Question 1

Which one of the following is an example of reinforcing an incompatible behavior as a way of eliminating an undesirable behavior?
A) Samantha is very shy and socially withdrawn. Her teacher reinforces her with a smile whenever she interacts with her classmates.
B) Johnny's wisecracks have become so annoying that his teacher keeps him in from recess whenever he speaks inappropriately.
C) Mary has learned to reinforce herself whenever she gets all her spelling words correct.
D) Jerry must stay after school on days when he arrives late.

Accepted Answer

Reinforcing Samantha with a smile whenever she interacts with her classmates is an example of reinforcing an incompatible behavior, as shyness and social withdrawal are incompatible with social interaction. This can help to eliminate the undesirable behavior of shyness and promote more positive social behaviors. The other choices involve punishment or self-reinforcement, which are not examples of reinforcing an incompatible behavior.

Question 2

If you wanted to encourage kindergartners to delay gratification, research indicates that an effective strategy would be to:
A) Tell them that how well they behave at the end of the day is really what counts
B) Ask them to focus on how good it feels to do something nice for a classmate
C) Talk about how their learning efforts today will pay off in the years to come
D) Occasionally remind them that they will get a bigger reward if they wait for an hour or two

Accepted Answer

Research indicates that giving simple cues about greater rewards in the future can help children delay gratification. So, occasionally reminding them that they will get a bigger reward if they wait for an hour or two can be an effective strategy for encouraging kindergartners to delay gratification.

Question 3

In Marcia's first tennis lesson, her instructor Keith is trying to teach her the correct way to swing a tennis racket. Keith praises Marcia every time she hits the tennis ball over the net and into the "in bounds" area of the opponent's side of the court using the correct body position. Marcia shows little improvement during the one-hour lesson. From a behaviorist perspective, what mistake is Keith probably making in teaching Marcia to play tennis?
A) He fails to realize that Marcia has little to gain by changing her behavior.
B) He is using intermittent rather than continuous reinforcement.
C) He should shape the behavior rather than expect immediate mastery.
D) Praise is rarely an effective reinforcer.

Accepted Answer

Keith should shape Marcia's behavior gradually instead of expecting her to master it immediately. This means breaking down the complex skill of tennis into smaller, more manageable steps, and reinforcing each step as Marcia successfully accomplishes it. By doing this, Marcia will be more likely to improve her tennis skills over time.

Question 4

Eight-year-old Amy always seems to be in "overdrive"-she has trouble sitting still for any length of time. Her teacher occasionally gives her short breaks in which she can get up and move around a bit as a way of releasing pent-up energy. Such breaks occur unpredictably, without regard for whether Amy is behaving appropriately or inappropriately at the time. Research indicates that such noncontingent reinforcement:
A) May improve Amy's behavior somewhat, but she will likely not replace the inappropriate behaviors with appropriate behaviors.
B) Is likely to make Amy's behavior worse
C) Will probably lead to behavioral contrast
D) Will confuse Amy and significantly increase her anxiety about classroom tasks

Accepted Answer

Noncontingent reinforcement, which is given without regard to the behavior being exhibited, may provide some improvement in behavior by offering a break or a reward not directly tied to the behavior. However, it does not directly encourage the replacement of inappropriate behaviors with appropriate ones, as it does not specifically reinforce desired behaviors.

Question 5

Tracy enjoys reading mystery novels and reads at least two a week. Her mother wants to encourage Tracy's reading and so begins to pay her daughter one dollar for each completed mystery novel. Considering research regarding the extrinsic reinforcement of intrinsically reinforcing activities, we would expect Tracy eventually to:
A) Double her rate of reading mystery novels
B) Triple her rate of reading mystery novels
C) Lower her rate of reading mystery novels
D) Stop reading mystery novels altogether

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that extrinsic reinforcement (in this case, being paid for reading) can actually decrease intrinsic motivation (Tracy's natural enjoyment of reading mysteries). Tracy may begin to view reading as a task to be completed for the reward rather than an enjoyable activity in itself. As a result, she may actually lower her rate of reading mystery novels.

