Question 1

Maynard is learning to put on his socks. His father reinforces him when he first grasps his  sock with both hands. He is then reinforced for placing the sock on his toes, then his foot, and finally when he pulls it up his calf. What principle is his father employing?

Accepted Answer

Shaping is the process of reinforcing successive approximations to a desired behavior. Maynard's father is reinforcing closer and closer steps to the final goal of putting on a sock, which is a classic example of shaping.

Question 2

Murphy is learning how to obtain his teacher's attention. He can either raise his hand, write her a note, yell out, or walk up to her desk. What are all the behaviors that result in Murphy obtaining his teacher's attention called?

Accepted Answer

The behaviors that result in Murphy obtaining his teacher's attention (raising his hand, writing a note, yelling out, or walking up to her desk) are all different responses that achieve the same outcome. These are collectively referred to as a response class, as they are a group of responses that serve the same function or result in the same effect.

Question 3

Deprivation refers to:

Accepted Answer

Deprivation increases the effectiveness of a reinforcer by withholding access to it for a period of time, making the subject more likely to engage in behaviors that have previously been associated with accessing that reinforcer.

Question 4

Stimulus control refers to:

Accepted Answer

Stimulus control refers to the influence of antecedent stimuli over behavior, meaning it involves any antecedent stimuli that can alter a response. This is distinct from consequences of behavior, which are not antecedent stimuli.

Question 5

Fading refers to the gradual change of the stimulus controlling a response such that the response eventually occurs for a partially or completely changed stimulus.

Accepted Answer

Fading in behavior modification is a process where the initial prompting to perform a behavior is gradually reduced until the prompting is no longer needed, and the behavior is performed in response to the changed or faded stimulus.

Question 6

The buzzer that goes off in your car until you put your seat belt on is an example of:

Accepted Answer

The answer of The buzzer that goes off in your...

Question 7

Melvin's parents have been ignoring his crying when he is put to bed. Melvin has gone five nights without crying. However, on the sixth night he begins to cry when put to bed. What principle may be responsible for Melvin's crying reappearing?

Accepted Answer

Melvin's crying reappearing after a period of absence is an example of spontaneous recovery, a phenomenon in classical conditioning where a previously extinguished response reemerges after a rest period.

Question 8

A response whose frequency has been increased through positive reinforcement is said to have been conditioned.

Accepted Answer

Positive reinforcement involves the addition of a reinforcing stimulus following a behavior that makes it more likely that the behavior will occur again in the future, thus conditioning the response by increasing its frequency.

Question 9

Forgetting refers to:

Accepted Answer

Forgetting is often attributed to the passage of time, which can prevent a previously learned response from occurring due to the decay of the memory trace or interference from other information.

Question 10

In backward chaining, the terminal response in the chain is conditioned first.

Accepted Answer

Backward chaining involves starting with the final behavior in a sequence and working backwards, reinforcing each preceding behavior until the initial behavior is learned.

Question 11

For maximum effectiveness, a reinforcer should be given shortly after the desired response occurs.

Accepted Answer

The answer of For maximum effectiveness, a reinforcer should be...

Question 12

Response differentiation refers to:

Accepted Answer

The answer of Response differentiation refers to:
...

Question 13

Jeffery is having fun at a party. He is supposed to be home at midnight. Although he'd like to stay longer, he can't stand the thought of being yelled at by his father, so he comes home on time. What principle is in effect?

Accepted Answer

Avoidance conditioning is in effect because Jeffery is coming home on time to avoid the negative consequence of being yelled at by his father.

Question 14

Superstitious behavior refers to:

Accepted Answer

Superstitious behavior occurs when a positive reinforcer and a response are inadvertently associated together, leading an individual to believe that their action directly caused the positive outcome, even if there is no causal relationship. This is a result of accidental or coincidental reinforcement.

Question 15

Stimulus generalization occurs when:

Accepted Answer

Stimulus generalization occurs when an individual responds in a similar manner to different, but related, stimuli. This means that the response learned from one stimulus is generalized to other stimuli that are similar in some way to the original stimulus.

Question 16

Ratio strain will occur when too much reinforcement is delivered too quickly.

Accepted Answer

Ratio strain occurs when the requirements for reinforcement are increased too rapidly, making the task too difficult, not when too much reinforcement is delivered too quickly.

Question 17

Positive reinforcement refers to:

Accepted Answer

Positive reinforcement involves presenting a stimulus after a behavior that increases the likelihood of the behavior being repeated in the future.

Question 18

Explain the term avoidance conditioning and how it relates to student behavior.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain the term avoidance conditioning and how...

Question 19

Martha keeps bugging her mom to buy her some gum while they are standing in line at the  grocery store. Her mom does not appear to hear her. What principle is her mom employing?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Martha keeps bugging her mom to buy...

Question 20

Rubbing two sticks together to make fire or burning a hole in a leaf with a magnifying glass are examples of which schedule of reinforcement?

Accepted Answer

Variable interval schedules of reinforcement involve providing a reinforcer after a varying amount of time has passed since the last reinforcer was given. Rubbing two sticks together to make fire or burning a hole in a leaf with a magnifying glass are both examples of variable interval schedules of reinforcement because the time between reinforcements (i.e., the time it takes to create fire or burn a hole) varies.

Quiz 4: Basic Principles of Behavior

Maynard is learning to put on his socks. His father reinforces him when he first grasps his sock with both hands. He is then reinforced for placing the sock on his toes, then his foot, and finally when he pulls it up his calf. What principle is his father employing?