Question 1

Jonathan frequently plays the slot machines and sometimes comes out slightly ahead in his winnings. Like all gambling behavior, Jonathan's gambling behavior is on a _____ schedule of reinforcement.

Accepted Answer

Jonathan's occasional small winnings suggest a variable-ratio schedule of reinforcement, which is characterized by varying amounts of reinforcement delivered after a random number of responses. This schedule leads to high rates of responding and is commonly associated with gambling behaviors.

Question 2

The different schedules of reinforcement produce different patterns of responding. In the graph shown, which pattern represents the highest rate of responding?

Accepted Answer

The answer of The different schedules of reinforcement produce different...

Question 3

Cal works in a factory and is paid based upon his productivity. For every 100 widgets that Cal assembles, he receives $10. The owners of the factory are using a _____ schedule of reinforcement to pay Cal.

Accepted Answer

Cal is being paid based on a fixed ratio schedule of reinforcement, which means he receives a set amount of money for a set number of widgets produced. In this case, he receives $10 for every 100 widgets produced, thus a fixed ratio. A) fixed-interval involves reinforcement being delivered after a fixed amount of time has passed since the last reinforcement, C) variable-interval involves reinforcement being delivered at varying and unpredictable intervals of time, and D) variable-ratio involves reinforcement being delivered after a variable number of responses have been made. None of these other types of reinforcement schedules match the way Cal is being paid.

Question 4

In an operant conditioning experiment, a pigeon learned to peck at a blue disk to get a food pellet. The researcher then withheld reinforcement, and eventually the bird stopped pecking the disk. This example illustrates:

Accepted Answer

This example illustrates the process of extinction, which occurs when a previously reinforced behavior (pecking the blue disk) is no longer reinforced and therefore diminishes in frequency.

Question 5

Unbeknownst to the rest of the world, Roger was wearing green underwear when he aced his calculus test at the beginning of the semester. Ever since, Roger always wears green underwear on test days in his college classes. In operant conditioning terms, Roger's superstitious behavior is the result of:

Accepted Answer

Roger's behavior is not intentionally reinforced, but rather accidentally reinforced (by the coincidence of his success on the test while wearing green underwear). This is an example of accidental reinforcement, which can lead to superstitious behavior in the absence of a true causal relationship.

Question 6

A rat in a Skinner box receives a food pellet every 10 times it presses a bar. The rat is on a _____ schedule of reinforcement.

Accepted Answer

In a fixed-ratio schedule of reinforcement, a reward is given after a fixed number of responses. In this scenario, the rat receives a food pellet every 10 times it presses the bar, so it is a fixed-ratio schedule.

Question 7

A rat in a Skinner box is reinforced with a food pellet every time it presses the bar. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Continuous reinforcement is a reinforcement schedule in which every correct response is reinforced. In this scenario, the rat is receiving a food pellet every time it presses the bar, which is an example of continuous reinforcement.

Question 8

According to B. F. Skinner, superstitious behaviors are the result of:

Accepted Answer

According to B. F. Skinner, superstitious behaviors are the result of accidental reinforcement, meaning that the behavior happens to coincide with a reinforcing event, even though the behavior did not actually lead to the reinforcement. This leads to the behavior being repeated in hopes of the same reinforcement happening again, even though there is no actual causal relationship between the behavior and the reinforcement.

Question 9

Whose behavior is most likely to show the greatest resistance to extinction?

Accepted Answer

Intermittent reinforcement, like Rick's experience, typically leads to greater resistance to extinction compared to continuous reinforcement.

Question 10

Andrew works for NASA and gets paid once a month, whereas his friend George works at a fast-food restaurant and gets paid once a week. Despite the difference in when they are paid, both are paid on a _____ schedule of reinforcement.

Accepted Answer

Both Andrew and George are being paid at a fixed time interval. Andrew is getting paid once a month, and George is getting paid once a week, so both are being reinforced at a fixed interval. Therefore, the correct answer is B) fixed-interval.

Question 11

Partial reinforcement is to _____ as continuous reinforcement is to _____.

Accepted Answer

Partial reinforcement refers to a situation where a behavior is only reinforced sometimes, whereas continuous reinforcement refers to a situation where a behavior is reinforced every time it is displayed. So, partial reinforcement is sometimes associated with a behavior, while continuous reinforcement is always associated with a behavior. Hence the correct match is sometimes - always for partial and continuous reinforcement, respectively. Therefore, option C is the correct answer.