Question 6

Which one of the following statements best characterizes how reinforcement of incompatible behavior can help reduce people's inappropriate behaviors?
A) When we reinforce different people for different behaviors, they begin to discover which behaviors are appropriate and which are not.
B) Negative reinforcement of an incompatible behavior can ultimately reduce the frequency of that behavior.
C) An undesirable behavior will decrease when a person is reinforced for behaving in an opposite manner.
D) We can reduce serious behavior problems by allowing people to engage in less serious misbehaviors.

Accepted Answer

By reinforcing an incompatible behavior, a person is being positively reinforced for engaging in a behavior that is incompatible with the inappropriate behavior. This makes it less likely that the person will engage in the problematic behavior in the future. For example, if a child is being reinforced for sitting quietly and reading instead of disruptive behavior during class, they are less likely to continue the disruptive behavior.

Question 7

Mr. and Mrs. Mercado don't allow their daughter Maggie to chew gum at home and have punished her severely on the few occasions they have found her with gum in her mouth. Now Maggie rarely chews gum at home but chews it almost constantly at school, where she is not punished for doing so. Maggie's different behaviors at home and at school illustrate an effect of punishment known as:
A) emotional arousal
B) reversal
C) behavioral contrast
D) restitution

Accepted Answer

Behavioral contrast refers to a phenomenon where a behavior that is punished or unrewarded in one context is more likely to occur in a different context where it is not punished or is rewarded. In this scenario, Maggie's behavior of chewing gum is not punished at school, so she is more likely to engage in that behavior in that setting.

Question 8

Ms. Delahanty has several students who are chronic misbehavers. She meets individually with each student, and together the teacher and student agree to a plan for improving the student's behavior and a suitable reinforcement for appropriate behavior change. Ms. Delahanty is using:
A) a contingency contract
B) Keller's personalized system of instruction
C) a token economy
D) a group contingency

Accepted Answer

Ms. Delahanty is using a contingency contract by meeting individually with each student and together creating a plan for improving behavior and a reinforcement for appropriate behavior change. A contingency contract outlines the expectations for behavior and the consequences or rewards for meeting or not meeting those expectations. This personalized method is effective for addressing individual behavior issues. Option B, Keller's personalized system of instruction, is a teaching approach that emphasizes individualized instruction but is not directly related to behavior management. Option C, a token economy, and option D, a group contingency, are behavior management strategies that involve rewards for positive behavior, but they are not individualized plans.

Question 9

An essential element of a contingency contract in the classroom is that:
A) Behaviors are reinforced at least once a day.
B) Every student receives the same reinforcer.
C) Both teacher and student agree upon the desired behavior and its consequence.
D) Every student has a contract concerning the same behavior.

Accepted Answer

Contingency contracts involve a clear agreement between the teacher and student regarding the desired behavior and its consequence. This ensures that both parties are working towards the same goal and understand the terms of the contract. A and B are not necessarily essential elements of a contingency contract, and D may not always be feasible or appropriate for every student.

Question 10

If you were to apply the concept of terminal behavior in teaching a lesson, which one of these things would you do?
A) Identify the things students should be able to do at the end of the lesson.
B) Identify the sequence in which you should teach various parts of the lesson.
C) Reward students who successfully complete the lesson.
D) Make sure all students have mastered the prerequisite skills on which the lesson depends.

Accepted Answer

Terminal behavior refers to the desired outcome or behavior that students should be able to demonstrate at the end of the lesson. Therefore, identifying the things students should be able to do at the end of the lesson is the most relevant application of the concept. B refers to sequencing, C refers to rewards, and D refers to prerequisite skills, which are important but not directly related to terminal behavior.

Question 11

Three of the following common criticisms of using behaviorist approaches in the classroom are valid ones. Which one usually is not true about behaviorist approaches?
A) When a student who enjoys an activity is given extrinsic reinforcement for doing it, the student's intrinsic interest in the activity may decrease.
B) If some misbehaviors are reduced through reinforcement or punishment, other misbehaviors will always spring up to replace them.
C) Reinforcing a student simply for doing a task, without regard for the quality of performance, can encourage the student to do it quickly rather than well.
D) When a student has cognitive deficits that interfere with performance, simply reinforcing desired behaviors will be insufficient to bring about important changes.

