov's groundbreaking work on classical conditioning came from a group of scholars called the British ________, who believed that we acquire all of our knowledge by forming associations between stimuli (what would later be called conditioning).

A)Structuralists
B)Associationists
C)Aristocrats
D)Functionalists

Question 20

Describe how you would condition a child who is afraid of cats to enjoy playing with a neighbour's cat.

Question 21

________ is the term used to describe the situation in which a CS comes to elicit a CR.

Question 22

Shelly has developed a fear of bridges due to the recent, graphic news coverage of people falling from a collapsed bridge. Which of the following is the CS?

A)Bridges
B)Graphic news coverage
C)People falling
D)Collapsed bridges

Question 23

The ________ effect refers to the sudden reemergence of a conditioned response following extinction when an animal is returned to the environment in which the conditioned response was first acquired.

A)rebound
B)recovery
C)renewal
D)bounceback

Question 24

In classical conditioning, the CR and the ________ are usually the same.

Question 25

Mitzi and her husband went out for a nice dinner, where Mitzi ordered a Diet Coke to go with her meal. When her drink was served, she took one sip and made a disgusted face. "That's not Diet Coke," she said with an irritated look. "That's a Diet Pepsi." Mitzi's ability to distinguish one soft-drink from another demonstrates

A)stimulus overlap.
B)stimulus discrimination.
C)stimulus generalisation.
D)higher-order stimulation.

Question 26

While on a cruise ship, Kevin became sick after eating a seafood dinner. His food poisoning, coupled with sea sickness, led to a terrible vacation and consequently Kevin shivers at the mere sight of a cruise ship. Kevin's behaviour illustrates the process of

A)stimulus generalisation.
B)stimulus discrimination.
C)acquisition.
D)scapegoating.

Question 27

Every time Maricella goes to work in the morning, she notices that her dog sulks in the corner of the room and looks very sad. Over several weeks, she notices that the dog gets unhappy when she picks up her car keys, immediately before leaving the house. Which phenomenon of learning best describes the dog's behaviour?

A)Observational learning
B)Innate learning
C)Punishments by removal
D)Classical conditioning

Question 28

When a conditioned response is established to a conditioned stimulus by virtue of its association with another conditioned stimulus, the process is called ________.

A)spontaneous recovery
B)higher-order conditioning
C)extinction
D)stimulus generalisation

Question 29

The tendency to respond to a conditioned stimulus that is similar, but not identical, to the original conditioned stimulus is called ________.

A)stimulus generalisation
B)stimulus adaptation
C)response generalisation
D)transfer of habit strength

Question 30

As an infant, Stephanie received many penicillin injections from the doctor. When she later saw a photographer in a white coat that was similar to the doctor's coat, she started to cry. This is an example of ________.

A)instrumental learning
B)observational learning
C)classical conditioning
D)habituation

Question 31

After Pavlov's dogs became conditioned to salivate at the sound of the metronome, he experimented with sounding the metronome but not presenting the meat powder to the dogs. Soon they stopped salivating to the sound of the metronome. This represents the process called ________.

A)acquisition
B)testing
C)extinction
D)spontaneous recovery

Question 32

The process by which a CS gradually loses its ability to produce a CR is called ________.

Question 33

Ken's mouth waters every time he hears the ice-cream truck's familiar song in the distance. One day, a slightly different song is heard in the distance and Ken's mouth waters. Ken's behaviour illustrates

A)stimulus generalisation.
B)stimulus assimilation.
C)stimulus recovery.
D)stimulus discrimination.

Question 34

When you learned that red lights mean "stop" and green lights mean "go" you were being trained to use a classical conditioning concept called stimulus ________.

A)substitution
B)generalisation
C)discrimination
D)enhancement

Question 35

Extinction occurs when the ________ no longer produces the ________.

A)CS; UCS
B)CS; CR
C)UCS; CR
D)UCS; UCR

Question 36

As a child, Blaine was attacked by a goose and subsequently developed a severe fear of waterfowl. As he got older, the fear gradually faded until it was all but forgotten. Blaine is now in his early twenties and recently went strolling through a park by the river where he came across a flock of geese. The geese gave him a stare, and Blaine experienced a sudden surge of fear. Blaine's fear response is an example of ________.

A)stimulus discrimination
B)stimulus generalisation
C)higher-order conditioning
D)spontaneous recovery

Question 37

After a CS comes to elicit the CR, the CS now can be paired with a new neutral stimulus and this second neutral stimulus will start to elicit a CR. This process is called ________.

A)higher-order conditioning
B)neoclassical conditioning
C)generalisation
D)operant conditioning

Question 38

Acquisition can be described as the process in which

A)the conditioned response is established.
B)stimulus discrimination occurs.
C)reinforcers are distinguished from punishers.
D)conditioned response is diminished over time.

Question 39

Julia served in the war in Iraq and was severely traumatised when a rocket-propelled grenade exploded next to her Humvee. Recently, Julia was studying in the library and a large book fell off a high shelf and banged on the floor. The noise brought Julia instantly to her feet. In terms of classical conditioning, her response can best be explained by ________.

