Question 1

Stimulus control has been demonstrated to
A) be one of the less common forms of learning in nature.
B) be confined mainly to visual stimuli.
C) require mammalian memory processes.
D) produce changes in prey as well as predators.

Accepted Answer

Stimulus control refers to changes in behavior that occur in response to specific stimuli. This concept is not limited to predators learning to hunt more effectively; prey animals also learn to recognize and respond to threats more efficiently. Thus, stimulus control can produce changes in both prey and predators, reflecting its broad applicability across different species and contexts in nature.

Question 2

The term "cryptic," when used to refer to a stimulus, means that it is a signal
A) for a potentially lethal outcome.
B) that is ambiguous in meaning.
C) that is difficult to detect.
D) for multiple similar outcomes.

Accepted Answer

Cryptic stimuli are those that are difficult to detect, often because they blend in with the environment or are subtle in nature.

Question 3

Research on stimulus control has shown that
A) the methods allow for the study of cognition.
B) predators often develop polymorphisms as a result of predation.
C) language is necessary for concept learning.
D) search images are fundamental for rats.

Accepted Answer

Stimulus control research allows for the examination of how organisms distinguish between different stimuli, which can be applied to understanding cognitive processes, including attention, perception, and decision-making. This research does not directly relate to predator polymorphisms, the necessity of language for concept learning, or the specificity of search images to rats.

Question 4

The phenomenon of a "search image" is connected to the ability of animals to
A) treat virtual images on a computer screen as if they were real three-dimensional stimuli.
B) modify an innate prey image as a result of experience with a variety of actual prey.
C) develop a conceptual image using key prey features that improve search efficiency.
D) learn to search a field in a systematic fashion so that all existing images are detected.

Accepted Answer

Search images are mental representations that predators form to help them locate prey more efficiently. By focusing on key features of their prey, predators can improve their search efficiency, allowing them to find prey faster and with less effort. This concept does not necessarily involve modifying innate images or learning to search an area systematically, but rather developing an optimized mental image for identifying prey.

Question 5

"Polymorphism" refers to the finding that members of
A) the same species use a variety of search and hunting strategies.
B) the same species develop physical differences, in part due to predation risk.
C) different species that look similar are treated similarly by predators.
D) different species learn to act similarly to increase mating options or reduce predation risks.

Accepted Answer

Polymorphism refers to the occurrence of different forms or morphs among the members of a population or colony, often as a result of genetic variation and environmental factors, such as predation risk.

Question 6

Current research on stimulus control suggests that
A) unobservable cognitive processes regulate stimulus control in humans and animals.
B) animals form a multitude of stimulus-outcome associations instead of forming concepts.
C) young animals and children learn concepts differently from the way adults of their species do.
D) cognitive processes regulate human but not animal stimulus-control learning.

Accepted Answer

Current research indicates that both humans and animals use unobservable cognitive processes to regulate stimulus control, suggesting a shared mechanism across species.

Question 7

Good eyesight and the ability to tell the difference between many different stimuli are key for studying categorization, thus the _______ is an ideal testing situation.
A) rat in a water maze
B) rat in a radial maze
C) pigeon with a touchscreen
D) scrub jay with an ice tray

Accepted Answer

Pigeons with a touchscreen setup are ideal for studying categorization because they have good eyesight and can discriminate between many different stimuli, which is crucial for tasks involving categorization.

Question 8

Which statement about a polymorphous concept is true?
A) It is open-ended and complex because it has fuzzy boundaries.
B) It is readily learned by a variety of species after minimal training.
C) It is biologically relevant or significant to all members of a given species.
D) It is associated with a variety of different but similarly valued outcomes (e.g., money, fame).

Accepted Answer

Polymorphous concepts are characterized by their open-ended and complex nature, often having fuzzy boundaries that make them difficult to define precisely. This complexity arises because they can encompass a wide range of instances or examples that do not all share a single common characteristic, making them challenging to categorize or understand fully.

