Question 1

The blocking phenomenon is said to occur when

Accepted Answer

The blocking phenomenon occurs when a novel stimulus is presented alongside an already established conditioned stimulus (CS), but the novel stimulus does not become a CS itself because the presence of the established CS "blocks" any association between the novel stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus (US). This means that the animal or subject does not learn anything new about the novel stimulus during the compound training.

Question 2

Kamin's interpretation of the blocking phenomenon is that it results from

Accepted Answer

Kamin's blocking phenomenon occurs when a previously learned cue prevents the learning of a new cue because the new cue does not provide any additional predictive information.

Question 3

A group of rats receives 10 CS-Shock pairings, along with 5 other shocks at random intervals. A second group only receives the 10 CS-Shock pairings. Which group will show the strongest CR to the CS?

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The answer of A group of rats receives 10 CS-Shock...

Question 4

On some visits to a medical clinic, a person receiving treatment for cancer receives painful and nausea-inducing IV therapy under the supervision of a nurse in a treatment room. On other visits the person meets with a physician in the treatment room to discuss test results, track progress, and deal with any problems. Based on Wagner's relative validity studies, one would predict that the stimulus that would elicit the strongest learned pain-aversion response would be the

Accepted Answer

The answer of On some visits to a medical clinic,...

Question 5

Experiments on contingency showed that more than pairings are necessary for conditioning. They also made us think about

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The answer of Experiments on contingency showed that more than...

Question 6

"Most objects consist of a number of features." Explain how this characteristic of objects led to the general characteristics of conditioning experiments.

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The answer of "Most objects consist of a number of...

Question 7

Many cats and dogs come running into the kitchen whenever they hear the sound of the can opener. Explain how this behavior could have arisen, using your understanding of classical conditioning.

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The answer of Many cats and dogs come running into...

Question 8

The first time Karen opened the closet door in her new apartment, she was frightened by a clown doll that was left by the previous tenants. Now she refuses to use the closet, and the only thing she will say about it is "I don't like that closet." How would you determine whether she has associated the closet with the doll (S-S) or with the fear response (S-R)?

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The answer of The first time Karen opened the closet...

Question 9

Describe two ways in which a stimulus can come to elicit fear without ever being paired with a fear-inducing US.

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The answer of Describe two ways in which a stimulus...

Question 10

Describe two of the classical conditioning preparations discussed in the text (i.e., eyeblink, fear conditioning in the rat, autoshaping, appetitive conditioning in the rat, taste aversion), noting the types of stimuli and behavior involved as well as an advantage of the procedure.

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The answer of Describe two of the classical conditioning preparations...

Question 11

Diagram and label the four ways CSs and USs can be paired, and indicate their relative effectiveness in producing classical conditioning.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Diagram and label the four ways CSs...

Question 12

You want to study the effects of distractors on conditioned responding, and you want to establish a conditioned response as quickly as possible. What features must be part of the study in order to make the conditioning occur as rapidly as possible?

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The answer of You want to study the effects of...

Question 13

What is the CS "preexposure effect," and why should that term be preferred over the term "latent inhibition"?

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The answer of What is the CS "preexposure effect," and...

Question 14

How can an extinguished CS have inhibition if it does not pass a summation test?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How can an extinguished CS have inhibition...

Question 15

Why is conditioned inhibition more difficult to demonstrate than conditioned excitation, and what must be done to observe it in most cases?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Why is conditioned inhibition more difficult to...

Question 16

Why is the bidirectional response test the ideal test for demonstrating conditioned inhibition?

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The answer of Why is the bidirectional response test the...

Question 17

You ask a new acquaintance out on a date. In your fervor to make a good impression, you discuss with her the places she most enjoys, and take her to her favorite bar for the date. You both have fun on the date, but she isn't very excited about seeing you again. From a conditioning perspective, what might have gone wrong?

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The answer of You ask a new acquaintance out on...

Question 18

A rival bowling team always beats your team. Bob, a large, exuberant, somewhat loud fellow, is on the rival team. Bob bowls very well, but not any better than the other members of his team, who are relatively quiet. One night Bob is absent, and you feel certain that your team will now win. Based on what you know about conditioning, why might you feel that way?

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The answer of A rival bowling team always beats your...

Question 19

Eric and his girlfriend Sydney are equally good bowlers. Eric's team never wins without him. When Sydney begins to play with Eric on his team, what will she need to do to get equal credit for their team's victories?

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The answer of Eric and his girlfriend Sydney are equally...

Question 20

Eric and Cody bowl together on one team, and Travis and Sean bowl together on another. Each team wins 50% of their games. When Cody's team wins, it is always when Eric is playing. Sean's team, however, is as likely to win as it is to lose when Travis plays. Is Cody or Sean is going to appear to be the better bowler? How do you know?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Eric and Cody bowl together on one...

Quiz 3: The Nuts and Bolts of Classical Conditioning