Question 1

Simba the cat was lying in the laundry room watching her owner do laundry.Now her owner has gone to the market,and the breeze from an open window has blown the door of the laundry room almost completely closed.Simba has never had to open a door before,but she knows that if she wants to move something,she must use her paw.She is also aware that the door is in her way.Eventually,she sticks her paw into the space under the door and pulls,and the door opens.This sudden perception of a useful relationship that helped Simba solve her problem is referred to as
A) biological preparedness.
B) insight.
C) discrimination.
D) instinctive drift.

Accepted Answer

The sudden perception of a useful relationship that helped Simba solve her problem is referred to as insight. Insight is an "ah-ha" moment when a solution to a problem comes suddenly to mind, where the individual can see a problem in a new way and apply a solution to it.

Question 2

You use a ______________ schedule of reinforcement when you are teaching someone to do something new.You use a ______________ schedule of reinforcement after they have learned a behaviour and you want to maintain it.
A) continuous;intermittent
B) intermittent;continuous
C) negative;positive
D) positive;negative

Accepted Answer

A continuous schedule of reinforcement is used when first teaching someone to do something new, as it involves reinforcing the behavior every time it occurs. An intermittent schedule of reinforcement is used after the behavior has been learned and is used to maintain the behavior by reinforcing it only some of the time. Therefore, Choice A is the correct answer.

Question 3

The Tanzanian government implemented a radio soap opera in order to decrease the spread of HIV/AIDS.Which of the following is not one of the goals of this project?
A) Make listeners realize that they were at risk for contracting HIV/AIDS
B) Have listeners reduce their number of sexual partners and to use condoms
C) Increase listeners' self-efficacy by showing them how to control risks
D) Make listeners realize that self-esteem is important in reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS

Accepted Answer

While all the other options are goals of the radio soap opera, the importance of self-esteem in reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS is not explicitly mentioned as a goal.

Question 4

After Albert Bandura showed children videos of grownups beating up a Bobo doll,the children beat up Bobo in exactly the same way.This is an example of
A) systematic desensitization.
B) classical conditioning.
C) observational learning.
D) spontaneous recovery.

Accepted Answer

This experiment demonstrated observational learning, where the children observed and imitated the behavior they saw in the video of the grownups beating up the Bobo doll. Systematic desensitization refers to a gradual exposure to a feared stimulus in a controlled environment to reduce anxiety, classical conditioning involves pairing a neutral stimulus with a reflexive response, and spontaneous recovery refers to the reappearance of a conditioned response after it had been previously extinguished.

Question 5

Dharma has agreed to take a survey to help her roommate with a sociology project.Her roommate promises that the survey is short and won't take much of Dharma's time.Looking through the survey,Dharma sees that if she answers "yes" to one particular question,she can move on to the next question.If she answers "no," she will be asked to write an explanation.Though Dharma disagrees with many of the statements on the survey,she resents the amount of time explaining her "no" answers will take,so she answers "yes" to every question.Dharma is displaying
A) escape conditioning.
B) the Skinner effect.
C) systematic desensitization.
D) habituation.

Accepted Answer

Dharma is avoiding the aversive consequence of having to write an explanation for every "no" answer by answering "yes" to every question, which is an example of escape conditioning. She is motivated to escape the negative consequence of writing explanations, even though it means sacrificing the accuracy of her responses.

Question 6

Grounding a child or taking away her TV privileges (an unpleasant experience)because she has misbehaved is an example of
A) response cost/negative punishment (punishment by removal).
B) aversive/positive punishment (punishment by application).
C) acquisition.
D) generalization.

Accepted Answer

Grounding a child or taking away her TV privileges is an example of response cost, which is a form of negative punishment that involves removing a desirable stimulus (TV privileges) in response to behavior (misbehavior) to decrease the likelihood of that behavior occurring again in the future.

Question 7

Sometimes behaviour can't be controlled by conditioning alone,because instinctive behaviours get in the way.For example,researchers have taught raccoons to put coins in a piggybank,but eventually the raccoons don't want to give up the coins after they get them.This biological constraint on learning is called
A) instinctive drift.
B) conditioned aversion.
C) the Garcia effect.
D) signal relations.

Accepted Answer

Instinctive drift refers to the interference of innate, instinctual behaviors in the learning process. In the case of the raccoons, their natural tendency to hoard objects they find may override the conditioned behavior of putting coins in the piggybank. Conditioned aversion refers to a learned avoidance of a specific stimulus due to negative consequences, the Garcia effect is a type of classical conditioning in which one stimulus (such as taste) becomes associated with another (such as illness), and signal relations refer to the relationship between different signals or stimuli.