A)spontaneous recovery
B)negative reflex
C)reinforcement
D)stimulus generalisation

Question 40

The reappearance of a learned response after extinction has occurred is called ________.

A)counterconditioning
B)instinctive drift
C)spontaneous recovery
D)stimulus substitution

Question 41

Watson's experiment with Little Albert demonstrated that fears might be ________.

A)based on classical conditioning
B)deeply rooted in the innate unconscious of infants
C)based on the principle of observational learning
D)based on instinctive drift

Question 42

Which of the following is true concerning the treatment of phobias using classical conditioning?

A)Persons fearful of flying will need to avoid flying as a way to reduce this fear.
B)Persons fearful of flying will need to associate flying with something pleasurable to reduce this fear.
C)Persons fearful of flying will first need to address the unresolved conflicts in their lives that are contributing to this phobia in order to eliminate the fear of flying.
D)Persons fearful of flying will first need to address their childhood conflicts that are contributing this phobia in order to eliminate this fear of flying.

Question 43

John Watson offered a live, white rat to Little Albert and then made a loud noise behind his head by striking a gong with a steel hammer. After several pairings, the child came to fear the white rat. The white rat served as the ________ in his study.

A)discriminative stimulus
B)conditioned stimulus
C)unconditioned stimulus
D)unconditional stimulus

Question 44

Pavlov conditioned a dog to salivate at a metronome sound that was paired with a meat stimulus. After the CS-UCS linkage was strongly established, Pavlov then presented the dog with several flashes of a light followed by the metronome sound. After a few days, when the light flashes were presented by themselves, the dog salivated. This is an example of ________.

A)higher-order conditioning
B)neoclassical conditioning
C)generalisation
D)operant conditioning

Question 45

Thorndike's law of effect is most closely associated with which operant conditioning principle?

A)Positive reinforcement
B)Higher-order conditioning
C)Premack principle
D)Stimulus generalisation

Question 46

Operant conditioning is also known as

A)instrumental conditioning.
B)vicarious learning.
C)observational learning.
D)voluntary conditioning.

Question 47

The kind of learning that applies to voluntary behaviour is called ________.

A)operant conditioning
B)classical conditioning
C)effective based learning
D)discovery learning

Question 48

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

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

Question 49

If a white rat is conditioned to produce fear in a child, and soon all white furry animals are feared by the child, ________ is said to occur.

Question 50

In classical conditioning, the organism's responses depend primarily on the ________; in operant conditioning, the organism's responses depend primarily on the ________.

A)peripheral nervous system; central nervous system
B)skeletal muscles; autonomic nervous system
C)endocrine system; somatic nervous system
D)autonomic nervous system; skeletal muscles

Question 51

Which of the following is an example of positive reinforcement?

A)Giving a child candy for completing their homework
B)Removing a child's chores when he or she complete homework
C)Allowing students homework passes if they work hard during class
D)Taking away privileges if a child does not follow classroom rules

Question 52

Thorndike's ________ principle asserts that rewards following behaviour lead to increased production of the behaviour.

Question 53

Which of the following statements is supported by research concerning classical conditioning and advertising appeals for well-known products?

A)It is easier to classically condition novel brands versus familiar brands.
B)It is easier to classically condition well-known brands versus novel brands.
C)Well-known brands are easier to convert into conditioned stimuli versus novel brands.
D)Attempts to use classical conditioning to sell products have been largely unsuccessful.

Question 54

Which two theorists laid the groundwork for the theory of operant conditioning?

A)Pavlov and Skinner
B)Thorndike and Skinner
C)Watson and Skinner
D)Bandura and Skinner

Question 55

A small chamber used in operant conditioning of animals that limits the available responses and, thus, increases the likelihood that the desired response will occur is called a(n)________.

A)trial box
B)Skinner box
C)Thorndike box
D)operant box

Question 56

In Watson's study involving "Little Albert", a ________ was the CS.

Question 57

One can be conditioned to become sexually aroused at the sight of a triangle if the triangle is presented shortly ________ an appropriate ________.

A)before; UCS
B)before; CS
C)after; UCS
D)after; CS

Question 58

According to ________ theory, learning is controlled by the consequences of an organism's behaviour.

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

Question 59

Which theorist believed that most of learning occurred by trial and error?

A)Thorndike
B)Watson
C)Skinner
D)Pavlov

Question 60

Marketing executives use ________ conditioning when they employ celebrities to sell products.

Question 61

Allowing students with A-averages exemptions from taking a final exam is an example of ________ reinforcement.

Question 62

If parents handle discipline by employing mainly a punishment approach, which of the following can be assumed?

A)Parents are interested in teaching appropriate behaviours to their children through negative reinforcement.
B)Parents are interested in both eliminating bad behaviours and reinforcing good behaviours.
C)Parents are interested in teaching appropriate behaviours to their children through positive reinforcement.
D)Parents are interested in eliminating bad behaviours by presenting unpleasant consequences after bad behaviour.

