Question 1

___________ is credited with laying the foundation for the study of classical conditioning in psychology.

Accepted Answer

Ivan Pavlov is credited with laying the foundation for the study of classical conditioning in psychology. Through his famous experiment with dogs, he observed that animals could learn to associate a neutral stimulus (such as a bell) with a reflexive response (such as salivating for food) through repeated pairing, and this formed the basis for classical conditioning theory. While other psychologists such as Thorndike, Skinner, and Watson made important contributions to the field of behaviorism, it was Pavlov who first identified and described the principles of classical conditioning.

Question 2

__________ occurs when a previously conditioned response decreases in frequency when the CS is presented in the absence of the US.

Accepted Answer

Extinction occurs when a previously conditioned response decreases in frequency when the CS is presented in the absence of the US. This is characterized by the gradual weakening and disappearance of a conditioned response over time.

Question 3

In Pavlov's study,the US was _______; the neutral stimulus was _________; and,finally,the CS was _________.

Accepted Answer

In Pavlov's classical conditioning experiment, the unconditioned stimulus (US) was meat, which naturally elicited salivation in dogs. The neutral stimulus, which initially did not elicit salivation, was the bell. Through conditioning, the bell became the conditioned stimulus (CS), which then elicited salivation even without the presence of meat.

Question 4

Which of the following sequences correctly arranges the phases of the classical conditioning process,from first to last

Accepted Answer

The correct sequence of classical conditioning process is acquisition, extinction, and spontaneous recovery. Acquisition is the initial phase where the conditioned stimulus (CS) is paired with the unconditioned stimulus (UCS) to form a conditioned response (CR). Extinction is the phase where the CS is presented repeatedly without the UCS, leading to a decrease in the CR. Finally, spontaneous recovery occurs when the previously extinguished CR reappears after a period without any exposure to the CS. Therefore, the correct sequence is acquisition followed by extinction and then spontaneous recovery. Choice E is the only option that arranges the phases in this order.

Question 5

Which of the following scenarios best exemplifies spontaneous recovery

Accepted Answer

Spontaneous recovery occurs when an extinguished response reappears after a rest period. In this scenario, Alexis had previously extinguished her fear response to the sound of a car pulling into her drive. However, after a relapse, her fear response reappeared spontaneously, without any prior conditioning. This exemplifies spontaneous recovery.

Question 6

Which of the following scenarios exemplifies extinction

Accepted Answer

Extinction in psychological terms refers to the gradual weakening and eventual disappearance of a conditioned response. In scenario A, Alexis's conditioned responses (hand shaking and heart pounding) to the stimulus (hearing a car pull into her drive, which used to be associated with her dealer) have disappeared because the stimulus no longer predicts the drug delivery. This is a classic example of extinction, where the conditioned response diminishes over time after the conditioned stimulus is no longer paired with the unconditioned stimulus.

Question 7

Psychologists use the term _________ to refer to a relatively permanent change in knowledge or behavior resulting from experience.

Accepted Answer

Learning is the correct term for a relatively permanent change in knowledge or behavior resulting from experience. Maturation refers to natural growth and development over time. Development refers to changes that occur over the lifespan. Perception refers to the process of interpreting sensory information.

Question 8

Pavlov's dogs learned to associate the appearance of a lab assistant with the sight of food.This suggests that classical conditioning involves an association between:

Accepted Answer

Classical conditioning involves the association between two stimuli, in this case, the appearance of a lab assistant (conditioned stimulus) and the sight of food (unconditioned stimulus).

Question 9

Stimulus is to response as _________ is to __________.

Accepted Answer

Stimulus and response are two components of the process of behavior. Stimulus triggers a response from the organism. Similarly, environment can trigger a behavior from the organism. Thus, environment and behavior form a similar relationship as stimulus and response. The other options do not capture the same relationship. Conditioning and learning are related, but not in the same way as stimulus and response. Mind and body are not in a stimulus-response relationship. Lastly, behavior and environment are more closely related to each other than mind and body.

Question 10

The ability to associate stimuli with responses is termed __________.

Accepted Answer

The ability to associate stimuli with responses is a crucial component of classical and operant conditioning, which fall under the broader category of learning. Perception involves the interpretation of sensory information, while cognition refers to higher-level mental processes such as thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making.

Question 11

Which of the following statements best expresses the relationship between learning on the one hand,and conditioning on the other

Accepted Answer

Conditioning is a specific type of learning. Learning is a broader term that encompasses a wide range of processes, including conditioning. Conditioning refers to the process of learning associations between stimuli (classical conditioning) or between behavior and consequences (operant conditioning). Thus, while conditioning is a part of learning, learning also involves other cognitive processes such as perception, memory, and problem-solving.

