Question 1

In order to demonstrate the extent to which classical conditioning can be a factor in the development of a serious phobia, John Watson and Rosalie Raynor conducted a study where ______.

Accepted Answer

John Watson and Rosalie Raynor famously conditioned a young boy named Little Albert to fear a white rat by pairing the presentation of the rat with a loud, jarring noise. This study demonstrated how classical conditioning can lead to the development of even severe phobias.

Question 2

What is a key distinction between classical conditioning and operant conditioning?

Accepted Answer

The key distinction between classical conditioning and operant conditioning is that classical conditioning generally works best with involuntary, reflexive behaviors such as salivation or fear responses, while operant conditioning involves voluntary behaviors such as pressing a lever or speaking. Classical conditioning leads to a relatively temporary behavioral change, while operant conditioning leads to a relatively permanent behavioral change.

Question 3

A modified cage containing levers or buttons that can be pressed or pecked by animals and is used to investigate operant conditioning is referred to as a ____.

Accepted Answer

A Skinner box, also known as an operant conditioning chamber, is a modified cage that contains levers or buttons that animals can press or peck to investigate operant conditioning. The experimenter can manipulate the consequences of the animal's behavior to promote or discourage the repetition of the behavior in the future. Puzzle boxes and pigeon chambers are not specifically designed for operant conditioning research. Sequential conditioning chambers do not exist as a commonly used term in the field of animal learning and behavior.

Question 4

What is true of latent inhibition?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is true of latent inhibition?
...

Question 5

Tim, who suffers from alcoholism, is prescribed disulfiram by his doctor to help him halt his alcohol consumption. Disulfiram works by causing unpleasant physiological effects when even small amounts of alcohol are consumed. This type of treatment is best described as ____.

Accepted Answer

Counterconditioning is a type of behavioral therapy that aims to replace an unwanted response (such as drinking alcohol) with a more desirable one (such as abstaining from alcohol). In this case, disulfiram is used to elicit unpleasant physical effects whenever alcohol is consumed, which serves as a deterrent to Tim's drinking.

Question 6

Counterconditioning in which people relax while being exposed to stimuli that elicit fear is referred to as ____.

Accepted Answer

Systematic desensitization is a type of counterconditioning where individuals relax while being gradually exposed to stimuli that elicit fear until the fear response is extinguished. Higher order conditioning refers to the process by which a neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus through association with an already established conditioned stimulus. Habituation is when the response to a certain stimulus weakens over time due to repeated exposure. Latent inhibition is the observation that it is more difficult for a new stimulus to become associated with an already established conditioned stimulus than with a neutral stimulus.

Question 7

According to Rescorla and Wagner, the association between a conditioned stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus is strongest when the association is ____.

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to Rescorla and Wagner, the association...

Question 8

Dr. Martinez is a psychologist who uses systematic desensitization to help his client, Catherine, address her extreme fear of heights. What technique is Eduardo likely to use?

Accepted Answer

Eduardo is likely to use systematic desensitization, which involves gradually exposing the client to the feared stimulus while they are in a relaxed state. This helps the client to learn to associate the stimulus with relaxation rather than fear.

Question 9

In Garcia and Koelling's taste aversion study, why were the rats unable to associate a bright-noisy stimulus with feeling ill?

Accepted Answer

The rats in Garcia and Koelling's study were not able to associate a bright-noisy stimulus with feeling ill because they relied more on taste and smell rather than vision and hearing for identifying food. This is known as the "biology preparedness" theory, which states that certain associations are easier for animals to learn based on their evolutionary history and biological constraints. In the case of the rats in this study, they were more prepared to make associations between taste and feeling ill (as they would in the wild with potentially toxic food) rather than visual or auditory stimuli.

Question 10

Ira has a problem where he tends to speak without thinking, and this has caused him to lose friend and to damage relationships at work. To reduce the frequency of this behavior, Ira wears a rubber band that fit loosely around his wrist .Whenever he begins to speak without thinking, he "snaps" himself with the rubber band just hard enough to sting a little bit. This is an example of ______ therapy.

Accepted Answer

This is an example of aversion therapy, where an unpleasant stimulus (the sting from the rubber band) is used to reduce an undesirable behavior (speaking without thinking).

Question 11

When he was 9 years old, Mike tried shrimp for the first time but fell very ill shortly thereafter. Within a few hours he was vomiting and was sick for the rest of the night. Now, years later, Mike cannot bring himself to eat shrimp. This is an example of ____.

Accepted Answer

This is an example of classical conditioning, where the pairing of an unconditioned response (getting sick) with a neutral stimulus (shrimp) leads to a conditioned response (aversion to shrimp).

Question 12

What is a key distinction between classical conditioning and operant conditioning?

Accepted Answer

Classical conditioning involves making an association between a previously neutral stimulus (such as the sound of a bell) and a naturally occurring stimulus (such as the taste of food). On the other hand, operant conditioning involves learning associations between behaviors and their consequences – for example, rats learning to press a lever to receive a food reward.