Question 63

Wearing shorts on a hot summer day is a behaviour that is established by way of

A)negative reinforcement.
B)positive reinforcement.
C)punishment.
D)classical conditioning.

Question 64

Nicky tends to bite his nails when he becomes nervous because it calms him down. Nicky's behaviour is an example of

A)negative reinforcement.
B)generalisation.
C)classical conditioning.
D)shaping.

Question 65

Regarding operant conditioning, which of the following is an example of negative reinforcement?

A)A student is sent to detention for fighting.
B)A student is exempted from a weekly quiz for exemplary homework.
C)A student loses earned free time for playing with lab equipment.
D)A student turns in neater homework when the teacher praises neatness.

Question 66

Suppose a student uses inappropriate language in class. Describe how you would attempt to change this student's behaviour using positive or negative reinforcement.

Question 67

Bill hates to clean up after dinner. One night, he volunteers to bathe the dog before cleaning up. When he finishes with the dog and returns to the kitchen, his wife has cleaned everything up for him. Which of the following statements is accurate?

A)In the future, Bill will start cleaning up the kitchen before he bathes the dog.
B)Bill's wife has positively reinforced him for bathing the dog.
C)Bill's wife has negatively reinforced him for bathing the dog.
D)Bill's wife has established bathing the dog as a secondary reinforcer.

Question 68

Mark and Kathy take their two-year-old son to the supermarket every Saturday. Each week, the same sequence of events unfolds: their son screams, demanding that they buy him treats. Although they refuse to give in to his demands, he continues to scream. Finally, either Mark or Kathy gets in their son's face and yells at the top of their lungs "Shut up!" He stops screaming instantly. What operant conditioning concepts are illustrated in this story?

A)The parents are using negative reinforcement to increase their son's screaming.
B)The parents are using punishment to suppress the screaming; their use of punishment is negatively reinforced by the cessation of screaming.
C)Their son probably learned how to scream by observing his parents at home, and now he is reinforced on a variable-interval schedule of reinforcement.
D)Their son probably learned how to scream by observing his parents at home, and now he is reinforced on a fixed-ratio schedule of reinforcement.

Question 69

Punishment can be defined as any outcome

A)presented after a specific behaviour that increases the likelihood of the behaviour reoccurring.
B)presented after a specific behaviour that decreases the likelihood of the behaviour reoccurring.
C)presented before a specific behaviour that increases the likelihood of the behaviour reoccurring.
D)presented before a specific behaviour that decreases the likelihood of the behaviour reoccurring.

Question 70

A ________ stimulus is one that signals the presence of reinforcement.

A)primary
B)discriminative
C)secondary
D)generalised

Question 71

A reinforcer is a consequence that ________ a behaviour, while a punisher is a consequence that ________ a behaviour.

A)motivates; stimulates
B)weakens; strengthens
C)inhibits; motivates
D)strengthens; weakens

Question 72

Which of the following will weaken the likelihood of behaviour reoccurring in the future?

A)Punishment
B)Negative reinforcement
C)Positive reinforcement
D)Fixed ratio reinforcement

Question 73

A stimulus presented to a person or animal that weakens the probability of a particular response is known as ________.

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

Question 74

When a stimulus is removed from a person or animal, resulting in a decrease in the probability of response, it is known as ________.

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

Question 75

A discriminative stimulus is a stimulus that ________.

A)provides the organism with a cue that making any of several responses will lead to reinforcement
B)leads a person to discriminate against one group of people based on ethnicity or race
C)cues the person into which schedule of reinforcement is being used in operant conditioning
D)signals the presence of reinforcement

Question 76

________ increases the likelihood of behaviour being repeated, while ________ decreases the likelihood of behaviour being repeated.

Question 77

A negative reinforcer is a stimulus that is ________ and therefore ________ the probability of a response.

A)removed; increases
B)removed; decreases
C)presented; increases
D)presented; decreases

Question 78

Providing a child with a homework pass if she completes five word problems during class represents both ________ reinforcement and a ________ schedule of reinforcement.

A)negative; fixed ratio
B)positive; variable ratio
C)negative; variable ratio
D)positive; fixed interval

Question 79

Describe how a parent could use operant conditioning to motivate their 9th grade child to move from a "C" student to an "A" student. Discuss positive and negative reinforcement, punishment, and schedules of reinforcement that you would employ.

Question 80

Olivia is punished for spilling her cereal. Her parents give her a spanking and send her to her room where she cries. Later, her puppy makes a mess on the floor. Olivia kicks her puppy and puts it out in the yard where it whines sadly. Which of the following statements explains her behaviour toward the puppy?

A)Olivia is correctly applying Skinnerian principles of negative reinforcement to change her dog's behaviour.
B)Olivia is using negative punishment on her dog and it will change the dog's behaviour.
C)Olivia is using vicarious punishment on her dog and it will change the dog's behaviour.
D)Olivia is modeling the aggressive behaviour her parents demonstrated to her.