Question 12

In classical conditioning,how are the neutral stimulus and the CS related

Accepted Answer

In classical conditioning, the neutral stimulus initially has no effect on the organism's behavior and does not elicit a response. However, when it is repeatedly presented before an unconditioned stimulus (US) that naturally elicits a response, the neutral stimulus becomes associated with the US and eventually comes to elicit the same response as the US. At this point, the neutral stimulus has become a conditioned stimulus (CS). Therefore, the neutral stimulus becomes the CS.

Question 13

How are conditioning,insight,and modeling related,if they are at all

Accepted Answer

Conditioning, insight, and modeling are all different types of learning. Conditioning involves learning through association, insight involves achieving a new understanding or solution through mental processes, and modeling involves learning through observation and imitation. While they are different, they are all examples of how learning can occur.

Question 14

_________ is a type of learning in which a neutral stimulus comes to elicit a response after being paired with a stimulus that would elicit the same response naturally.

Accepted Answer

The description given is of classical conditioning, where a neutral stimulus (such as a bell) is paired with a natural stimulus (such as food) until it can elicit the same response (such as saliva production) without the natural stimulus present. Operant conditioning involves learning through consequences, observational learning involves learning through observing others, and instrumental conditioning is a synonym for operant conditioning.

Question 15

Broadly speaking,nature is to nurture as the _______ is to the ________.

Accepted Answer

Nature (genetics) is to nurture (environmental factors) as the UR (unconditioned response, innate reflexive behavior) is to the CR (conditioned response, learned behavior). Both nature and the UR are innate and unlearned, while nurture and the CR are acquired through experience and learning.

Question 16

Tim loves dill pickles.Now,the sight of a jar on the supermarket shelf makes his mouth water.In the terminology of classical conditioning,the sight of the jar is a(n)_________.

Accepted Answer

In classical conditioning, the CS (conditioned stimulus) is the previously neutral stimulus that is now able to elicit a response. In this case, the sight of the pickle jar has become associated with the taste of pickles for Tim through repeated pairings, so it now acts as a CS that makes his mouth water in anticipation of the pickles. The US (unconditioned stimulus) would be the taste of the pickles themselves, the neutral stimulus would be something that doesn't elicit a response (such as a plain jar on a shelf), and the CR (conditioned response) would be Tim's mouth watering in response to the sight of the pickle jar.

Question 17

The study of learning is closely associated with the __________ approach in psychology.

Accepted Answer

The behaviorist approach in psychology focuses on observable behavior and the ways in which it is influenced by environmental factors such as rewards and punishments. Learning is seen as the result of associations formed between stimuli and responses through conditioning. This perspective has been particularly influential in the study of learning, as behaviorists have conducted numerous experiments to examine the effects of different conditioning techniques on behavior.

Question 18

Which of the following terms best expresses the relationship between stimulus generalization and stimulus discrimination

Accepted Answer

Stimulus generalization refers to the tendency for stimuli that are similar to the original conditioned stimulus to elicit the conditioned response, whereas stimulus discrimination refers to the ability to distinguish between similar stimuli and respond only to the specific conditioned stimulus. Therefore, they are opposites.

Question 19

According to your text,the behaviorists viewed the study of learning as a more scientific alternative to the use of introspection.In this instance,the behaviorists were reacting to the work of the _________ psychologists.

Accepted Answer

The behaviorists were reacting to the work of the structuralist psychologists who relied on methods such as introspection to study the mind.

Question 20

Alexis uses cocaine,which activates her sympathetic nervous system.Expecting her dealer,her hands shake and her heart pounds.Which alternative below correctly identifies the neutral stimulus,the CS,and the US

Accepted Answer

The neutral stimulus is the knock on the door, as it does not initially elicit a response. The CS is also the knock on the door, as it eventually becomes associated with the US (cocaine) and elicits a response (shaking hands and pounding heart). Therefore, the correct identification of the stimuli is: neutral stimulus-knock on the door; CS-knock on the door; US-cocaine. Option A is incorrect because it identifies cocaine as the neutral stimulus, when in fact it is the US. Option B is incorrect because it identifies the knock on the door as the US, which is not accurate. Option D is incorrect because it identifies cocaine as the neutral stimulus and the US, which is incorrect as well.

Quiz 7: Social Psychology: Stereotypes