Question 1

Recognizing that one of your friends is feeling angry and that another friend is feeling sad illustrates an ability known as

Accepted Answer

The ability to recognize and understand the emotions of others, also known as empathy, is a component of theory of mind.

Question 2

Alex learned to babysit and care for young children effectively by observing the many ways his mother carefully nurtured his own younger siblings. This best illustrates the value of observational learning for promoting

Accepted Answer

Observing his mother's behavior towards his younger siblings likely led Alex to internalize these actions as desirable and effective in caring for children, promoting his own prosocial behavior.

Question 3

In a well-known experiment, preschool children pounded and kicked a large inflated Bobo doll that an adult had just beaten on. This experiment served to illustrate the importance of

Accepted Answer

The experiment described reflects the phenomenon of observational learning, where children learn through watching others (in this case, an adult) and copying their behavior towards the Bobo doll. Operant conditioning and respondent behavior do not fully explain this particular experiment. Spontaneous recovery may occur in classical conditioning, but it is not relevant to this situation.

Question 4

Because Yuri was curious about human behavior, he enrolled in an introductory psychology course. George registered because he heard it was an easy course that would boost his grade-point average. In this instance, Yuri's behavior was a reflection of ________, whereas George's behavior was a reflection of ________.

Accepted Answer

Yuri's behavior is driven by intrinsic motivation, as he is genuinely interested in the subject matter. George's behavior is driven by extrinsic motivation, as he is motivated by the external reward of improving his GPA.

Question 5

Socially responsive toddlers who readily imitate their parents tend to become preschoolers with a strong internalized conscience. This best illustrates the impact of

Accepted Answer

Observational learning is the process of learning by watching others and imitating their behavior. In this scenario, socially responsive toddlers are observing and imitating their parents, which leads to the development of a strong internalized conscience in preschoolers. Operant conditioning is a type of learning in which behavior is shaped by consequences, but it is not the primary factor at play in this scenario. Spontaneous recovery refers to the reappearance of an extinguished conditioned response, which is not relevant to this situation. Respondent behavior refers to behavior that occurs automatically in response to a stimulus, such as a reflex, and is also not applicable here.

Question 6

Mirror neurons are believed by some scientists to provide a biological basis for

Accepted Answer

Mirror neurons are neurons that fire both when an individual performs an action and when they observe someone else performing that action. This suggests that mirror neurons may play a role in observational learning, as individuals can learn by watching others and simulating their actions in their own brains.

Question 7

Dan and Joel, both 4-year-olds, have been watching reruns of "Superman" on television. Joel's mother recently found the boys standing on the garage roof, ready to try flying. What best accounts for the boys' behavior?

Accepted Answer

The boys' behavior is likely a result of observational learning, as they have been watching "Superman" on television and trying to mimic his flying abilities.

Question 8

The acquisition of mental information by observing events, watching others, or through language is called

Accepted Answer

The acquisition of mental information through observation, watching others, or language is known as cognitive learning. Classical conditioning (A) involves learning through the association of two stimuli, while partial reinforcement (C) is a type of operant conditioning where behaviors are reinforced only periodically. Shaping (D) is a technique used in operant conditioning to gradually shape desired behaviors through reinforcement of successive approximations.

Question 9

We are most likely to imitate the behavior of models if we observe that their actions are

Accepted Answer

Observing that a model's actions are followed by reinforcement increases the likelihood that we will imitate their behavior. This is because we learn that the behavior leads to desirable outcomes, making it more appealing to imitate. Conditioning and extrinsic motivation may also play a role in behavior imitation, but they are not directly related to reinforcement. Violence or antisocial behavior is less likely to be imitated because it goes against social norms and may lead to punishment rather than reinforcement.

Question 10

Without conscious reflection, people often yawn when they observe others yawning. Researchers are now considering whether this can be attributed to

Accepted Answer

Mirror neurons are a type of neuron that fires both when an individual performs an action and when they observe another individual performing the same action. Research suggests that mirror neurons may be responsible for contagious yawning, as they allow individuals to simulate the emotional and physiological state of others.

Question 11

Sandy finds it harder to frown when watching her brother smile than when seeing him frown. Scientists are currently debating whether this can be attributed to the activation of

Accepted Answer

The phenomenon described in the scenario - finding it harder to frown when watching someone else smile - is attributed to mirror neurons. These are neurons that activate both when an individual performs an action and when they observe someone else performing the same action. In this case, Sandy's mirror neurons are activating when she sees her brother smile, making it harder for her to perform the action of frowning.

Question 12

Five-year-olds copy senseless and irrelevant adult actions such as stroking a plastic jar with a feather before reaching inside the jar for a toy. This best illustrates

Accepted Answer

Overimitation refers to the tendency of humans, especially young children, to copy irrelevant or unnecessary actions performed by adults while trying to achieve a goal. In the given scenario, the 5-year-old copying the adult's actions of stroking a plastic jar with a feather before reaching inside for a toy is an example of overimitation.

Question 13

Our ability to learn by witnessing the behavior of others best illustrates

Accepted Answer

Observational learning is the process of acquiring new behaviors or information by observing and imitating others. This type of learning is not based on operant or respondent conditioning, and it can also involve modeling prosocial or antisocial behaviors.

Question 14

Psychologists are currently debating whether our physical capacity for mentally simulating the observed behavior of others is due to specialized

Accepted Answer

Mirror neurons are specialized neurons that fire both when an individual performs an action and when they observe someone else performing that same action. These neurons have been suggested as a physiological mechanism for our ability to mentally simulate the behavior of others.

Question 15

It has been suggested that ________ are activated when a monkey moves a peanut into its own mouth and when a monkey simply observes other monkeys move a peanut into their mouths.

Accepted Answer

Mirror neurons are activated both when an individual performs a specific action and when that individual simply observes another individual perform the same action. In the case of the monkey moving a peanut into its own mouth and observing other monkeys move a peanut into their mouths, mirror neurons would be activated in both situations. Prosocial behaviors (A) refer to actions that benefit others, intrinsic motives (B) refer to motivations that come from within the individual rather than external factors, and cognitive maps (C) are mental representations of spatial relationships. None of these concepts are directly relevant to the scenario described.

Question 16

Skinner is to shaping as Bandura is to

Accepted Answer

Skinner is known for his work in operant conditioning and shaping behavior through reinforcement. Bandura is known for his work in social learning theory and how behavior can be learned through observation and modeling. Therefore, the best choice is C - modeling.

Question 17

Rhesus macaque monkeys are more likely to reconcile after a fight if they grow up with forgiving older macaque monkeys. This best illustrates the impact of

Accepted Answer

The scenario describes how young macaque monkeys are more likely to reconcile after a fight if they grow up around forgiving older monkeys. This suggests that the young monkeys are observing and learning from the forgiving behavior of the older monkeys, indicating the impact of observational learning.

Question 18

The tendency to engage in behaviors that we observe others rewarded for performing best illustrates the influence of

Accepted Answer

Vicarious reinforcement occurs when we observe others being rewarded for a particular behavior, leading us to imitate that behavior.

Question 19

Jeremy wears his baseball cap backward because he noticed that his older brother does so. This illustrates the importance of

Accepted Answer

Jeremy is modeling his behavior after his older brother, which is a form of observational learning or modeling.

Question 20

When Adam observed his sister being scolded after she hit another child, Adam also discontinued hitting other children. This best illustrates the impact of

Accepted Answer

The scenario describes Adam's behavior being influenced by observing his sister receive punishment for hitting another child. This is an example of vicarious punishment, where an individual's behavior is modified by observing the consequences of someone else's actions.

Quiz 22: Effects of Biology and Cognition