Question 1

The concept of latent learning was developed by:

Accepted Answer

Latent learning theory was developed by Edward Tolman. Tolman's theory suggests that learning can occur without any obvious reinforcement or reward, and that this learning may not be immediately evident in the behavior of the learner. Tolman's theory challenged the traditional behaviorist position that all learning must be directly observable and reinforced.

Question 2

After watching her father slide through pictures on his smartphone using his index finger, Laura, a 5-year-old, learns to use her finger to slide the screen on his smartphone. Laura acquired this behaviour through ________.

Accepted Answer

Laura acquired the behavior through observational learning by watching her father use his finger to slide through pictures on his smartphone.

Question 3

Dr. Swarz wants to condition a fear response in rats in her laboratory. What would be the ideal interval for her to use between her neutral stimulus (a light) and her US (a buzzer)?

Accepted Answer

The ideal interval for conditioning a fear response is typically less than one second, as this allows the neutral stimulus to be closely associated with the unconditioned stimulus, enhancing the learning process.

Question 4

Shelayne is 6-years-old and lives in a region that gets a lot of thunder storms. During a storm she is very fearful and insists on staying close to her mother. Which of the following would probably generate a fear response in Shelayne?

Accepted Answer

Shelayne's fear response is likely due to the loud thunder during thunderstorms. Therefore, seeing lightning without hearing thunder could still trigger her fear response. The other options (clouds with no rain, rain with no lightning, darkness with no clouds) do not necessarily have a direct association with thunderstorms and therefore may not trigger her fear response.

Question 5

Phil wants to train his parrot to kick a ball into a soccer net. Which of the following should he do?

Accepted Answer

The best choice is to begin by reinforcing when the parrot goes near the ball. This is because it is the initial step in shaping the behavior of kicking the ball into the net. By reinforcing the parrot's behavior of going near the ball, Phil can then gradually shape the behavior of kicking the ball into the net with positive reinforcement (such as giving a food treat). Using negative or positive punishment can have negative consequences and may not be effective in training the parrot to kick the ball into the net.

Question 6

Which of the following is true about the use of extrinsic versus intrinsic rewards?

Accepted Answer

Extrinsic rewards can be effective in motivating certain behaviors or tasks, but if overused or relied upon too heavily, they can undermine intrinsic motivation and create a dependence on external rewards. It's important to strike a balance between extrinsic and intrinsic rewards and use them appropriately. Intrinsic rewards, on the other hand, such as a sense of accomplishment or personal satisfaction, can be powerful motivators, but they may not be enough on their own for some individuals or tasks. Therefore, both types of rewards should be used carefully and not overdone.

Question 7

Which of the following portrays an intrinsic reinforcer?

Accepted Answer

John's enjoyment of planning and designing buildings is an intrinsic reinforcer because it comes from the satisfaction and pleasure he derives from the activity itself, rather than from external rewards or recognition.

Question 8

Tim yells at his daughter Allison for soiling her pants. He also threatens to spank her if she ever does it again. Next week, she soils her pants again. According to studies on punishment, why did Tim's approach fail?

Accepted Answer

Tim's approach failed because it did not tell Allison how to change her behavior. Merely threatening to spank her did not provide her with an alternative or more appropriate behavior to engage in. Punishments are more effective when they are accompanied by clear instructions or guidance on how to change the behavior.

Question 9

In operant conditioning, reinforcing successive approximations of a desired behaviour is a procedure called ________.

Accepted Answer

Reinforcing successive approximations or steps towards a desired behavior is known as shaping. It involves rewarding behaviors that are increasingly similar to the target behavior until the desired behavior is achieved. Chaining involves teaching a complex behavior by breaking it down into small steps, while higher-order conditioning refers to a process where a conditioned stimulus becomes associated with another neutral stimulus. Counterconditioning involves replacing an undesirable response with a desirable one.

Question 10

What is learning that has taken place but is not demonstrated called?

Accepted Answer

Learning that has taken place but is not demonstrated is called latent learning. This means that an individual has acquired knowledge or skills but may not show them until a certain cue or incentive is present.

