Question 1

The ________ principle, which delays a desired reward until a less desirable activity is completed, can be useful for parents who want their children to complete certain unpleasant tasks.

Accepted Answer

The Premack Principle states that a high probability behavior can be used to reinforce a low probability behavior. In other words, a reward or desired activity is delayed until a less desirable activity is completed. This can be useful for parents who want their children to complete certain unpleasant tasks, such as doing homework before playing video games. None of the other answer choices are related to this principle.

Question 2

A procedure called desensitization utilizes the learning principle of ________ to help people overcome a phobia.

Accepted Answer

Desensitization is a type of exposure therapy that involves gradually exposing the person to the feared object or situation while teaching them relaxation techniques, leading to the eventual extinction of their conditioned fear response. Therefore, the learning principle utilized is extinction.

Question 3

________ is an observable behavior that an organism uses to have an effect on the surrounding environment.

Accepted Answer

The definition provided specifically describes an operant behavior, which is a behavior that an organism uses to have an effect on the surrounding environment in order to obtain reinforcement or avoid punishment. The other options are not accurate descriptions of this type of behavior. A punisher is a consequence that decreases the likelihood of a behavior being repeated, a reinforcer is a consequence that increases the likelihood of a behavior being repeated, a discriminative stimulus is a cue that signals the availability of reinforcement or punishment, and a reflex is an involuntary and automatic response to a stimulus.

Question 4

A research study by Barlett and others (2009) examined how students behaved when playing a violent video game (Mortal Kombat) or a nonviolent game. They found that students who played the violent game were willing to do which of the following?

Accepted Answer

The research study by Barlett and others (2009) found that students who played the violent video game (Mortal Kombat) were more willing to force others to swallow larger amounts of hot sauce, which was used as a measure of aggressive behavior in the experimental setting.

Question 5

Rhesus monkeys raised in a laboratory may not have early wild exposure that will teach them to be adaptively afraid of predators, such as snakes. Galef and Laland (2005) found that the monkeys did learn this behavior when

Accepted Answer

Galef and Laland (2005) found that rhesus monkeys could learn to be afraid of snakes through social learning, such as observing the behavior of other monkeys. In this case, showing a video of a wild rhesus monkey being afraid of a snake allowed the laboratory-raised monkeys to learn this adaptive fear, demonstrating the power of observational learning in acquiring survival behaviors.

Question 6

Gertrude is about to start undergoing chemotherapy for colon cancer, and her husband is concerned that the side effects will cause her to develop a conditioned taste aversion to her favorite foods. What would be the best advice for Gertrude to avoid this outcome?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Gertrude is about to start undergoing chemotherapy...

Question 7

What kind of psychologists would be most interested in latent learning (learning that does not show itself until a later time) or insight learning (learning that shows up in an immediate aha moment)?

Accepted Answer

Cognitive psychologists are most interested in understanding mental processes that contribute to learning, such as attention, perception, memory, and problem-solving. Both latent learning and insight learning involve mental processes and may require restructuring of existing knowledge or the creation of new connections between concepts, which aligns with the focus of cognitive psychology. Behaviorists, on the other hand, are more interested in observable behavior and would be less concerned with learning that does not produce immediate changes in behavior. Psychodynamic psychologists and humanists would likely be more interested in personality and emotions than in learning, which is the main focus of latent and insight learning research. Functionalists might be interested in how learning contributes to an organism's ability to adapt and function in its environment, but this perspective predates the specific focus on cognition and mental processes that characterizes modern cognitive psychology.

Question 8

Mariposa is very concerned that her children's high school is misallocating their funds and not providing the newest textbooks and technologies for their children. If she really wants to get other parents in the neighborhood to share her concern and take action, what should she do?

Accepted Answer

Having conversations with other parents is the best way to share concerns and gather support. It allows for more personal and meaningful communication and also opens up the opportunity for brainstorming and organizing potential actions. Other options such as advertisements and flyers may not reach all parents and may be seen as impersonal. Sending emails and having children talk to their peers can be helpful as well, but they may not reach all parents and may not be as effective in gathering support.

Question 9

Why is it ironic that Ivan Pavlov's discovery was one of the most important in psychology's focus on learning?

Accepted Answer

Pavlov had little regard for the psychological models of his time, focusing instead on physiology, yet his work became foundational in psychology.

Question 10

Clinicians working in a variety of settings, particularly inpatient facilities, have long known the value of token economies in helping patients demonstrate more appropriate behaviors. Most recently, token economies have been used effectively in the treatment of

Accepted Answer

Token economies have been used effectively in the treatment of autism.

Quiz 4: Learning and Human Nurture