Question 8

About 65 percent of adults over the age of 20 are overweight.Based on what we know about operant conditioning,which of the following may contribute to the problem?
A) Eating is pleasurable for most people (positive reinforcement for eating happens immediately).
B) Punishment (gaining weight)happens over the long term rather than right away.
C) Television and movie stars often seem to eat whatever they want,apparently without gaining weight (observational learning).
D) All of the choices.

Accepted Answer

All the given options can contribute to the problem of overweight. Eating being pleasurable results in positive reinforcement and increases the likelihood of repeated behaviors, gaining weight happens over a long-term and thus the delayed punishment is ineffective as the immediate reward is more powerful, and observing people around us, especially role models, can influence our behavior (observational learning). Therefore, all options are relevant to the issue of overweight.

Question 9

David's mother is terrified of snakes.When David sees how much snakes scare her,he also feels scared of snakes.This is an example of
A) observational learning.
B) systematic desensitization.
C) spontaneous recovery.
D) discrimination.

Accepted Answer

This is an example of observational learning, as David is observing and learning from his mother's fear of snakes and developing a similar fear response.

Question 10

Hitesh's friends asked him to meet them for dinner,but he has never been to the restaurant they name.He asks where the restaurant is located and is told that it sits at the corner of Main Avenue and State Street.Though he has never been to the corner of Main and State,he knows where both roads are and is able to figure out where the restaurant is.He is using
A) a response cost.
B) a cognitive map.
C) systematic desensitization.
D) shaping.

Accepted Answer

Hitesh is using his cognitive map, which is his mental representation of familiar places and their spatial relationships. He is able to locate the restaurant by using his knowledge of the location of Main Avenue and State Street.

Question 11

Getting a paycheque every two weeks is an example of a
A) fixed-ratio schedule.
B) variable-ratio schedule.
C) fixed-interval schedule.
D) variable-interval schedule.

Accepted Answer

Getting a paycheque every two weeks is an example of a fixed-interval schedule, as it occurs at a fixed time interval (every two weeks) regardless of the amount or frequency of work performed.

Question 12

Trent's cat comes running when he shakes a can of treats.Trent wants to teach his cat to come when he says,"Do you want a treat?" To do this,he will ask,"Do you want a treat?" before he shakes the can of treats.Trent is
A) trying to extinguish a behaviour.
B) using the parallel distributed processing model.
C) using higher-order conditioning.
D) unaware that instinctive drift will interfere with his cat's learning.

Accepted Answer

Trent is using higher-order conditioning by pairing the new cue "Do you want a treat?" with the already established cue of the sound of the can of treats. Through this process, the cat should begin to associate the new cue with the reward of getting a treat.

Question 13

After Meg eats hamburger for the first time,she gets sick and vomits.The next time someone asks Meg if she wants a hamburger,she feels nauseated,and she actually vomits.Meg has a
A) phobia.
B) conditioned taste aversion.
C) shaped response.
D) generalization.

Accepted Answer

Meg has developed a conditioned taste aversion, where the taste of the hamburger is associated with feeling sick and vomiting, causing a strong and negative response to the food. This is why she feels nauseated and vomits even at the thought of eating a hamburger.

Question 14

In Bandura's social-cognitive theory of learning a key motivational factor in learning is self-efficacy.People who are high in self-efficacy believe
A) that obtaining desired outcomes is largely due to being in the right place at the right time.
B) that it is best to stick with things you know well.
C) they have the behavioural capability to obtain desired outcomes.
D) the key to success lies in convincing people you are more competent than others.

Accepted Answer

People who are high in self-efficacy believe they have the behavioural capability to obtain desired outcomes. They believe in their own abilities to succeed and are motivated to take on challenges and persist in the face of difficulties. Choices A, B, and D do not accurately reflect self-efficacy.

Question 15

Tracy suffered from nausea for the first three months of her pregnancy.Because it was easy,her husband ordered Chinese take-out food three or four evenings each week.In spite of her nausea,Tracy forced herself to eat the take-out food.A year later,she and a friend walk past a Chinese restaurant and the smell of the food makes her nauseated.Which of the following explains why Tracy felt nauseated?
A) Classical conditioning
B) Instinctive drift
C) Spontaneous recovery
D) Observational learning

Accepted Answer

Tracy's repeated experience of eating Chinese take-out food while feeling nauseated during her first trimester of pregnancy caused a learned association or conditioning between the two stimuli, resulting in classical conditioning. The smell of Chinese food later triggered the conditioned response of nausea due to this association.

