Question 1

Which process best illustrates the effect of developmental stages on the interaction between instinct and learning?

Accepted Answer

Imprinting is a process that occurs at a specific stage in an animal's development, where it forms attachments and learns certain behaviors instinctively. This process illustrates how developmental stages can affect the interaction between instinct and learning, as it can only occur during a critical period shortly after birth or hatching.

Question 2

Which of the following processes is defined as a relatively permanent change in behavior due to experience?

Accepted Answer

Learning is defined as a relatively permanent change in behavior due to experience, distinguishing it from innate behaviors or reflexes that are not acquired through experience.

Question 3

Learning is traditionally divided into three categories: associative, nonassociative, and

Accepted Answer

D

Question 4

What distinguishes a reflex from an instinct?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What distinguishes a reflex from an instinct?
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Question 5

Why is the process of sensitization advantageous?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Why is the process of sensitization advantageous?
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Question 6

The process of associating a behavior with its consequences is known as

Accepted Answer

Operant conditioning is the learning process by which behaviors are encouraged or discouraged through rewards and punishments, thus associating a behavior with its consequences.

Question 7

Learning that involves changes in the magnitude of responses to a specific stimulus without forming connections between stimuli is referred to as _____ learning.

Accepted Answer

Nonassociative learning involves changes in the strength of responses to a single stimulus rather than forming associations between stimuli. This can be seen in habituation and sensitization processes.

Question 8

An inborn pattern of behavior elicited by environmental stimuli is known as

Accepted Answer

An instinct is a natural, inborn pattern of behavior that is elicited by certain environmental stimuli. Associative learning involves forming associations between two stimuli or between a behavior and a consequence. A reflex is an automatic, involuntary response to a stimulus, while imitation involves copying the behavior of another individual.

Question 9

Which of the following is a primary advantage of observational learning?

Accepted Answer

Observational learning allows individuals to learn and transmit behaviors, skills, and traditions across generations, which is crucial for the cultural and social development within families and societies. This process enables the accumulation and dissemination of knowledge without the need for direct experience or instruction.

Question 10

An environmental cue or event whose significance is learned is referred to as a(n)

Accepted Answer

A conditioned stimulus is an environmental cue or event that has acquired significance through learning. It is typically associated with the unconditioned stimulus to produce a specific behavioral response. The other choices of unconditioned stimulus, characteristic stimulus, and uncharacteristic stimulus do not fully capture the idea of a learned environmental cue or event.

Question 11

Inevitable, involuntary responses to stimuli that are primarily controlled by circuits located in the spinal cord and brainstem are referred to as

Accepted Answer

Involuntary responses controlled by circuits in the spinal cord and brainstem are reflexes. Behaviors, habits, and instincts may also involve involuntary responses, but they are not necessarily controlled by these lower-level circuits.

Question 12

The formation of associations between two stimuli, which occur sequentially in time, is referred to as

Accepted Answer

The question describes the process of classical conditioning, in which an association is formed between two stimuli that occur sequentially in time. Operant conditioning involves learning through consequences and behavior-reward associations, while observational conditioning refers to learning by observing others' behavior. There is no such term as "associative conditioning."

Question 13

Which of the following is an example of nonassociative learning?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following is an example...

Question 14

Sara allows her dog, Isabel, to run freely at a local dog park. When a truck drives by and its engine backfires loudly, Isabel quickly jumps up on her hind legs and barks loudly. Isabel's response illustrates

Accepted Answer

Isabel's response to the loud noise is an involuntary, automatic reaction, which is characteristic of a reflex.

Question 15

Aiden and Rey live next to a busy highway. When they first moved, it was difficult to sleep with the noise of the traffic, but now they don't seem to notice, which is the result of

Accepted Answer

Habituation is the process by which an individual becomes accustomed to a stimulus after repeated exposure, leading to a decrease in response. Aiden and Rey getting used to the noise of the traffic and no longer noticing it is an example of habituation.

Question 16

As Freddy speeds down Elm Street, he suddenly slams on his brakes to avoid a collision with another car. Freddy's response is an example of a(n)

Accepted Answer

Freddy's response to slam on his brakes shows that he has learned this behavior through previous experiences or training, making it a learned behavior. It is not a reflex because he had to make a conscious decision to press the brakes, and it is not a variable pattern response or instinct as those involve more complex and pre-programmed actions that are not specific to the situation at hand.

Question 17

If people are continuously exposed to an unchanging stimulus that they know will not cause them harm, they will be most likely to

Accepted Answer

The concept described in the question is habituation, which refers to the decreasing responsiveness of an organism to a repeated, unchanging stimulus that is known to be harmless. In this case, the people are exposed to an unchanging stimulus and know that it will not cause them harm. Therefore, over time, they will habituate to the stimulus and become less responsive to it. Tolerating the stimulus or controlling their reflexes may be secondary outcomes of habituation, but the primary process at work here is habituation, making option D the best choice. Forming an association with the stimulus is more likely to occur when the stimulus is novel or potentially harmful, so option C is not a good fit for the described scenario.

Question 18

Which of the following behavioral changes best illustrates the process of learning?

Accepted Answer

Claire's behavior of practicing treading water in order to be allowed to swim in her grandmother's pool demonstrates the process of learning. She is modifying her behavior in response to a given situation in order to achieve a desired outcome, which is a key aspect of learning. The other options describe either innate or automatic physiological responses rather than learned behavior.

Question 19

Which process gives organisms the flexibility to survive in a changing world?

Accepted Answer

Learning allows organisms to adapt and change their behavior based on new information and experiences, allowing them to survive in a changing world. Instincts, reflexes, and variable action patterns may provide some initial responses, but they do not provide the long-term flexibility and adaptability that learning does.

Question 20

Why does associative learning provide an enormous survival advantage?

Accepted Answer

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Quiz 8: The Adaptive Mind Learning