Question 11

________ is an operant-conditioning procedure in which successive approximations of a desired response are reinforced.

Accepted Answer

Shaping is the process of reinforcing behaviors that gradually become closer to the desired response. This can involve rewarding behavior that is even slightly similar to the desired behavior and then progressively increasing the criteria for receiving a reward.

Question 12

During operant learning, the tendency for an organism to revert to innate, species-specific behaviours is called ________.

Accepted Answer

Instinctive drift is a phenomenon where during operant learning, the learned responses of the organism tend to be replaced by their innate, species-specific behaviors. This happens because the animal's instincts are stronger than the learned responses. Therefore, as training progresses, the animal's behavior becomes less predictable and more instinctive, and it drifts away from the learned behaviors.

Question 13

Which of the following statements is true of the American psychologist B. F. Skinner?

Accepted Answer

B. F. Skinner believed that free will is an illusion and that behavior is shaped by our environment and genes, a concept known as operant conditioning. He believed that all behavior, including human behavior, is determined by a person's past history of conditioning and reinforcement, rather than personal traits or mental events. Skinner also advocated for the use of behavioral principles to improve human behavior, but he emphasized the importance of ethical considerations in doing so.

Question 14

When Keller and Marian Breland, two psychologists who became animal trainers, decided that it would be cute to have a pig drop a big wooden coin into a box, they found that:

Accepted Answer

The pig displayed a behavior known as instinctual drift, where it reverted to its natural rooting behavior instead of performing the trained task, making it difficult to train.

Question 15

In the operant-conditioning procedure of shaping, behaviours that are ordered in terms of increasing similarity or closeness to the desired response are called ________.

Accepted Answer

Behaviors that are ordered in terms of increasing similarity or closeness to the desired response are called successive approximations in the operant-conditioning procedure of shaping.

Question 16

Being severely physically punished in childhood is a risk factor for which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Severe physical punishment in childhood has been linked to an increased risk of depression, aggression, and low self-esteem. While ADHD and autism may also be influenced by childhood experiences, there is no clear evidence suggesting a direct link between physical punishment and these conditions.

Question 17

Dr. Ibrahim conducts an experiment at a local university. Participants were shown a white envelope while listening to two minutes of uplifting music and a brown envelope while listening to two minutes of a single tone repeated over and over (which was intended to be annoying). At the end of the experiment, participants are told to choose an envelope containing their compensation on the way out of the room. The envelopes are either white or brown. If there were 100 participants, how many are likely to choose a white envelope instead of a brown envelope?

Accepted Answer

Participants are likely to associate the white envelope with the positive experience of uplifting music, leading more of them to choose it over the brown envelope. 75 is a reasonable estimate for the majority preference.

Question 18

Gary trains his hamster to roll a marble. First, he reinforces the hamster when it walks toward the marble, and then he reinforces when it touches the marble with its nose. Finally, the hamster learns to roll the marble and is reinforced for it. This example illustrates ________.

Accepted Answer

The example illustrates shaping, which involves reinforcing successive approximations of a desired behavior until the final behavior is achieved. In this case, the hamster is reinforced for first walking towards the marble, then touching it with its nose, and finally rolling it. Chaining involves linking a series of behaviors in a specific sequence, while counterconditioning involves changing an emotional response to a stimulus through association with a different stimulus. Classical conditioning involves pairing a neutral stimulus with a reflexive response to eventually elicit that response alone.

Question 19

Extrinsic reinforcers are defined as reinforcers that:

Accepted Answer

Extrinsic reinforcers are external rewards such as money, praise, or grades that are not inherently related to the activity being reinforced. They are given as a means of encouraging or motivating behavior, rather than as a natural consequence of that behavior.

Question 20

The application of operant-conditioning techniques to teach new responses or to reduce or eliminate maladaptive or problematic behaviour is called ________.

Accepted Answer

Behaviour modification involves the use of operant conditioning techniques to teach new behaviours or reduce inappropriate behaviours. Stimulus generalization refers to the extension of a learned response to similar stimuli, while higher-order conditioning involves pairing a neutral stimulus with a conditioned stimulus to create a new conditioned response. Counterconditioning is a technique used to replace an undesirable response to a stimulus with a more desirable one through the use of conditioning.

Quiz 7: Learning and Conditioning