Question 16

Ashanti enjoys a style of dress her classmates call quirky when they're being kind and weird when they're not.Operant conditioning suggests that Ashanti should stop dressing in this way,because the environment is punishing her,but she doesn't.She says that her dress style mirrors her inner uniqueness.In other words,she has strong internal reinforcement from her
A) genetic antecedents.
B) latent learning.
C) Skinner box.
D) cognitive self-evaluations.

Accepted Answer

Ashanti's resistance to changing her style despite the social punishment suggests that the reinforcement she receives is internally motivated, rather than externally provided. This internal motivation can be understood in terms of cognitive self-evaluations, which reflect a sense of self that is aligned with Ashanti's personal values and beliefs.

Question 17

Alex often visits the sandwich shop next to his office building.Each time he buys a sandwich,his "frequent customer" card is stamped.When he has 20 stamps,he gets a free sandwich.This is an example of
A) a token economy.
B) a negative reinforcer.
C) shaping.
D) modeling.

Accepted Answer

This is an example of a token economy, where the customer receives stamps as tokens for their purchases, and when they reach a certain number of tokens, they receive a reward (a free sandwich).

Question 18

Kalliyan has taken the same route home from work for years,but today the road is closed due to an accident.Kalliyan has an important work presentation that she can't miss,so she takes a back road that she knows is there but has never used.She is displaying
A) latent learning.
B) shaping.
C) instinctive drift.
D) preparedness.

Accepted Answer

Kalliyan is exhibiting latent learning, which refers to learning that occurs without behavior being shown until there is an incentive to demonstrate it. She has acquired knowledge of the new route without ever using it before, likely through previous exposure or hearing about it, and is only now demonstrating it due to the closure of her usual road. Shaping, instinctive drift, and preparedness do not accurately describe Kalliyan's behavior in this scenario.

Question 19

Ellie has migraine headaches on a regular basis.If she lies down as she feels a headache arising,she can prevent a migraine from developing.Her doctor prescribes a new medication that is 95 percent effective in preventing migraines.Ellie takes the medication but also continues to lie down when she feels a migraine coming on.Three months after he writes the prescription,the doctor asks her whether it has helped her.According to the two-factor theory of avoidance learning,Ellie
A) wouldn't know,since she lies down when she feels a headache developing.
B) would probably say the medication works and she has not had a headache in three months.
C) would probably tell the doctor she took the medication but doesn't think it works.
D) wouldn't know because she is not a doctor.

Accepted Answer

According to the two-factor theory of avoidance learning, Ellie wouldn't know if the medication is effective because she continues to use her previous avoidance behavior (lying down) that prevents migraines.

Quiz 7: Learning and Adaptation: the Role of Experience

You use a schedule of reinforcement when you are teaching someone to do something new.You use a schedule of reinforcement after they have learned a behaviour and you want to maintain it.

The Tanzanian government implemented a radio soap opera in order to decrease the spread of HIV/AIDS.Which of the following is not one of the goals of this project?

After Albert Bandura showed children videos of grownups beating up a Bobo doll,the children beat up Bobo in exactly the same way.This is an example of

Grounding a child or taking away her TV privileges (an unpleasant experience) because she has misbehaved is an example of

About 65 percent of adults over the age of 20 are overweight.Based on what we know about operant conditioning,which of the following may contribute to the problem?

David's mother is terrified of snakes.When David sees how much snakes scare her,he also feels scared of snakes.This is an example of

Getting a paycheque every two weeks is an example of a

Trent's cat comes running when he shakes a can of treats.Trent wants to teach his cat to come when he says,"Do you want a treat?" To do this,he will ask,"Do you want a treat?" before he shakes the can of treats.Trent is

After Meg eats hamburger for the first time,she gets sick and vomits.The next time someone asks Meg if she wants a hamburger,she feels nauseated,and she actually vomits.Meg has a

In Bandura's social-cognitive theory of learning a key motivational factor in learning is self-efficacy.People who are high in self-efficacy believe

Alex often visits the sandwich shop next to his office building.Each time he buys a sandwich,his "frequent customer" card is stamped.When he has 20 stamps,he gets a free sandwich.This is an example of

Kalliyan has taken the same route home from work for years,but today the road is closed due to an accident.Kalliyan has an important work presentation that she can't miss,so she takes a back road that she knows is there but has never used.She is displaying