Question 9

In concept learning research with pigeons, it is important to test with new examples because
A) most new examples are miscategorized, showing that most demonstrations only demonstrate memory.
B) new examples are necessary to rule out simple stimulus generalization.
C) pigeons can remember well over 500 photographs, so what might appear to be concept learning could just be good memory.
D) category learning in pigeons is controversial among learning theorists.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In concept learning research with pigeons, it...

Question 10

Researchers studying the ability of pigeons to learn categories found that they are capable of learning
A) multiple categories, though this observation may be based on a particular training method.
B) one concept at a time, but not multiple concepts simultaneously.
C) abstract or uncommon concepts like painting styles or fish types, but not everyday, mundane concepts like grain types or plant types.
D) categories involving stimuli that they encounter every day, showing that preparedness is involved.

Accepted Answer

Pigeons have demonstrated the ability to learn multiple categories, and this ability might be influenced by the specific methods used in training them.

Question 11

Researchers can teach pigeons concepts by
A) first classically conditioning examples of the concept, and then instrumentally conditioning differential pecking.
B) first conditioning each concept separately, and then gradually increasing the number of multiple concepts to be differentiated.
C) fading-in wrong examples and lengthening the stimulus viewing time as the number of simultaneously occurring stimuli increase.
D) presenting correct and incorrect examples and providing a reward only when the subject responds to the correct example.

Accepted Answer

Pigeons can learn concepts by being shown correct and incorrect examples and then being rewarded only when they respond correctly to the correct example. This method leverages operant conditioning principles, where behaviors are learned through the consequences of actions, in this case, receiving a reward for a correct response.

Question 12

Research on concept learning in pigeons has shown that
A) exceptional long-term memory is required for pigeons to learn categories.
B) pigeons process visual information in meaningful chunks, which they later categorize.
C) stimulus control is a powerful method for investigating more than just simple choice.
D) category learning does not appear to be able to be blocked.

Accepted Answer

Research on concept learning in pigeons has demonstrated that stimulus control is a powerful method for investigating complex cognitive processes beyond simple choice, as pigeons can learn to categorize stimuli based on shared features.

Question 13

On a four-category simultaneous discrimination experiment, pigeons demonstrated their categorical knowledge by pecking on
A) each of four pictured examples in the order in which the categories had been learned.
B) one of four available keys that was consistently associated with one of four concepts.
C) a category example different from four shown on each block of four trials.
D) the best example of a category from four shown on each trial.

Accepted Answer

Pigeons demonstrated their categorical knowledge by pecking on one of four available keys that was consistently associated with one of four concepts. This method allows researchers to assess the pigeons' ability to categorize and recognize different concepts based on their training.

Question 14

Which statement about transfer tests is true?
A) Transfer tests are performed using concept example stimuli from the training phase.
B) Transfer tests using novel stimuli produce higher accuracy scores than tests using original training stimuli.
C) Transfer tests provide evidence that the subject has learned the concept instead of just memorizing the stimuli.
D) Transfer test accuracy is higher when the subject is trained with just a few category examples rather than many examples, which may produce confusion or interference.

Accepted Answer

Transfer tests are designed to assess whether the subject has generalized the learned concept to new, unseen stimuli, rather than just memorizing specific examples from the training phase. This helps in understanding if true learning of the concept has occurred.

Question 15

Researchers studying concept learning are attempting to train subjects to respond to pictures of flowers by pressing one key, to pictures of dogs by pressing another key, and to pictures that lack of dogs or flowers by pressing a third key. Which result would suggest that a subject has learned the concepts?
A) In the test phase the subject responds correctly to new pictures of flowers and new pictures of dogs.
B) In the test phase the subject responds to yellow flowers but not red flowers, and only to dogs that resemble those presented during training.
C) In the test phase, the subject presses the third key in response to pictures with neither flowers nor dogs.
D) In the test phase, the subject presses the third key when the picture contains a flower and a dog.

