Question 1

The earliest examples of classical conditioning were experiments by Thorndike.

Accepted Answer

The earliest examples of classical conditioning were experiments by Ivan Pavlov, not Edward Thorndike. Pavlov's work involved conditioning dogs to salivate at the sound of a bell.

Question 2

The balanced Latin square design is the only counterbalancing scheme in which each condition precedes and follows every other condition equally often.

Accepted Answer

The balanced Latin square design ensures that each condition appears in each position and precedes and follows every other condition an equal number of times, making it unique in achieving this level of counterbalancing.

Question 3

In animal research, the split-litter technique is used for random-groups designs.

Accepted Answer

The split-litter technique is used for matched-groups designs, not random-groups designs, as it involves dividing littermates into different treatment groups to control for genetic and environmental variables.

Question 4

Within-subjects designs are usually less sensitive than between-subjects designs in detecting small differences between conditions on the dependent variable.

Accepted Answer

Within-subjects designs are usually more sensitive than between-subjects designs in detecting small differences between conditions on the dependent variable because they control for individual differences among participants, reducing variability and increasing statistical power.

Question 5

Dependent variables commonly used in animal learning research include frequency of responding, latency of responding, and amplitude of the response.

Accepted Answer

These are indeed common dependent variables in animal learning research as they provide measurable outcomes of the animal's behavior in response to various stimuli or conditions, allowing researchers to assess learning and performance.

Question 6

Classical conditioning refers to an elevation in the amplitude of the conditioned response that is due to the association between the CS and US.

Accepted Answer

Classical conditioning involves learning through association, where a neutral stimulus (CS) becomes associated with an unconditioned stimulus (US), leading to an increased conditioned response.

Question 7

A between-subjects design with human participants can be less sensitive than a between-subjects design with animals because it is easier to match animal participants on relevant variables than it is to match human participants.

Accepted Answer

In a between-subjects design, matching participants on relevant variables is crucial for reducing variability and increasing the sensitivity of the experiment to detect differences between groups. It is generally easier to control or match for variables such as age, genetic background, and environmental conditions in animal participants than in human participants, where genetic diversity, environmental influences, and ethical considerations introduce more variability and make matching more challenging.

Question 8

A balanced Latin square design ensures that each testing condition is followed and preceded equally often by every other condition.

Accepted Answer

In a balanced Latin square design, each condition appears exactly once in each row and column, ensuring that every condition precedes and follows each other condition an equal number of times, thus maintaining balance and controlling for order effects.

Question 9

A random-groups design refers to the situation when participants are assigned randomly to between-subjects conditions.

Accepted Answer

In a random-groups design, also known as a between-subjects design, participants are randomly assigned to different groups or conditions, ensuring that each group is comparable and reducing the influence of confounding variables.

Question 10

Applying a shock after an animal has produced an undesirable behavior is an example of negative reinforcement.

Accepted Answer

Applying a shock after an undesirable behavior is an example of positive punishment, not negative reinforcement. Negative reinforcement involves removing an unpleasant stimulus to increase the likelihood of a behavior.

Question 11

Resistance to extinction is a basic measure of the effectiveness of some independent variable on learning.

Accepted Answer

Resistance to extinction is used to assess how well a behavior has been learned under certain conditions, indicating the effectiveness of the independent variable (such as a type of reinforcement) on the learning process.

Question 12

Classical and instrumental conditioning are usually seen as obeying the same principles.

Accepted Answer

Classical and instrumental conditioning are based on different principles; classical conditioning involves associating an involuntary response with a stimulus, while instrumental conditioning involves associating a voluntary behavior with a consequence.

Question 13

In a between-subjects design, each participant receives all levels of the independent
variable.

Accepted Answer

In a between-subjects design, each participant is exposed to only one level of the independent variable, not all levels.

Question 14

Fatigue and practice effects are more serious for between-subjects designs than for within-subjects designs.

Accepted Answer

In within-subjects designs, participants are exposed to all conditions of the experiment, which can lead to fatigue and practice effects as they undergo multiple treatments. In between-subjects designs, each participant is exposed to only one condition, reducing the risk of these effects.

Question 15

Within-subjects designs are always preferable over between-subjects designs.

Accepted Answer

Within-subjects designs have advantages, such as requiring fewer participants and controlling for individual differences, but they are not always preferable because they can introduce carryover effects and are not suitable for all types of research questions. Between-subjects designs eliminate carryover effects and are better for studying effects that cannot be reversed or when the same participants cannot be used for all conditions.

Question 16

In a smaller design, a few subjects are intensely analyzed.

Accepted Answer

In smaller designs, often seen in qualitative research, a limited number of subjects are studied in great detail to gain deep insights.

Question 17

Applying a shock after an animal has produced an undesirable behavior is an example of punishment.

Accepted Answer

Applying a shock after an undesirable behavior is a form of punishment intended to decrease the likelihood of that behavior occurring again in the future.

Question 18

Disadvantages of using a between-subjects design are treatment order effect cannot be controlled and more participants are usually required.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Disadvantages of using a between-subjects design are...

Question 19

The active retrieval that helps learning is called the testing effect.

Accepted Answer

The testing effect refers to the phenomenon where long-term memory is enhanced when some of the learning period is devoted to retrieving the to-be-remembered information through testing with proper feedback.

Question 20

In respondent conditioning, the experimenter waits until the animal makes the desired response and then rewards it.

Accepted Answer

In respondent conditioning, also known as classical conditioning, the focus is on associating a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus to elicit a conditioned response, not on rewarding a behavior after it is performed.

Quiz 9: Learning and Conditioning