Question 1

What did the observational learning psychologists add to Skinner's learning theory?

Accepted Answer

Observational learning psychologists, such as Albert Bandura, added the influence of cognitive processes to Skinner's learning theory. They highlighted the importance of mental processes such as attention, retention, and motivation in learning and behavior. They also emphasized the role of observing and imitating others in the acquisition of new behaviors.

Question 2

One problem with token economies is that

Accepted Answer

Token economies rely on the use of tokens as a form of reward for desired behaviour. However, if the tokens are discontinued, the learned behaviour may also stop. This can be problematic if the desired behaviour needs to persist even without the reward system in place.

Question 3

Which of the following is descriptive of operant conditioning?

Accepted Answer

Operant conditioning involves forming an association between a behavior and its consequence, such as a reward or punishment. The subject actively engages in the behavior in order to achieve the desired outcome.

Question 4

Acquiring new forms of behaviour by watching and imitating others is called observational learning or

Accepted Answer

Observational learning is also known as modelling, where an individual acquires new behaviour by imitating others. A is incorrect as operant conditioning involves learning through consequences of behaviour, B is incorrect as latent learning involves learning that is not immediately expressed in behaviour, and C is incorrect as learning by insight involves sudden comprehension or understanding.

Question 5

Learning to perform a behaviour because it terminates an aversive event is called ________ learning, and it reflects the power of ________ reinforcement.

Accepted Answer

Escape learning is the type of learning where a behavior is learned to terminate an aversive event or stimulus. Negative reinforcement is the removal of an aversive stimulus which increases the likelihood of a behavior to occur again in the future. Therefore, escape learning reflects the power of negative reinforcement.

Question 6

Observational learning can be used for all of the following, except

Accepted Answer

Observational learning is a type of learning that occurs as a result of observing the behavior of others. It can be used for strengthening, weakening, and acquiring new responses, but it does not involve monitoring internal responses (such as heart rate or blood pressure). So, the correct answer is D.

Question 7

Operant conditioning is to ________ subjects as classical conditioning is to ________ subjects.

Accepted Answer

Operant conditioning involves the subject actively responding to environmental stimuli, such as performing a behavior to receive a reward or punishment. Classical conditioning, on the other hand, involves the subject forming a passive association between a neutral stimulus and a reflex response. Therefore, choice D is the best answer as it correctly identifies operant conditioning as being related to active subjects and classical conditioning as being related to passive subjects.

Question 8

Which researcher is associated with the subject of observational learning?

Accepted Answer

Albert Bandura is the researcher associated with the subject of observational learning, which emphasizes that individuals can learn by observing the behavior of others and the consequences of that behavior.

Question 9

The purpose of a time out in behaviour modification programs is to

Accepted Answer

Time outs are used in behaviour modification programs to remove a child from sources of positive reinforcement, such as attention or access to toys, for a short period of time following inappropriate behaviour. This is done in order to decrease the likelihood of that behaviour being repeated in the future. Option A is incorrect because the main purpose of a time out is not to give other children a break, but rather to modify the behaviour of the child who acted inappropriately. Option C is partially correct, but the main goal of a time out is not to allow the child to "consider" their behaviour, but rather to remove them from potential sources of reinforcement. Option D may sometimes be the case, but it is not the primary purpose of a time out.

Question 10

Classical conditioning is to ________ responses as operant conditioning is to ________ responses.

Accepted Answer

Classical conditioning involves learning through association, leading to involuntary responses (e.g., Pavlov's dogs salivating at the sound of a bell). Operant conditioning involves learning through consequences (rewards or punishments), leading to voluntary responses (e.g., a rat pressing a lever to receive food).

Question 11

Which of the following is true of a token economy?

Accepted Answer

In a token economy program, individuals must know in advance what type of behavior will be reinforced with tokens. This helps to establish clear expectations and ensure reinforcement is consistent. Option B is incorrect as token economies aim to increase desirable behavior by reinforcing it with tokens, not by punishing undesirable behavior. Option C is incorrect as tokens need to be exchanged for some type of reward or privilege to be reinforcing. Option D is incorrect as token economies have been successfully used with individuals of different ages and populations, not just children.

