Question 1

Shaping depends on which of the following?
A)the variability of behavior
B)nonreinforcement of the target response
C)continued reinforcement of early response forms
D)delivering the reinforcer only for responses that exceed any previous response

Accepted Answer

A

Question 2

Pigeons have a baseline gape response of 10-15 mm. In order to shape the gape response for a wider opening, the first reinforcers should be delivered when the pigeon opens its mouth _____.
A)every time
B)10 mm
C)15 mm
D)16 mm

Accepted Answer

C

Question 3

Which of the following is an example of (positive)punishment?
A)Dora is sent to her room without dessert because of her poor manners.
B)Steve has his mouth washed out with soap for swearing.
C)Bobby is not allowed to buy cigarettes because he is too young.
D)All of the above

Accepted Answer

Positive punishment involves adding an unpleasant consequence after an undesired behavior to decrease the likelihood of that behavior happening again. In option B, having his mouth washed out with soap for swearing adds an unpleasant experience to discourage the behavior. Options A and C describe negative punishment, where something desirable is removed to decrease a behavior.

Question 4

Which of the following is an example of positive reinforcement?
A)receiving a time-out instead of a spanking
B)turning off the radio when the DJ plays a song you dislike
C)going out to dinner after winning an award
D)faking illness to avoid school in the morning

Accepted Answer

Positive reinforcement is when a behavior is followed by a stimulus that increases the likelihood of that behavior occurring again in the future. Going out to dinner after winning an award is an example of positive reinforcement because the behavior of winning an award is being reinforced by the positive stimulus of going out to dinner. A) is an example of negative punishment (removal of a positive stimulus) and B) is an example of negative reinforcement (removal of a negative stimulus). D) is an example of malingering and not related to positive reinforcement.

Question 5

A positive contingency between a response and an appetitive stimulus is also known as
A)positive reinforcement.
B)negative reinforcement.
C)punishment.
D)omission training.

Accepted Answer

In a positive contingency, the response is followed by the presentation of an appetitive stimulus (such as food, praise, or money). When this leads to an increase in the frequency or strength of the response, it is called positive reinforcement. This type of learning is a fundamental principle of operant conditioning. B) Negative reinforcement refers to the removal of an aversive stimulus to increase the frequency of a response. C) Punishment involves the presentation of an aversive stimulus following a response, in order to decrease its frequency. D) Omission training involves the removal of a desirable stimulus to decrease the frequency of a response.

Question 6

The frog jumping contest is fast approaching. Your jumper has a maximum leap of 5 feet, far less than needed for a win. In order to train your frog to jump farther, you should begin by giving it a fly when it jumps _____.
A)any distance
B)4'11"
C)5'1"
D)5'

Accepted Answer

The answer of The frog jumping contest is fast approaching....

Question 7

Magazine training involves which of the following?
A)reinforcement of successive approximations
B)non-reinforcement of earlier response forms
C)classical conditioning
D)All of the above

Accepted Answer

The answer of Magazine training involves which of the following?
A)reinforcement...

Question 8

Which of the following is an example of negative reinforcement?
A)Stella changes the oil in her car to avoid engine seizure.
B)Mark hits his little brother because the brother broke Mark's bike.
C)Suzie cries after losing the card game.
D)Ed gets a gold star because he didn't act out.

Accepted Answer

Negative reinforcement is when a behavior is strengthened by the removal of an unpleasant stimulus. In this case, Stella changes the oil in her car to avoid the unpleasant consequence of engine seizure.

Question 9

The cats in Thorndike's puzzle boxes were able to escape more quickly over successive trials. Thorndike interpreted this performance change to reflect
A)stimulus-outcome learning.
B)stimulus-stimulus learning.
C)stimulus-response learning.
D)response-outcome learning.

Accepted Answer

Thorndike's interpretation of the cats' performance change in the puzzle boxes was based on his law of effect, which stated that behavior followed by a satisfying outcome (escaping the box) is more likely to be repeated in the future. This concept aligns with stimulus-response learning, as the cats learned to associate a specific response (such as pressing a lever or clawing at a latch) with the desired outcome of escaping the box.

Question 10

Your dog is sitting quietly in the front yard when an intruder approaches. As you would hope, the dog begins to bark vigorously and the intruder runs away. The dog's barking is an example of
A)sensitization.
B)elicited behavior.
C)goal directed behavior.
D)It cannot be determined with the given information.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Your dog is sitting quietly in the...

Question 11

The major advantage of free-operant methods over discrete trial procedures is that
A)the animals learn more quickly.
B)free operant methods provide the opportunity to observe changes in the likelihood of behavior over time.
C)free operant methods can reveal an animal's preferences.
D)free-operant methods involve S-S learning, but discrete trial procedures involve S-R learning.

Accepted Answer

Free operant methods allow for continuous measurement of behavior over time, while discrete trial procedures only measure responses to specific stimuli in a controlled setting. This makes it easier to observe changes in behavior, as well as identify an animal's preferences. While free-operant methods do not necessarily guarantee faster learning, they do provide a more naturalistic setting for learning to occur. The statement about S-S and S-R learning is not relevant to the question.

