Question 1

SSDRs are

Accepted Answer

SSDRs, or Species-Specific Defense Reactions, are innate and functional behaviors that can vary between members of the same species. These are pre-programmed responses to threats that are observed across individuals within a species, although the exact expression of these behaviors can differ among individuals, reflecting variability in the genetic and environmental factors influencing these responses.

Question 2

An avoidance response that is learned after very few trials (e.g., 1‒4) is

Accepted Answer

Pavlovian conditioning, also known as classical conditioning, can lead to the development of conditioned responses after very few exposures to a pairing of a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus. This process can explain the rapid learning of avoidance responses, as these responses are conditioned to anticipate and prevent an aversive event. Instrumental (or operant) conditioning, on the other hand, involves learning through the consequences of behavior, which typically requires more trials for learning to occur.

Question 3

A recuperative behavior is a

Accepted Answer

Recuperative behavior specifically refers to actions or responses that promote healing or recovery from injury, illness, or stress, rather than being related to immediate defense mechanisms or displacement behaviors.

Question 4

The perceptual-defensive-recuperative model assumes that

Accepted Answer

The answer of The perceptual-defensive-recuperative model assumes that
...

Question 5

What is the main function of the response in the perceptual-defensive-recuperative model?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is the main function of the...

Question 6

Which statement regarding modern theories of avoidance learning is false?

Accepted Answer

The statement about the explicit biological emphasis on SSDRs being inconsistent with the cognitive emphasis on memory and attention is false. Modern theories of avoidance learning often integrate biological and cognitive perspectives, including how SSDRs (Species-Specific Defense Reactions) and cognitive processes like memory and attention work together in avoidance learning.

Question 7

Which of the following statements about instrumental avoidance learning is true?

Accepted Answer

A cessation signal presented after the avoidance response can facilitate avoidance learning by signaling the end of the aversive event, reinforcing the avoidance behavior even if the warning signal is still present.

Question 8

If a subject learns only that "response = no shock," then the avoidance response should be

Accepted Answer

If the subject learns that "response = no shock," it means the avoidance response is reinforced by the absence of shock. During extinction training, where the shock is no longer presented, the avoidance response should remain unaffected because the subject has learned that the response prevents the shock.

Question 9

Learned helplessness is essentially a procedure in which subjects experience

Accepted Answer

Learned helplessness occurs when individuals or animals learn that they have no control over unpleasant or harmful conditions, leading to passive behavior in situations where they actually can make a difference. This concept was developed through experiments showing that subjects exposed to inescapable aversive events eventually stop trying to avoid or escape them, even when it becomes possible to do so.

Question 10

The crucial feature of a task that produces learned helplessness is the

Accepted Answer

The crucial feature of a task that produces learned helplessness is the lack of contingency between responding and aversive stimulation. This means that no matter what the subject does, the outcome (usually an aversive stimulus) does not change, leading to a feeling of helplessness.

Question 11

Learned helplessness is less likely to occur when the subject experiences _______ before the helplessness treatment.

Accepted Answer

Learned helplessness is less likely to occur when the subject has previously experienced an escape contingency, which allows them to learn that their actions can have an effect on their environment, thereby reducing feelings of helplessness.

Question 12

Which group is not needed to demonstrates learned helplessness?

Accepted Answer

Learned helplessness is demonstrated by comparing a group that receives non-contingent aversive stimuli (B) with a group that receives no prior aversive stimuli (D). A punishment group (C) is not necessary for this demonstration.

Question 13

Travis is the victim of unpredictable bullying on the playground. In every case it continues until he sees the teacher coming, and then it promptly ends. What effect will the teacher have on his learned helplessness?

Accepted Answer

The teacher's presence provides a sense of safety and protection, which can help Travis to overcome his learned helplessness.

Question 14

In a learned helplessness study, subjects typically do not even try to escape, even when they have the opportunity to do so. This failure to initiate a response is thought to be due to _______ deficits.

Accepted Answer

Learned helplessness is primarily associated with motivational deficits, where subjects fail to initiate a response due to a perceived lack of control over the situation.

Question 15

In a learned helplessness study, subjects typically show a "retardation of acquisition effect" in learning an escape response. This difficulty in learning the escape response is thought to be due to _______ deficits.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In a learned helplessness study, subjects typically...

Question 16

Which of the following students would be most likely to experience learned helplessness?

Accepted Answer

Learned helplessness is more likely to occur in individuals who experience repeated failures or perceive their efforts as futile, which is more characteristic of a student with a consistently low grade point average (1.5/4.0) across subjects, indicating a pattern of academic struggles.

Question 17

Which of the following students would be least likely to attend a test review or tutoring session before a test?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following students would be...

Question 18

Sam has learned that hard work in the kickboxing gym pays off, whereas Travis typically performs well with little effort. While sparring with Nelson in the gym, each suffers four consecutive knockdowns. How will this affect Sam and Travis?

Accepted Answer

Travis, who is accustomed to succeeding with little effort, is more likely to experience learned helplessness when faced with repeated failures, unlike Sam, who understands the value of hard work and perseverance from past experiences.

Question 19

Learned helplessness, learned irrelevance, and generalized learned irrelevance are all examples of a reduction in learning caused by exposure to a _______ contingency.

Accepted Answer

Learned helplessness, learned irrelevance, and generalized learned irrelevance occur when individuals are exposed to a zero contingency situation, meaning their actions have no effect on outcomes, leading to a reduction in learning or motivation to try.

Question 20

Learned irrelevance is a

Accepted Answer

Learned irrelevance refers to a situation where prior exposure to a non-contingent relationship between a conditioned stimulus (CS) and an unconditioned stimulus (US) hampers the ability to learn a new association between them in the future. This occurs because the subject learns that the CS is irrelevant or has no predictive value regarding the occurrence of the US.

Quiz 10: A Synthetic Perspective on Instrumental Action