Question 13

Which of the following statements describes a belief of the early behaviorists?

Accepted Answer

Early behaviorists believed in the concept of stimulus-response, which suggests that behavior can be understood by studying the stimulus that precedes it and the response that follows it. This approach assumes that the same general laws govern behavior in all organisms, and consequently, behavior can be studied in animal models to understand human behavior.

Question 14

Thorndike's law of effect states that behavior is ____.

Accepted Answer

Thorndike's law of effect states that behavior is "stamped into" an animal relative to the consequences of the behavior. In other words, if a behavior is followed by a positive consequence, such as a reward, it is more likely to be repeated in the future. Conversely, if a behavior is followed by a negative consequence, such as punishment, it is less likely to be repeated in the future. This principle has been shown to apply to a variety of organisms, including humans.

Question 15

As a gate creaks open, Oscar the puppy notices a cat heading into his yard. The cat hisses and scratches Oscar on the nose, causing Oscar to yelp in pain. Which outcome to this scenario portrays higher order conditioning?

Accepted Answer

The answer of As a gate creaks open, Oscar the...

Question 16

At dinner Candace eats several familiar foods (pasta, salad, bread)and an unfamiliar food (mussels). Later that evening she suffers abdominal discomfort. She attributes this to the mussels, but later learns that she had developed a sensitivity to gluten. Her misattribution of the problem to the mussels is likely due to ____.

Accepted Answer

Latent inhibition refers to the phenomenon where familiar stimuli take longer to acquire meaning (such as being associated with a negative outcome) compared to unfamiliar stimuli. Candace's familiarity with pasta, salad, and bread makes her less likely to associate them with her discomfort, leading her to incorrectly attribute it to the unfamiliar mussels.

Question 17

Based on the findings of Garcia and Koelling, which type of stimuli would be most effective for training birds? ​

Accepted Answer

Garcia and Koelling's research on taste aversion and stimulus relevance suggests that birds, which rely heavily on sight for foraging, are more effectively trained using visual stimuli.

Question 18

What was a key implication of Garcia and Koelling's classic taste aversion studies?

Accepted Answer

Garcia and Koelling's classic taste aversion studies demonstrated that different species have unique biological predispositions that affect the learning of associations between specific stimuli and consequences. This challenged the previous assumption that all animals are equally susceptible to classical conditioning and highlighted the importance of considering species-specific factors in learning and behavior.

Question 19

Learning in which stimuli associated with a conditioned stimulus also elicit conditioned responding is called ____.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Learning in which stimuli associated with a...

Question 20

As a gate creaks open, Oscar the puppy notices a cat heading into his yard. The cat hisses and scratches Oscar on the nose, causing Oscar to yelp in pain. Which outcome to this scenario portrays discrimination?

Accepted Answer

The answer of As a gate creaks open, Oscar the...

Quiz 8: The Adaptive Mind: Learning

In order to demonstrate the extent to which classical conditioning can be a factor in the development of a serious phobia, John Watson and Rosalie Raynor conducted a study where ______.

What is a key distinction between classical conditioning and operant conditioning?

A modified cage containing levers or buttons that can be pressed or pecked by animals and is used to investigate operant conditioning is referred to as a ____.

What is true of latent inhibition?

Tim, who suffers from alcoholism, is prescribed disulfiram by his doctor to help him halt his alcohol consumption. Disulfiram works by causing unpleasant physiological effects when even small amounts of alcohol are consumed. This type of treatment is best described as ____.

Counterconditioning in which people relax while being exposed to stimuli that elicit fear is referred to as ____.

According to Rescorla and Wagner, the association between a conditioned stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus is strongest when the association is ____.

Dr. Martinez is a psychologist who uses systematic desensitization to help his client, Catherine, address her extreme fear of heights. What technique is Eduardo likely to use?

In Garcia and Koelling's taste aversion study, why were the rats unable to associate a bright-noisy stimulus with feeling ill?

When he was 9 years old, Mike tried shrimp for the first time but fell very ill shortly thereafter. Within a few hours he was vomiting and was sick for the rest of the night. Now, years later, Mike cannot bring himself to eat shrimp. This is an example of ____.

What is a key distinction between classical conditioning and operant conditioning?

Which of the following statements describes a belief of the early behaviorists?

Thorndike's law of effect states that behavior is ____.

As a gate creaks open, Oscar the puppy notices a cat heading into his yard. The cat hisses and scratches Oscar on the nose, causing Oscar to yelp in pain. Which outcome to this scenario portrays higher order conditioning?

Based on the findings of Garcia and Koelling, which type of stimuli would be most effective for training birds? ​

What was a key implication of Garcia and Koelling's classic taste aversion studies?

Learning in which stimuli associated with a conditioned stimulus also elicit conditioned responding is called ____.

As a gate creaks open, Oscar the puppy notices a cat heading into his yard. The cat hisses and scratches Oscar on the nose, causing Oscar to yelp in pain. Which outcome to this scenario portrays discrimination?

Based on the findings of Garcia and Koelling, which type of stimuli would be most effective for training birds?