Question 1

Immediately after being reinforced, a rat on which schedule of reinforcement would show the longest pause before its next response?

Accepted Answer

In a fixed interval schedule, the first response is rewarded only after a specified amount of time has elapsed. This often leads to a "scalloping" effect, where there is a long pause after reinforcement, followed by gradually increasing response rates as the time for the next reinforcement approaches.

Question 2

Which of the following is an example of negative reinforcement?

Accepted Answer

Negative reinforcement increases the likelihood of a behavior by removing or avoiding an unpleasant consequence. In this case, the child is allowed to leave the corner once they say "I'm sorry," which removes the unpleasant consequence of sitting in the corner.

Question 3

Which of the following pairs of processes are involved in the acquisition of phobias and also the tendency of phobias to show a high resistance to extinction?

Accepted Answer

Classical conditioning is involved in the acquisition of phobias, as the fear response becomes associated with a previously neutral stimulus. Operant conditioning is also involved, as avoidance behaviors are reinforced by the reduction of anxiety. This reinforcement can make it difficult to extinguish a phobia, as the individual has learned that the avoidance behavior is effective at reducing anxiety.

Question 4

Pat takes a prescription medication in order to reduce pain and Kelly takes the same medication in order to experience a "drug high." What is the difference between Pat's and Kelly's behaviour?

Accepted Answer

Pat is taking the medication to reduce pain, which is a form of negative reinforcement (removing an unpleasant stimulus). Kelly, on the other hand, is taking the medication to experience a drug high, which is a form of positive reinforcement (adding a pleasant stimulus). Therefore, Pat is getting negative reinforcement while Kelly is getting positive reinforcement.

Question 5

What leads to a decrease in the tendency to emit a particular response?

Accepted Answer

Punishment is the process of adding an unwanted stimulus to decrease the likelihood of a specific behavior.

Question 6

Which of the following is NOT an example of punishment?

Accepted Answer

Nagging a child until she picks up her toys is an example of negative reinforcement, not punishment, because it involves removing an unpleasant stimulus (nagging) when the desired behavior (picking up toys) occurs.

Question 7

A rat in a Skinner Box learns that a red light comes on just before a shock is presented. What is a rat demonstrating if it learns to bar-press when the light comes on, in order to prevent a shock from happening?

Accepted Answer

The rat is demonstrating avoidance learning, which is the process of learning to perform a behavior in order to prevent an aversive stimulus (in this case, the shock) from occurring. By bar-pressing when the light comes on, the rat is avoiding the shock.

Question 8

When Alek does not complete his homework in time, his mother takes away the power cord for his video game system. What does this example illustrate?

Accepted Answer

This example illustrates punishment, as Alek's mother is applying a negative consequence (taking away the power cord for his video game system) in response to Alek not completing his homework, which is intended to decrease the likelihood of the behavior (not completing homework) occurring again.

Question 9

When Henrik's Uncle Oleg visits, Oleg always gives Henrik an intense tickling and will stop this "tickle-torture" only when Henrik says "Uncle." Henrik's response of saying "Uncle" is strengthened through which process?

Accepted Answer

Negative reinforcement involves removing an unpleasant stimulus after a desired behavior is displayed, increasing the likelihood of that behavior happening again in the future. In this case, the unpleasant stimulus is the tickling and the desired behavior is saying "Uncle," which results in the removal of the tickling. Therefore, Henrik's response of saying "Uncle" is strengthened through negative reinforcement.

Question 10

In which reinforcement schedule is a reinforcement given for the first response after an unpredictable amount of time has elapsed?

Accepted Answer

This refers to a variable interval schedule. In this schedule, the reinforcement is given after an unpredictable amount of time has elapsed, but always following the first response. This creates a steady rate of responding, as the individual knows that the reinforcement will eventually be given, but cannot predict exactly when it will happen.

Question 11

If you start driving your car without fastening your seatbelt, you will hear a somewhat annoying sound. What type of learning have you demonstrated if you learn to fasten the seatbelt after hearing the sound?

Accepted Answer

Escape learning occurs when a behavior is performed to terminate an ongoing, unpleasant stimulus, such as fastening the seatbelt to stop the annoying sound.

Question 12

What is a procedure called when a response is strengthened by following it with a rewarding stimulus?

Accepted Answer

Positive reinforcement is the procedure of strengthening a response by following it with a rewarding stimulus, such as giving a dog a treat for sitting on command. This increases the likelihood that the behavior will occur again in the future. Negative reinforcement involves removing an aversive stimulus to increase the likelihood of a behavior, while punishment involves administering an aversive stimulus to decrease the likelihood of a behavior. Primary reinforcement involves inherently rewarding stimuli, such as food or water.

Question 13

What is a procedure called when a response is strengthened by following it with an aversive stimulus?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is a procedure called when a...

Question 14

Which of the following occurs when an organism learns a response that prevents some aversive stimulation?

Accepted Answer

Avoidance learning occurs when an organism learns a response that prevents some aversive stimulation. This is different from escape learning, where the organism learns to terminate an aversive stimulus that has already begun. Punishment refers to introducing an aversive stimulus to decrease a behavior, while secondary learning is not a recognized term in classical or operant conditioning.

Question 15

When Beth goes with her dad to the grocery store, she always asks him to buy chocolate ice cream. Approximately once a month he will purchase the ice cream. On what type of schedule is Beth's asking for chocolate ice cream being reinforced?

Accepted Answer

Beth's asking is reinforced on a variable interval schedule because the reinforcement (buying ice cream) occurs approximately once a month, but not at a fixed or predictable time.

Question 16

Which type of learning is being employed if a rat bar-presses in order to turn off an electrical shock?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which type of learning is being employed...

Question 17

Pat studies in order to get good grades and to receive praise. Kelly studies so that her mother will stop nagging her, and to avoid failing. What is the difference between Pat's and Kelly's behaviour?

Accepted Answer

Pat's motivation is based on the desire to receive positive reinforcement (good grades and praise), while Kelly's motivation is based on the desire to avoid negative reinforcement (her mother's nagging) and punishment (failing). Therefore, Pat is motivated by positive reinforcement, while Kelly is motivated by negative reinforcement.

Question 18

Which of the following pairs will increase the probability that a response will be repeated?

Accepted Answer

Positive reinforcement involves adding something desirable to increase the probability of a behavior being repeated. Negative reinforcement involves removing something unpleasant to increase the probability of a behavior being repeated. Both of these increase the probability of a response being repeated. Punishment involves adding something unpleasant or removing something desirable to decrease the probability of a behavior being repeated. Therefore, positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement are the only choices that increase the probability of a response being repeated without introducing a negative consequence.

Question 19

It seemed that your mom was always nagging you to clean your room when you were a teenager. Eventually you learned that if you cleaned your room every Saturday morning, you would not have to listen to her nagging. What does this example illustrate?

Accepted Answer

This example illustrates avoidance learning, as the behavior (cleaning the room) is motivated by the desire to avoid a negative consequence (listening to nagging).

Question 20

Emily always talks out in class, often interrupting the teacher and causing disruptions. In order to deal with these interruptions, Emily's teacher has started to criticize Emily for her lack of control each time she speaks without raising her hand. If Emily's disruptive behaviour increases, then the teacher's methods constitute which type of contingency?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Emily always talks out in class, often...

Quiz 6: B: Learning