Accepted Answer

Option B is usually not true because it suggests a deterministic outcome ("will always spring up") that doesn't account for the complexity of behavior modification. While it's possible for other misbehaviors to emerge (a phenomenon known as "behavioral contrast"), it is not an inevitable outcome of using reinforcement or punishment. Effective behaviorist strategies can reduce or eliminate undesired behaviors without necessarily causing new ones to appear.

Question 12

Ms. Hernandez is concerned about Brian, a student in her high school chemistry class who rarely interacts with other students. Ms. Hernandez decides to smile at Brian on those occasions when she happens to notice him talking with another student. Yet after three weeks she sees little change in his behavior. Based on this information, which one of the following is definitely wrong with Ms. Hernandez's approach?
A) Brian has little to gain by changing his behavior.
B) Brian is receiving intermittent rather than continuous reinforcement.
C) Social interaction is not an intrinsically reinforcing activity.
D) A smile is not an effective reinforcer.

Accepted Answer

Ms. Hernandez's approach involves intermittent reinforcement, which is less effective than continuous reinforcement for establishing new behaviors.

Question 13

In Mr. Greene's third-grade class, math problems are easy enough that students always solve them quickly and correctly. From the textbook's perspective, is this a good situation? Why or why not?
A) Yes, this is the ideal situation for learning math: Although the students may not move as quickly through the school's math curriculum as students in other classes do, they will learn that math is an easy and enjoyable activity.
B) Yes, this is a good situation provided that Mr. Greene also warns students that the math curriculum will be more difficult for them once they reach high school.
C) This might be a good situation if students are solving problems in small, cooperative groups. However, if they're working on the problems individually, they need harder problems to help them discover whether they have a natural aptitude for math.
D) No. If students never have any trouble with math problems, they won't know how to handle the occasional failure and frustration they're likely to encounter when they tackle more challenging problems at higher grade levels.

Accepted Answer

If students never have any trouble with math problems, they won't know how to handle the occasional failure and frustration they're likely to encounter when they tackle more challenging problems at higher grade levels. It is important for students to have challenges in order to develop resilience and problem-solving skills.

Question 14

Healthier eating habits make people feel better and give them more energy over the long run. Yet many people do not improve their eating habits, especially if healthful foods are difficult and time-consuming to prepare. Three of the following are possible explanations for the lack of improvement i.e., behavior change) in people's eating habits. Judging from what you have learned about instrumental conditioning, choose the alternative that is not a likely explanation.
A) Extrinsic reinforcers are usually more effective than intrinsic reinforcers.
B) Eating junk food also has its reinforcers.
C) From a cost-benefit perspective, change is not worthwhile.
D) Reinforcement in the form of feeling healthier) is delayed.

Accepted Answer

This statement is not necessarily true in the context of instrumental conditioning. Intrinsic reinforcement (such as feeling good after eating healthful foods) can be just as effective as extrinsic reinforcement (such as receiving praise from others for eating healthful foods) in promoting behavior change through instrumental conditioning.

Question 15

Sean is a high school student who is angry much of the time. He often vents his anger by swearing at his teacher. One day his teacher decides to extinguish Sean's swearing by ignoring him whenever he swears. Yet over the next few weeks, Sean continues to swear as frequently as he always has. Three of the following are possible explanations as to why, from a behaviorist perspective, the teacher's "extinction" strategy is not working. Which alternative is the least likely explanation?
A) Other students are reinforcing Sean's swearing.
B) Sean's swearing has previously been reinforced on an intermittent basis.
C) Swearing allows Sean to release pent-up anger, so he is being negatively reinforced.
D) Sean is being reinforced for swearing by means of the Premack Principle.

Accepted Answer

The Premack Principle suggests that higher frequency behaviors can be used to reinforce lower frequency behaviors. In this case, it is unlikely that Sean's swearing is being reinforced by some higher frequency behavior, since the teacher is ignoring him whenever he swears. Therefore, the least likely explanation is that Sean is being reinforced for swearing by means of the Premack Principle.

Question 16

Teachers and other practitioners must be very careful in their use of punishment as a means of changing behavior. Three of the following are potential disadvantages in using punishment. Which statement about punishment is false?
A) Punished behaviors typically decrease slowly, if at all.
B) Punishment can in some instances lead to increased aggression.
C) Harsh psychological punishment can adversely affect emotional well-being.
D) Punishment in the classroom can make students fearful of school and/or their teacher.

