Question 1

Why are human biologically prepared to fear snakes and not guns?

Accepted Answer

Guns are a more recent addition to our evolutionary history, so we have not had time to develop a biological fear of them.

Question 2

_____ removes the effects of an aversive stimulus, whereas _____ removes the possibility of an aversive stimulus from occurring in the first place.

Accepted Answer

Escape learning involves removing the aversive stimulus after it has already been presented, while avoidance learning involves preventing the aversive stimulus from occurring altogether. The other options refer to different types of operant conditioning and do not directly relate to the removal of aversive stimuli.

Question 3

The learned response that occurs to the conditioned stimulus is known as the _____.

Accepted Answer

The learned response that occurs to the conditioned stimulus is known as the conditioned response. The unconditioned response is the automatic response to the unconditioned stimulus, the conditioned stimulus is the previously neutral stimulus that now elicits a response, and the unconditioned stimulus is the stimulus that naturally elicits a response.

Question 4

The process of observational learning would explain how 3-year-old Ryan knows how to lather up his own
face after watching his dad shave earlier that day.

Accepted Answer

Observational learning involves acquiring new behaviors through watching and imitating others. In this scenario, Ryan observed his dad shaving and was able to imitate him by lathering up his own face.

Question 5

In order for latent learning to occur, there must be reinforcement.

Accepted Answer

Latent learning is the type of learning that occurs without any obvious reinforcement or reward. Instead, it involves discovering new information or connections between things that were not previously recognized.

Question 6

_____ create(s) situations that make acquiring new knowledge more challenging and with benefits that are less obvious in the short term.

Accepted Answer

Desirable difficulties refers to intentionally creating obstacles or challenges in the learning process in order to enhance long-term learning and retention of the material. These difficulties may make the acquisition of new knowledge more challenging in the short term, but can lead to greater benefits in the long term by promoting deeper thinking and encoding of the material. Classical and operant conditioning refer to forms of learning that involve associations between stimuli and responses, while latent learning refers to the acquisition of knowledge that is not immediately expressed in behavior.

Question 7

When students are required to learn new material for a class, they typically want the material to be clearly organized and easy to study. Additionally, students often prefer to cram material in long study sessions and to feel that they are learning the material quickly. What does research indicate about these studying habits? Based on this research, suggest two ways students can improve their performance on tests.

Accepted Answer

The answer of When students are required to learn new...

Question 8

Sylvia used to play with balloons. When she tried to blow up a balloon last week, it popped in her face and gave her quite a scare. Now, blowing up a balloon is so scary that Sylvia will not try it. In this example, the pop is a(n) _____ and the balloon is a(n) _____.

Accepted Answer

The pop is an unconditioned stimulus because it naturally elicits a response (fear) from Sylvia. The balloon is a conditioned stimulus because it is associated with the pop and now also elicits fear from Sylvia. Therefore, the correct answer is B, with the unconditioned stimulus (pop) preceding the conditioned stimulus (balloon).

Question 9

Which is the best explanation, that is based on classical conditioning, for why diet beverages do not prevent people from gaining weight?

Accepted Answer

Classical conditioning suggests that the brain can associate certain stimuli with specific outcomes, such as associating the taste of food with a feeling of satiety. However, research shows that artificially sweetened beverages may actually stimulate hunger for high-calorie foods, rather than convincing the brain that it has consumed enough calories. This may lead people to continue to overeat, even when drinking low-calorie or calorie-free beverages.

Question 10

Pete cannot seem to stop checking the change slots of vending machines. Although he usually does not find any money, occasionally he finds a quarter. Despite the low levels of reinforcement, this behavior is likely to persist due to _____.

Accepted Answer

The partial reinforcement effect refers to the fact that behaviors that are reinforced intermittently, rather than consistently, are more resistant to extinction. In this case, Pete's behavior of checking vending machine change slots is only reinforced occasionally with a quarter. This intermittent reinforcement is likely to lead to persistent behavior, even though the reinforcement is not always present.

Question 11

Contrary to some early behaviorist views, _____ suggest(s) that learning can occur without any immediate behavioral evidence.

Accepted Answer

Latent learning refers to learning that occurs without any immediate behavioral evidence. This concept challenges the view held by some behaviorists that all learning is the result of immediate reinforcement or punishment.

Question 12

Frederick trained his parrot to open the door to his cage by pecking at a lever three times. Frederick used a _____ schedule of reinforcement to encourage the desired behavior.

Accepted Answer

Frederick used a fixed-ratio schedule of reinforcement because the behavior of pecking the lever three times was reinforced with the reward of opening the cage door every time it occurred exactly three times.

Question 13

As a consequence for misbehaving, many teachers use "timeout." How does this consequence affect students' behavior?

Accepted Answer

Timeout takes away the stimulus of being in the classroom and participating in activities, which decreases the likelihood of the student repeating the misbehaving behavior.

Question 14

Punishment occurs every day in families, schools, and workplaces. But often the intended results fail to occur. When punishment must be used, what are five guidelines that should be followed?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Punishment occurs every day in families, schools,...

Question 15

A friend regularly spanks his children to decrease their misbehavior. Which statement is most accurate in regard to using spanking as form of corporal punishment?

Accepted Answer

While spanking may provide immediate results in decreasing misbehavior, research has shown that it can have negative impacts on the child's mental and emotional well-being, as well as their long-term behavior. Therefore, it should be used sparingly and with caution.

Question 16

Suppose your friend owns a camera that makes a beeping noise 1 second before the flash goes off. After taking your photo many times, your friend starts to complain that you are always blinking in her photos. Explain what is likely happening using the following terminology: conditioned stimulus (CS), unconditioned stimulus (US), conditioned response (CR), and unconditioned response (UR).

Accepted Answer

The answer of Suppose your friend owns a camera that...

Question 17

Observational learning:

Accepted Answer

Observational learning involves a change in behavior as a result of watching others. It is not the same thing as teaching, it is not limited to humans, and it can be effective for long term retention depending on the individual's motivation and reinforcement.

Question 18

How is it possible to tell the difference between examples of classical and operant conditioning? Describe the key differences between the two types of learning.

Accepted Answer

The answer of How is it possible to tell the...

Question 19

Principles of operant conditioning have been used to help explain why people get attached to "lucky" hats, charms, and rituals. Using these principles, explain how an athlete might show this type of behavior. How did Skinner demonstrate the phenomenon of superstitious behavior with pigeons in his laboratory?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Principles of operant conditioning have been used...

Question 20

In classical conditioning, the process during which a neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus is known as _______.

Accepted Answer

Acquisition is the process during which a previously neutral stimulus (such as a bell) becomes a conditioned stimulus (producing a salivation response) through repeated pairing with an unconditioned stimulus (such as food). Extinction refers to the weakening or disappearance of a conditioned response when the conditioned stimulus is presented repeatedly without the unconditioned stimulus. Spontaneous recovery refers to the reappearance of a previously extinguished conditioned response after a period of time has passed. Discrimination refers to the ability to distinguish between different stimuli and respond only to the relevant one.

Quiz 6: Learning