Question 12

Which of the following is typical of a discrete trial procedure?
A)A hungry rat makes a choice between plain food and food enhanced with a sweetener in a T-maze.
B)A monkey pushes a lever to watch an electric train.
C)A thirsty pigeon pecks a key to gain access to water.
D)A hungry rat moves a rod to earn a food pellet.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following is typical of...

Question 13

A positive contingency between a response and an aversive stimulus is also known as
A)positive reinforcement.
B)negative reinforcement.
C)punishment.
D)omission training.

Accepted Answer

A positive contingency between a response and an aversive stimulus refers to punishment, where a behavior is followed by an aversive stimulus, such as scolding or spanking, resulting in a decrease in the likelihood of that behavior occurring again in the future. Positive reinforcement refers to a behavior being followed by a desirable stimulus, increasing the likelihood of that behavior occurring again. Negative reinforcement refers to the removal of an aversive stimulus, increasing the likelihood of a behavior occurring again. Omission training refers to withholding reinforcement for a behavior, resulting in a decrease in the likelihood of that behavior occurring again in the future.

Question 14

A negative contingency between a response and an aversive stimulus is also known as
A)positive reinforcement.
B)negative reinforcement.
C)punishment.
D)omission training.

Accepted Answer

Negative reinforcement involves the removal of an aversive stimulus following a behavior to increase the likelihood of that behavior occurring again in the future.

Question 15

In a discrete trial procedure, the researcher can measure all of the following except
A)response rate.
B)running speed.
C)food preference.
D)latency to leave the start box.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In a discrete trial procedure, the researcher...

Question 16

Which of the following would most likely be used in a discrete trial procedure?
A)licking water from a tube to gain access to food
B)pressing a lever to gain access to food
C)running down a runway to gain access to food
D)pushing a rod to gain access to food

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following would most likely...

Question 17

When shaping the behavior of an organism, you must
A)reinforce all responses.
B)set each criterion so that at least some of the existing responses are reinforced.
C)set each criterion so that only the response forms that exceed existing responses are reinforced.
D)set each criterion so that most of the existing responses are reinforced.

Accepted Answer

Setting each criterion so that at least some of the existing responses are reinforced is the most effective way to shape behavior. Reinforcing all responses can be inefficient and reinforcing only response forms that exceed existing responses can be too difficult for the organism to achieve. Setting criteria to reinforce most of the existing responses can lead to the organism becoming too reliant on those responses and not exploring new, potentially more effective behaviors.

Question 18

Which of the following is true of an operant response?
A)Response speed determines outcome.
B)Pushing a lever with a paw and pushing a lever with the snout are equivalent.
C)Licking a water spout and pushing a response lever are equivalent.
D)Licking a water spout and chewing a food pellet are equivalent.

Accepted Answer

Operant responses are defined by their effects rather than by the specific movements involved. Thus, if pushing a lever with a paw and pushing it with the snout produce the same outcome, these actions are considered equivalent in the context of operant conditioning.

Question 19

According to the law of effect, which of the following elements is not a component of the conditioned association?
A)stimulus
B)outcome
C)response
D)All of the above are involved.

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to the law of effect, which...

Question 20

Your sister's hamster keeps escaping from its cage. On the first day, it took the hamster 14 hours to escape, but by the second week, the hamster could only be confined for 30 minutes before it worked its way to freedom. According to Thorndike's theory,
A)the stimulus of the cage has become associated with the desire to be free.
B)the stimulus of the cage has become associated with the jumping necessary to gain freedom.
C)the hamster jumps in order to gain freedom.
D)the hamster "operates" on its environment to gain freedom.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Your sister's hamster keeps escaping from its...

Quiz 5: Instrumental Conditioning

Shaping depends on which of the following?

Pigeons have a baseline gape response of 10-15 mm. In order to shape the gape response for a wider opening, the first reinforcers should be delivered when the pigeon opens its mouth _____.

Which of the following is an example of (positive) punishment?

Which of the following is an example of positive reinforcement?

A positive contingency between a response and an appetitive stimulus is also known as

The frog jumping contest is fast approaching. Your jumper has a maximum leap of 5 feet, far less than needed for a win. In order to train your frog to jump farther, you should begin by giving it a fly when it jumps _____.

Magazine training involves which of the following?

Which of the following is an example of negative reinforcement?

The cats in Thorndike's puzzle boxes were able to escape more quickly over successive trials. Thorndike interpreted this performance change to reflect

Your dog is sitting quietly in the front yard when an intruder approaches. As you would hope, the dog begins to bark vigorously and the intruder runs away. The dog's barking is an example of

The major advantage of free-operant methods over discrete trial procedures is that

Which of the following is typical of a discrete trial procedure?

A positive contingency between a response and an aversive stimulus is also known as

A negative contingency between a response and an aversive stimulus is also known as

In a discrete trial procedure, the researcher can measure all of the following except

Which of the following would most likely be used in a discrete trial procedure?

When shaping the behavior of an organism, you must

Which of the following is true of an operant response?

According to the law of effect, which of the following elements is not a component of the conditioned association?

Your sister's hamster keeps escaping from its cage. On the first day, it took the hamster 14 hours to escape, but by the second week, the hamster could only be confined for 30 minutes before it worked its way to freedom. According to Thorndike's theory,