Accepted Answer

This statement is false. Punished behaviors often decrease quickly, but they may return if the punishment is not consistently enforced.

Question 17

Matthew knows his teacher will give him credit for each assignment he completes on time, without regard for the accuracy of what he does. As a result, Matthew often completes his work quickly, sloppily, and sometimes incorrectly. This situation illustrates which one of the following concerns regarding the use of behaviorist techniques in the classroom?
A) Reinforcement is a form of bribery.
B) Reinforcement of some behaviors may impede optimal learning.
C) Even very mild punishment adversely affects his self-esteem.
D) Applied behavior analysis ignores the cognitive factors that affect learning.

Accepted Answer

This scenario illustrates that the reinforcement of completing work on time (a behaviorist technique) may impede optimal learning, as Matthew does not pay attention to accuracy or quality of work.

Question 18

Mrs. Berk gives extra credit to each of his students who pick up 5 pieces of trash in the classroom before the bell rings at the end of the day. Despite the fact that most of the students pick up 5 pieces of trash before the end of the day, some students never participate in the cleanup. Which of the following statements explains why some students do not participate in the cleanup at the end of the day.
A) The classroom context is a context in which only some children are reinforced.
B) One reinforcer does not reinforce behavior for every learner.
C) Some students will never produce socially desirable behaviors.
D) When a group of students are reinforced together, the reinforced behavior is acquired more slowly than if the students are reinforced individually.

Accepted Answer

This statement suggests that the extra credit offered as a reinforcer may not be a motivator for some students, as different learners respond to different types of reinforcement.

Question 19

Which one of the following examples best illustrates the concept of baseline as behaviorists use the term?
A) After Louisa notices the attention she gets from boys on days she wears tight clothes, she often wears tight sweaters
B) Justin talks in class all the time, even though his teacher and classmates do nothing to encourage him.
C) Dimitri is afraid of the school swimming pool after he almost drowns in it during a swimming lesson.
D) Marsha starts copying her best friend's homework assignments regularly after she finds out that she gets better grades if she does so.

Accepted Answer

Baseline, in behaviorist terms, refers to the level of behavior before any intervention or treatment is applied. Justin's constant talking in class, despite no encouragement, serves as a natural level of behavior that can be measured against any future interventions or changes, making it the best example of a baseline.

Question 20

B. F. Skinner has criticized traditional educational practices for:
A) Failing to teach students to work for delayed reinforcement
B) Using concrete reinforcers more often than social reinforcers
C) Using intrinsic reinforcers more often than concrete reinforcers
D) Relying heavily on artificial reinforcement for mastery of classroom topics

Accepted Answer

Skinner criticized traditional education for relying too much on artificial reinforcement, such as grades, rather than natural or intrinsic motivation, which he believed could hinder genuine learning and mastery.

Quiz 4: Applications of Behaviorist Principles

Which one of the following is an example of reinforcing an incompatible behavior as a way of eliminating an undesirable behavior?

If you wanted to encourage kindergartners to delay gratification, research indicates that an effective strategy would be to:

Which one of the following statements best characterizes how reinforcement of incompatible behavior can help reduce people's inappropriate behaviors?

Ms. Delahanty has several students who are chronic misbehavers. She meets individually with each student, and together the teacher and student agree to a plan for improving the student's behavior and a suitable reinforcement for appropriate behavior change. Ms. Delahanty is using:

An essential element of a contingency contract in the classroom is that:

If you were to apply the concept of terminal behavior in teaching a lesson, which one of these things would you do?

Three of the following common criticisms of using behaviorist approaches in the classroom are valid ones. Which one usually is not true about behaviorist approaches?

In Mr. Greene's third-grade class, math problems are easy enough that students always solve them quickly and correctly. From the textbook's perspective, is this a good situation? Why or why not?

Teachers and other practitioners must be very careful in their use of punishment as a means of changing behavior. Three of the following are potential disadvantages in using punishment. Which statement about punishment is false?

Which one of the following examples best illustrates the concept of baseline as behaviorists use the term?

B. F. Skinner has criticized traditional educational practices for: