Question 1

In applying conditioning principles in the workplace, a large retailer allows employees to choose their own reinforcers. A casual dress code and flexible work hours have proven to be effective in increasing productivity. The employer is using _____ to improve employee performance.
A) classical conditioning
B) behavior modification
C) higher order conditioning
D) the partial reinforcement effect

Accepted Answer

The employer is using behavior modification, which involves using conditioning principles to modify behavior in the workplace. Allowing employees to choose their own reinforcers is an example of positive reinforcement, which is a key component of behavior modification. The casual dress code and flexible work hours are also examples of positive reinforcement that have been effective in increasing productivity. Classical conditioning and higher order conditioning are not applicable in this scenario, and the partial reinforcement effect refers to a phenomenon in which behavior that is reinforced intermittently is more resistant to extinction than behavior that is reinforced continuously.

Question 2

When competitive swimmers stay focused on their practice techniques during swim team practice, their coach rewards them by playing popular music over the loudspeakers in the pool area. When they are inattentive or start goofing off, the coach plays recordings of gloomy, off-key organ music. In this example, the coach is using _____ to help his swimmers stay focused.
A) biological preparedness
B) latent learning
C) classical conditioning
D) behavior modification

Accepted Answer

The coach is using behavior modification, a technique that involves using rewards and punishments to encourage desired behaviors and discourage undesired ones.

Question 3

It is the passage of time rather than the number of responses that helps to determine when a reinforcer will be delivered. This describes which of the following?
A) accidental reinforcement.
B) latent learning
C) a ratio schedule
D) an interval schedule

Accepted Answer

This describes an interval schedule, where the reinforcement is delivered after a certain amount of time has passed rather than after a certain number of responses.

Question 4

Rats are allowed to wander through a maze for several days with no food reward at the end of it. On the tenth day, a food reward is placed at the end of the maze. Which of the following results would provide evidence for latent learning?
A) The rats take just as long to get to the end of the maze on day 11 as they did on day 1.
B) The rats show a gradual improvement in how quickly they reach the end of the maze from day 1 to day 11.
C) The rats improve very little in how quickly they reach the end of the maze for the first 10 days, but dramatically improve their performance on day 11.
D) Every day, the rats take longer and longer to get to the end of the maze.

Accepted Answer

This answer describes latent learning, where the rats do not show improvement until there is a reward. The fact that they dramatically improve on day 11 shows that they had learned the maze in some way, even though there was no reward before. A is incorrect because it suggests that the rats did not learn anything during the 10 days without a reward. B is incorrect because it suggests the rats were able to gradually improve during the 10 days without a reward. D is incorrect because it suggests that the rats were simply getting worse at the task over time.

Question 5

_____ began his research career by studying learned helplessness in dogs and later in humans. He applied his findings to psychological problems in humans, including major depressive disorder, and he investigated why some people succumb to learned helplessness while others persist in the face of obstacles.
A) B. F. Skinner
B) John Garcia
C) Martin Seligman
D) Robert Rescorla

Accepted Answer

Martin Seligman is known for his research on learned helplessness in dogs and later in humans. He applied his findings to psychological problems in humans, including major depressive disorder, and investigated why some people succumb to learned helplessness while others persist in the face of obstacles.

Question 6

Psychologist Edward C. Tolman's studies with rats in mazes led him to conclude that:
A) reinforcement is not necessary for learning to occur.
B) learning will not occur in the absence of reinforcement.
C) rats learn nothing more than a sequence of left and right turns.
D) continuous reinforcement is necessary for operant conditioning to occur.

Accepted Answer

Tolman's studies with rats in mazes led him to conclude that reinforcement is not necessary for learning to occur. He believed that rats formed cognitive maps or mental representations of the maze that allowed them to navigate even in the absence of immediate reinforcement.

Question 7

Edward C. Tolman would have most likely made which of the following statements?
A) "Animals cannot respond to the complexities of a learning environment, only humans can."
B) "Animals are adept at learning a sequence of responses, and this is what helps the animals run through a maze so quickly and accurately."
C) "Psychologists should be examining the underlying motivation for the behaviors performed rather than just observing behavior."
D) "Animals develop a mental representation of the layout of a maze, which allows them to run quickly and accurately through a maze."

Accepted Answer

Edward C. Tolman is associated with the theory of latent learning, which suggests that animals develop a mental map or representation of the layout of a maze, allowing them to navigate it more efficiently. This is consistent with option D, which states that animals develop a mental representation of the maze. Options A and B are incorrect because they underestimate animal learning abilities. Option C is consistent with Tolman's focus on motivation, but it does not relate directly to his theories on learning.

Question 8

The different schedules of reinforcement produce different patterns of responding. In the graph shown, what do patterns C and D have in common?

A) They are both fixed schedules of reinforcement.
B) They are both variable schedules of reinforcement.
C) They are both ratio schedules of reinforcement.
D) They are both interval schedules of reinforcement.

Accepted Answer

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

Question 9

The psychologists and teachers at the Center for Special Needs Children have designed an elaborate program that teaches the children how to feed themselves, brush their teeth, and so forth using a carefully designed program of shaping and reinforcement. This is an example of:
A) behavior modification.
B) instinctive drift.
C) classically conditioned responses.
D) biological preparedness.

Accepted Answer

The program described in the scenario is an example of behavior modification, which involves changing behavior through the use of reinforcement and shaping techniques. It is designed to teach self-care skills to children with special needs. Instinctive drift refers to the tendency of animals to revert to instinctual behaviors rather than learned behaviors. Classically conditioned responses involve learning to associate a specific stimulus with a particular response. Biological preparedness refers to the idea that humans and animals are genetically predisposed to learn some behaviors more easily than others. None of these concepts apply to the scenario described in the question as accurately as behavior modification.

Question 10

The application of learning principles to help people learn more effective or adaptive behaviors is called:
A) behavior modification.
B) operant training.
C) classical conditioning.
D) discrimination training.

Accepted Answer

Behavior modification is the application of learning principles to help people learn more effective or adaptive behaviors. Operant training and discrimination training are specific methods within behavior modification. Classical conditioning is a type of learning but is not typically referred to as behavior modification.

Question 11

If exposure to inescapable and uncontrollable aversive events produces passive behavior, the response of passivity is termed:
A) learned helplessness.
B) biological preparedness.
C) avoidance due to negative reinforcement.
D) instinctive drift.

Accepted Answer

The response of passivity produced by exposure to inescapable and uncontrollable aversive events is referred to as learned helplessness. This occurs when an individual learns that they cannot control or escape a negative stimulus, leading to a sense of helplessness and resignation. The individual may stop trying to escape or avoid the stimulus altogether, leading to passive behavior.

Question 12

Edward C. Tolman's concept of latent learning helps to demonstrate that:
A) only people can develop cognitive maps of their environments.
B) animals learn more by mental representation than by reinforcement.
C) learning will not occur unless behavior is stamped in by a rewarding consequence.
D) rewards affect performance of what has been learned rather than the process of learning itself.

Accepted Answer

Rewards affect performance of what has been learned rather than the process of learning itself.

Question 13

Over the years at Cosmos Widget Factory, Mr. Cosmos has noticed that each employee tends to be most productive in the weeks just before his or her biannual performance review. Had Mr. Cosmos read Chapter 5, "Learning," he would know that his employees' behavior is:
A) the result of being conditioned on a fixed-interval schedule of reinforcement.
B) an example of learned helplessness.
C) an example of stimulus control.
D) the result of being conditioned on a fixed-ratio schedule of reinforcement.

Accepted Answer

The behavior of employees being most productive before their biannual performance review is an example of being conditioned on a fixed-interval schedule of reinforcement. This means that the employees' behavior is being reinforced by the upcoming performance review, which occurs on a fixed interval schedule of every six months. The anticipation of the reward (the positive evaluation) motivates the employees to work harder in the weeks leading up to the review.

Question 14

According to psychologist Edward C. Tolman, learning that is not immediately demonstrated in overt behavior is termed:
A) learned helplessness.
B) response extinction.
C) latent learning.
D) trial-and-error learning.

Accepted Answer

According to Tolman, latent learning refers to learning that is not immediately expressed in overt behavior, but instead remains hidden until it is needed. Learned helplessness refers to a perceived lack of control over a situation, response extinction refers to the gradual disappearance of a learned response that occurs when the behavior is no longer reinforced, and trial-and-error learning refers to learning by trying different possibilities until the desired outcome is achieved.

Question 15

Helen always drives down Sheridan Avenue to go to the college campus. One morning Helen discovers that Sheridan Avenue is closed at Twenty-third Street because of flooding. Helen immediately takes a different route to the campus. How would psychologist Edward Tolman explain Helen's behavior?
A) She is classically conditioned to fear water.
B) She has formed a cognitive map of the area.
C) Helen was observing the actions of others in the situation.
D) The standing water was a reliable predictor of danger.

Accepted Answer

Edward Tolman believed that organisms formed cognitive maps or mental representations of their environment based on their experiences and knowledge. Helen's ability to immediately take a different route suggests that she had formed a cognitive map of the area, allowing her to navigate an unexpected change in her usual route.

Question 16

Which learning researcher believed that operant conditioning involved an organism learning "what leads to what," or the cognitive expectation that a particular consequence would follow a particular behavior?
A) B. F. Skinner
B) Ivan Pavlov
C) Edward C. Tolman
D) Edward L. Thorndike

Accepted Answer

Edward C. Tolman developed the theory of cognitive maps and believed that operant conditioning involved learning the relationship between behaviors and their consequences, which he referred to as "what leads to what." He believed that animals developed cognitive maps, mental representations of the physical environment, which they used to guide their behavior.

Question 17

Road construction prevents you from getting to the shopping mall using the route that you usually travel. You think about the situation for a moment and then come up with a different route to take. To figure out this alternative route, you use what Tolman referred to as:
A) biological preparedness.
B) stimulus generalization.
C) a cognitive map.
D) instinctive drift.

Accepted Answer

Tolman's concept of cognitive maps refers to mental representations of physical space and can be used to navigate and find alternate routes when the usual route is blocked. This is the most appropriate answer choice in this scenario. Biological preparedness refers to the innate tendency of animals to learn certain associations more easily than others, stimulus generalization refers to extending learned responses to similar stimuli, and instinctive drift refers to the instinctual behaviors that can interfere with trained behaviors. None of these concepts relate directly to finding an alternate route.

Question 18

One of Tolman's classic research studies involved three groups of rats running mazes for several days. The rats in group 1 received a food reward at the end of the maze every time they ran the maze. The rats in group 2 never received a food reward in the maze. In contrast, the rats in group 3 did not receive a food reward at the end of the maze until the eleventh day of the study. What behavior did the rats in group 2 and group 3 display on day 12?
A) The number of errors the rats in group 2 made remained about the same, but the number of errors the rats in group 3 made decreased sharply, showing that they had learned the layout of the maze without being reinforced.
B) The number of errors the rats in group 2 and group 3 made remained about the same, showing that neither group had learned the layout of the maze.
C) The number of errors by the rats in both groups made sharply decreased, showing the importance of observational learning.
D) The number of errors the rats in group 2 made remained about the same, but the number of errors the rats in group 3 made increased, showing that rewards can interfere with both motivation and performance.

Accepted Answer

The rats in group 2 never received a food reward, so they did not have a motivation to learn the maze and their number of errors remained about the same. The rats in group 3 did not receive a food reward until the eleventh day, but on the twelfth day, their number of errors sharply decreased, showing that they had learned the layout of the maze without being reinforced for ten days. This supports Tolman's theory of cognitive maps, where the rats had formed a mental representation of the maze's layout.

Question 19

The different schedules of reinforcement produce different patterns of responding. In the graph shown, the fixed-interval schedule of reinforcement is reflected in which pattern of responding?

A) A
B) B
C) C
D) D

Accepted Answer

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

Question 20

Two young psychology graduate students named _____ identified the phenomenon called learned helplessness.
A) B. F. Skinner and John B. Watson
B) John Garcia and Albert Bandura
C) Martin Seligman and Stephen Maier
D) Robert Rescorla and Edward C. Tolman

Accepted Answer

Martin Seligman and Stephen Maier identified the phenomenon called learned helplessness in their animal research in the 1960s and 1970s.

Quiz 5: Learning

In applying conditioning principles in the workplace, a large retailer allows employees to choose their own reinforcers. A casual dress code and flexible work hours have proven to be effective in increasing productivity. The employer is using _____ to improve employee performance.

It is the passage of time rather than the number of responses that helps to determine when a reinforcer will be delivered. This describes which of the following?

Rats are allowed to wander through a maze for several days with no food reward at the end of it. On the tenth day, a food reward is placed at the end of the maze. Which of the following results would provide evidence for latent learning?

Psychologist Edward C. Tolman's studies with rats in mazes led him to conclude that:

Edward C. Tolman would have most likely made which of the following statements?

The different schedules of reinforcement produce different patterns of responding. In the graph shown, what do patterns C and D have in common?

The psychologists and teachers at the Center for Special Needs Children have designed an elaborate program that teaches the children how to feed themselves, brush their teeth, and so forth using a carefully designed program of shaping and reinforcement. This is an example of:

The application of learning principles to help people learn more effective or adaptive behaviors is called:

If exposure to inescapable and uncontrollable aversive events produces passive behavior, the response of passivity is termed:

Edward C. Tolman's concept of latent learning helps to demonstrate that:

Over the years at Cosmos Widget Factory, Mr. Cosmos has noticed that each employee tends to be most productive in the weeks just before his or her biannual performance review. Had Mr. Cosmos read Chapter 5, "Learning," he would know that his employees' behavior is:

According to psychologist Edward C. Tolman, learning that is not immediately demonstrated in overt behavior is termed:

Helen always drives down Sheridan Avenue to go to the college campus. One morning Helen discovers that Sheridan Avenue is closed at Twenty-third Street because of flooding. Helen immediately takes a different route to the campus. How would psychologist Edward Tolman explain Helen's behavior?

Which learning researcher believed that operant conditioning involved an organism learning "what leads to what," or the cognitive expectation that a particular consequence would follow a particular behavior?

Road construction prevents you from getting to the shopping mall using the route that you usually travel. You think about the situation for a moment and then come up with a different route to take. To figure out this alternative route, you use what Tolman referred to as:

The different schedules of reinforcement produce different patterns of responding. In the graph shown, the fixed-interval schedule of reinforcement is reflected in which pattern of responding?

Two young psychology graduate students named _____ identified the phenomenon called learned helplessness.