Question 12

A system of behaviour change that reinforces desirable behaviour with coupons that can be exchanged at a later time for goods or privileges is known as

Accepted Answer

The system of behaviour change described, in which desirable behaviour is reinforced with coupons or tokens that can be exchanged for goods or privileges at a later time, is known as a token economy. Option A, the prison system, is not a behaviour change system per se, but rather a system of incarceration intended for punishment, rehabilitation or deterrence. Option B, instrumental conditioning, does involve reinforcement of behaviour, but it does not involve the specific use of coupons or tokens. Option D, time out, involves removing a person from a situation or environment in which they are exhibiting undesirable behaviour, rather than specifically reinforcing desirable behaviour with tokens or coupons.

Question 13

Josie grew up in an abusive home with a very domineering father who punished her severely whenever she tried to argue with him. As an adult in a relationship, she finds it impossible to disagree with her partner. She may be experiencing

Accepted Answer

Josie's behavior of avoiding conflict and not disagreeing with her partner is a learned behavior from her past experiences with her abusive father. This pattern of behavior is associated with learned helplessness, where an individual feels unable to change or control their situation, and therefore they give up trying to do so.

Question 14

One account of why poverty is so difficult to overcome suggests that people living in poverty have given up, perceiving that their condition is inescapable. This explanation sounds most like

Accepted Answer

This account suggests that people in poverty have learned to be helpless, perceiving that their condition is out of their control and cannot be changed. This is similar to the concept of learned helplessness in psychology.

Question 15

The passive resignation to aversive conditions learned by repeated exposure to inescapable aversive events is called

Accepted Answer

The term that best fits the description is "learned helplessness," which refers to the passive resignation to aversive conditions learned by repeated exposure to inescapable aversive events. Option B, the partial-reinforcement effect, refers to the phenomenon of behavior becoming more resistant to extinction when it is reinforced only intermittently, rather than every time it occurs. Option C, avoidance learning, refers to a type of classical or operant conditioning in which an organism learns to avoid or escape from an aversive stimulus by performing a specific behavior. Option D, the magnitude of punishment effect, refers to the idea that the effectiveness of punishment in modifying behavior depends on the severity or intensity of the punishment. None of these options accurately describes the phenomenon of learned helplessness.

Question 16

In Overmeier and Seligman's experiment on learned helplessness, the dogs in the control group

Accepted Answer

The control group in Overmeier and Seligman's experiment did not receive any shocks, therefore they did not need to learn to escape them. However, when given the opportunity, they were able to jump over the barrier to the safe area of the cage.

Question 17

The systematic use of learning principles to change behaviour is called

Accepted Answer

Behaviour modification is the deliberate and systematic application of learning principles to change behaviour. Counselling may or may not involve the use of learning principles, and education and biofeedback are not necessarily focused on changing behaviour.

Question 18

In observational learning, the person who demonstrates a behaviour or whose behaviour is imitated is called the

Accepted Answer

In observational learning, the person who demonstrates a behaviour or whose behaviour is imitated is called the model. The trainer or therapist may also be involved in the process of observational learning, but the model is specifically the individual whose behaviour is being observed and imitated. The observed may refer to the person who is doing the observing, but it does not specifically refer to the person whose behaviour is being imitated.

Question 19

Which of the following statements about the token economy is not true?

Accepted Answer

The token economy is based on operant conditioning principles, not classical conditioning principles. Classical conditioning involves learning associations between stimuli, while operant conditioning involves learning associations between behaviours and their consequences.

Question 20

A negative impact of a token economy program could be

Accepted Answer

Token economy programs rely on the reinforcement of positive behavior through the use of tokens. The negative impact of this is that when the reward is no longer given, the positive behavior may disappear. This is because the behavior was only occurring to receive the token, not because it was intrinsically motivated. This can create a dependence on the token system and the positive behavior may not generalize to other settings or situations.

Quiz 5: Learning