Question 1

Buddy knows that when his owner Sally picks up his leash, she is likely to take him for a walk. Therefore, he runs to the door. Sally started ringing a bell just before picking up Buddy's leash for a few days. She presented the bell along with the leash to Buddy over and over again; Buddy ran to the door. Then she tried presenting the bell alone to see if Buddy might now link the bell with the leash. From the bell alone, Buddy ran to the door. Learning theorists would say that Buddy is ________.

Accepted Answer

Buddy has been conditioned to associate the sound of the bell with the action of going for a walk. This is a classic example of Pavlovian (or classical) conditioning, where a neutral stimulus (the bell) becomes associated with an unconditioned stimulus (the leash, which leads to a walk) to elicit a conditioned response (running to the door).

Question 2

In Pavlov's classical conditioning experiment, the dogs gradually stopped salivating to the bell once they learned that the bell wasn't accompanied by meat powder. This phenomenon is an example of ________.

Accepted Answer

Extinction in classical conditioning occurs when the conditioned stimulus (in this case, the bell) is repeatedly presented without the unconditioned stimulus (meat powder), leading to a decrease in the conditioned response (salivation).

Question 3

Pavlov defined ________ as fixed stimulus-response patterns.

Accepted Answer

Pavlov defined "reflexes" as fixed stimulus-response patterns, which are automatic and unlearned responses to specific stimuli.

Question 4

Why did Skinner and Watson ignore the role of cognitive and brain processes in learning?

Accepted Answer

Skinner and Watson, as behaviorists, focused on observable behaviors and ignored cognitive and brain processes because these internal processes could not be directly observed and measured.

Question 5

In the context of classical conditioning, which of the following terms is defined as the natural, automatic, inborn, and involuntary reaction to a stimulus?

Accepted Answer

The unconditioned response is the natural, automatic, inborn, and involuntary reaction to a stimulus in classical conditioning. It occurs without any prior learning or conditioning.

Question 6

Once we have mastered the skill of riding a bicycle, we don't have to learn to ride a bicycle every time we want to go for a spin. What is the reason behind this?

Accepted Answer

New knowledge, such as how to ride a bicycle, is stored in networks in the brain. Once these networks are established through practice, the skill becomes automatic, and we don't have to relearn it each time.

Question 7

As per the criteria laid out by Pavlov, in which of the following instances is stimulus-response conditioning between unconditioned stimulus (UCS) and conditioned stimulus (CS) LEAST likely to occur?

Accepted Answer

For stimulus-response conditioning to occur effectively, the conditioned stimulus (CS) typically needs to precede the unconditioned stimulus (UCS) slightly, allowing the organism to associate the two. When the UCS precedes the neutral stimulus (which could become the CS), the conditioning process is less likely to occur because the sequence does not allow the organism to predict the UCS based on the CS.

Question 8

Smoking can cause the arousal of the sympathetic nervous system and mild relaxation of the muscles. From a learning perspective these are considered ________.

Accepted Answer

The effects of smoking, such as arousal of the sympathetic nervous system and mild relaxation of the muscles, can be considered positive reinforcers because they provide a pleasurable or satisfying outcome, which can increase the likelihood of the behavior (smoking) being repeated.

Question 9

In operant conditioning, ________ occurs when a behavior stops being reinforced.

Accepted Answer

Extinction in operant conditioning refers to the process where a previously reinforced behavior is no longer reinforced, leading to a decrease or cessation of that behavior.

Question 10

Gia works in an open-plan office. Initially, she thought that she would find it difficult to mute out the surrounding sounds, but later she realized that the low hum of the air-conditioning and the clicks of the various keyboard systems became background noise that she could ignore. This scenario is an example of ________.

Accepted Answer

Habituation is the process by which an individual becomes accustomed to a stimulus and gradually pays less attention to it. In Gia's case, she became used to the sounds in her open-plan office, indicating habituation.

Question 11

The extension of the association between the unconditioned and the conditioned stimulus to a broad array of similar stimuli is called ________.

Accepted Answer

Stimulus generalization occurs when the response to a specific conditioned stimulus is extended to other stimuli that are similar to the conditioned stimulus. This means that the association learned between an unconditioned stimulus (like food) and a conditioned stimulus (like a bell) is generalized to other similar stimuli (like different tones of bells), leading to a similar response (like salivation).

Question 12

Giving a dog a treat every time it jumps on command is an example of ________.

Accepted Answer

Continuous reinforcement involves providing a reward after every correct response, which in this case is giving a dog a treat every time it jumps on command.

Question 13

The beeper sounds in your car until you fasten your seat belt. The removal of the annoying beeping is ________ for fastening the seat belt.

Accepted Answer

Negative reinforcement involves the removal of an unpleasant stimulus (in this case, the beeping sound) to increase the likelihood of a behavior (fastening the seat belt).

Question 14

How do psychologists define learning?

Accepted Answer

Learning is defined by psychologists as enduring changes in behavior that result from experience. This definition emphasizes the lasting transformation in behavior patterns due to the acquisition of knowledge or skills through experience, study, or being taught.

Question 15

When he was a kid, Samuel was once mugged in a dark alley near his house. Even as an adult, whenever he walks in a dark alley, his palms start to sweat and his heart races. He feels nervous and scared. Samuel's behavior is an example of ________.

Accepted Answer

Samuel's behavior is an example of learning by association, also known as classical conditioning. This occurs when an individual learns to associate a previously neutral stimulus (in this case, dark alleys) with a significant event (being mugged), leading to a conditioned response (fear and physiological reactions) whenever the stimulus is encountered again.

Question 16

Which of the following scenarios best depicts spontaneous recovery?

Accepted Answer

Spontaneous recovery refers to the reappearance of a previously extinguished response after a period without exposure to the conditioned stimulus. In scenario B, Dora's panic attacks had stopped (extinguished response) but then reappeared (spontaneously recovered) when crossing a bridge again.

Question 17

If a sports car is always shown in commercials with sexy, attractive individuals, then it becomes linked in memory with something that is inherently desirable. The car itself becomes a(n) ________ reinforcer because of its association with sex.

Accepted Answer

The car becomes a secondary reinforcer through its association with something inherently desirable (sex), which is an example of classical conditioning. Primary or unconditioned reinforcers are inherently desirable without conditioning, whereas secondary reinforcers acquire their value through association with these primary reinforcers.

Question 18

Which of the following best describes habituation?

Accepted Answer

Habituation is a decrease in response to a stimulus after repeated presentations. It's a form of learning where an organism reduces its responses to a repetitive, non-harmful stimulus through experience, indicating that it has become accustomed to the stimulus.

Question 19

The learning that occurs in the absence of reinforcement and is not demonstrated until later when reinforcement occurs, is called ________.

Accepted Answer

Latent learning refers to knowledge that only becomes clear when a person has an incentive to display it. Unlike the other types of learning listed, latent learning occurs without any immediate or apparent reinforcement.

Question 20

________ reinforcers are innate and often satisfy biological needs.

Accepted Answer

Primary reinforcers are innate because they satisfy biological needs, such as food, water, and warmth, without needing to be learned.

Quiz 8: Learning