Accepted Answer

The correct response to new pictures of flowers and dogs indicates that the subject has generalized the learned concepts to new instances, demonstrating concept learning.

Question 16

If subjects have learned a concept and then are exposed to new stimuli during the transfer test, they will likely
A) learn to respond to the new test stimuli faster than they responded to the original training stimuli.
B) respond only to the original training stimuli.
C) respond most to stimuli that resemble the original training stimuli and less to stimuli that are different from the original training stimuli.
D) respond similarly to new test stimuli that have features of the original concept.

Accepted Answer

The answer of If subjects have learned a concept and...

Question 17

Pigeons are taught the concept of "bicycle." Subjects that then respond to stimuli according to the similarity of the test image to the memory of the previous bicycle images would support the _______ theory.
A) transfer
B) prototype
C) feature
D) exemplar

Accepted Answer

The answer of Pigeons are taught the concept of "bicycle."...

Question 18

Pigeons are taught the concept of "boat." Subjects that then respond to stimuli according to a typical or average boat image as the standard to which all new stimuli are compared would support the _______ theory.
A) transfer
B) prototype
C) feature
D) exemplar

Accepted Answer

The prototype theory suggests that people categorize objects and concepts by comparing them to an internal "best example" or average representation of a category, in this case, a typical or average boat image.

Question 19

Pigeons are taught the concept of "shoe." Subjects that then respond to stimuli by associating laces, eyeholes, or heels with reinforcement would exemplify the _______ theory.
A) transfer
B) prototype
C) feature
D) exemplar

Accepted Answer

The feature theory suggests that we categorize objects and concepts in our mind based on a set of common features. In this case, pigeons associating laces, eyeholes, or heels with the concept of "shoe" exemplify the feature theory, as they are responding based on specific features associated with shoes.

Question 20

An adult introducing zoo animals to a child names and points out the features of each animal as they tour the zoo. In the section for hoofed mammals (e.g., deer, gazelles, antelopes, etc.), the child-despite the adult's explanations-calls everything a "deer." As they enter the next area, the child also calls a rhinoceros a "deer." The child's use of horns/no horns as a categorization system for "deer" illustrates the _______ theory approach to concept learning.
A) transfer
B) prototype
C) feature.
D) exemplar

Accepted Answer

The child's reliance on a specific feature (horns/no horns) to categorize different animals as "deer" aligns with the feature theory approach to concept learning. This approach suggests that people categorize objects and ideas based on a set of defining features.

Quiz 8: How Stimuli Guide Instrumental Action

Stimulus control has been demonstrated to

The term "cryptic," when used to refer to a stimulus, means that it is a signal

Research on stimulus control has shown that

The phenomenon of a "search image" is connected to the ability of animals to

"Polymorphism" refers to the finding that members of

Current research on stimulus control suggests that

Good eyesight and the ability to tell the difference between many different stimuli are key for studying categorization, thus the _______ is an ideal testing situation.

Which statement about a polymorphous concept is true?

In concept learning research with pigeons, it is important to test with new examples because

Researchers studying the ability of pigeons to learn categories found that they are capable of learning

Researchers can teach pigeons concepts by

Research on concept learning in pigeons has shown that

On a four-category simultaneous discrimination experiment, pigeons demonstrated their categorical knowledge by pecking on

Which statement about transfer tests is true?

If subjects have learned a concept and then are exposed to new stimuli during the transfer test, they will likely

Pigeons are taught the concept of "bicycle." Subjects that then respond to stimuli according to the similarity of the test image to the memory of the previous bicycle images would support the _______ theory.

Pigeons are taught the concept of "boat." Subjects that then respond to stimuli according to a typical or average boat image as the standard to which all new stimuli are compared would support the _______ theory.

Pigeons are taught the concept of "shoe." Subjects that then respond to stimuli by associating laces, eyeholes, or heels with reinforcement would exemplify the _______ theory.