Question 12

At the beginning of the semester, the humanities instructor explains that there will be ten surprise quizzes over the semester, so students are strongly encouraged to keep up with their reading and to attend every class. The humanities instructor is using a _____ schedule of reinforcement to encourage studying and class attendance.

Accepted Answer

A variable-interval schedule of reinforcement provides reinforcement at unpredictable time intervals, which in this case are the surprise quizzes. This encourages consistent behavior, such as regular studying and class attendance.

Question 13

On the first trial, the rat had to press the bar three times to get a pellet of food. On the second trial, the rat had to press the bar seven times. Although the number of presses necessary continued to vary from trial to trial, on the average the rat was reinforced for every five bar presses. The rat is on a _____ schedule of reinforcement.

Accepted Answer

The fact that the number of presses necessary for reinforcement varies from trial to trial indicates that the rat is on a variable ratio schedule of reinforcement. The average of 5 presses between reinforcements also supports this conclusion.

Question 14

On the first trial, a rat in a Skinner box receives reinforcement for the first bar press it makes after 50 seconds have elapsed. On the second trial, the rat receives reinforcement for the first bar press it makes after 70 seconds. Although it varies from trial to trial, on average the rat's behavior is reinforced once every 60 seconds. The rat is on a _____ schedule of reinforcement.

Accepted Answer

The rat is on a variable-interval schedule of reinforcement because the time between reinforcements varies but averages out to approximately 60 seconds. This is different from a fixed-ratio schedule, where the reinforcement is delivered after a fixed number of responses, or a fixed-interval schedule, where the reinforcement is delivered after a fixed amount of time has passed. A variable-ratio schedule would involve delivering reinforcement after a variable number of responses, which is not the case in this scenario.

Question 15

A rat in a Skinner box is reinforced for the first bar press it makes after one minute has elapsed. The rat is on a _____ schedule of reinforcement.

Accepted Answer

In a fixed-interval schedule of reinforcement, reinforcement is delivered after a fixed amount of time has elapsed since the last reinforcement was delivered. In this scenario, the rat is reinforced only when one minute has passed since the last reinforcement, making it a fixed-interval schedule.

Question 16

Christina is making some extra money as a phone solicitor for her university's fundraising drive. She is paid $5 for every 20 calls she makes, regardless of whether the people she calls donate. Christina is on a _____ schedule of reinforcement.

Accepted Answer

Christina is being paid a fixed amount for every fixed number of calls she makes, regardless of the outcome. This is an example of a fixed-ratio schedule of reinforcement.

Question 17

In your philosophy class, you have found that your professor never calls on you when you raise your hand. As a result you no longer raise your hand to ask or answer questions. In learning theory, no longer raising your hand would be the result of:

Accepted Answer

Extinction occurs when a behavior that was previously reinforced is no longer reinforced, resulting in a decrease in the frequency of the behavior. In this case, the behavior of raising one's hand to ask or answer questions was no longer reinforced (i.e. the student was not called on), resulting in a decrease in the frequency of the behavior.

Question 18

Why do variable-ratio schedules produce steady rates of responding?

Accepted Answer

Variable-ratio schedules produce steady rates of responding because it is not possible to predict which response will lead to the delivery of a reinforcer. This unpredictability keeps the individual motivated to continue responding at a steady rate in the hopes of receiving a reinforcement.

Question 19

Behavior that is conditioned with _____ reinforcement is _____ resistant to extinction.

Accepted Answer

Partial reinforcement leads to behavior that is more resistant to extinction because the behavior is maintained even when reinforcement is not given every time.

Question 20

"Okay, that was good! Now this time, don't close your eyes. Keep your eye on the ball, so you know when to close your hands," Mark said in the process of teaching his five-year-old to play catch. In operant conditioning terms, Mark is using _____ to teach his daughter how to catch a ball.

Accepted Answer

Mark is using shaping to teach his daughter how to catch a ball, as he is breaking down the behavior into smaller steps (keeping her eye on the ball) and reinforcing each step as she successfully completes it. The other options do not accurately describe the method of teaching being used.

Quiz 5: Learning