Question 1

If getting $1 for every correct answer on this test makes you study harder for the next test,then being given $1 is a form of

Accepted Answer

Giving $1 for every correct answer is a form of positive reinforcement because it is adding a reward to increase the likelihood of a behavior (studying harder for the next test). Positive punishment would involve adding something aversive to decrease a behavior, while negative punishment would involve taking away something desirable to decrease a behavior. Negative reinforcement would involve taking away something aversive to increase a behavior.

Question 2

Whenever baby Colin cries,his mother picks him up.This stops Colin from crying.In turn,this makes Colin's mother pick him up more often.In this example,his mother picking him up serves as a ________ reinforcer for Colin.Colin stopping crying is a ________ reinforcer for the mother.

Accepted Answer

In this scenario, the mother picking up Colin is a positive reinforcer. Positive reinforcers increase the likelihood of a behavior recurring in the future because they involve adding a desirable consequence. Colin stopping crying is not a reinforcer for the mother, as it is not a desirable consequence for the mother; it is simply the absence of an aversive stimulus. Therefore, it is not a reinforcer, negative or positive.

Question 3

A month ago,Jenny was pulled over for speeding,and because it was her third ticket this year,her license was suspended.Jenny just received her license back and vows never to speed again.In this situation,having her license suspended has served as

Accepted Answer

Negative punishment involves removing a desirable stimulus (in this case, Jenny's driving privileges) to decrease a behavior (speeding).

Question 4

Professor Jackson periodically gives his students pop quizzes on the reading assignments.To encourage students to complete the reading assignments,the schedule of reinforcement he should use for the pop quizzes is a ________ schedule.

Accepted Answer

A variable ratio schedule is the most effective schedule of reinforcement for encouraging long-term behavior. This is because the reinforcement is delivered after a varying number of responses, which makes the behavior more resistant to extinction than with other schedules. In this case, if Professor Jackson uses a variable ratio schedule for pop quizzes, students will not know when to expect the quiz, and will be more likely to complete the readings in order to increase their chances of being prepared for the quiz.

Question 5

Reynold believes that reinforcement affects the performance of a behavior more than the acquisition of a behavior.Reynold's belief is consistent with the ideas of the cognitive theorist

Accepted Answer

Edward Tolman's cognitive theory emphasizes the role of reinforcement in shaping and maintaining behaviors, rather than solely acquiring them. Tolman believed that behavior was not simply a result of stimulus-response associations, but also involved cognitive processes such as expectations, goal-setting, and observational learning. Therefore, Reynold's belief aligns with Tolman's perspective that reinforcement plays a crucial role in behavioral performance.

Question 6

If Sheila wants to decrease her dog barking at the cat next door,she should most likely use

Accepted Answer

The answer of If Sheila wants to decrease her dog...

Question 7

Tripp is serving a 10-year prison sentence when he is informed by his parole board that he is getting out of jail early for good behavior.If the early release has the effect of increasing Tripp's good behavior in the future,then decrease of time in prison is an example of

Accepted Answer

Early release for good behavior is an example of negative reinforcement because the removal of the negative stimulus (prolonged time in prison) increases the likelihood of the desired behavior (good behavior in the future).

Question 8

Samantha tells her roommate that negative reinforcement and negative punishment are similar because they

Accepted Answer

Negative reinforcement and negative punishment are both forms of operant conditioning in which a stimulus is removed or taken away. Negative reinforcement occurs when the removal of a stimulus increases the likelihood of a behavior being repeated, while negative punishment occurs when the removal of a stimulus decreases the likelihood of a behavior being repeated. Both involve taking away a stimulus, which is why choice A is the correct answer.

Question 9

Sandra is toilet training her son and only rewards him some of the time when he uses the toilet.Sandra knows that using partial reinforcement creates behaviors that are more enduring than does continuous reinforcement,which is a result of

Accepted Answer

The partial-reinforcement extinction effect is the phenomenon in which behaviors acquired through partial reinforcement are more resistant to extinction compared to those acquired through continuous reinforcement. In this scenario, Sandra is only rewarding her son some of the time, which is an example of partial reinforcement. Therefore, the enduring behavior displayed by her son is likely a result of the partial-reinforcement extinction effect.

Question 10

When explaining to his wife how positive reinforcement and positive punishment are similar,Jackson correctly says that both

Accepted Answer

Both positive reinforcement and positive punishment involve adding a stimulus to modify behavior. Positive reinforcement adds a pleasant stimulus to increase a behavior, while positive punishment adds an unpleasant stimulus to decrease a behavior.

Question 11

Reinforcement that comes after a predetermined amount of time is called a

Accepted Answer

Fixed interval reinforcement schedules involve providing reinforcement after a specific amount of time has elapsed, regardless of how many responses have occurred in that time period. This schedule tends to produce a lower overall response rate, but a higher response rate towards the end of the interval, as the subject knows that reinforcement is upcoming. A predetermined amount of time is a defining feature of fixed interval schedules. Therefore, C is the best choice.

Question 12

For each cart of books that Spencer reshelves in the prison library,he receives a chip.He is allowed to collect chips and then trade them in for candy,extra recreation time,or visitation time.The prison uses a token economy,which is a method of

Accepted Answer

The prison's use of a token economy, specifically rewarding Spencer with chips that he can later trade in for other privileges, is an example of behavior modification. Behavior modification is the process of reinforcing desired behaviors and punishing undesired behaviors in order to change and shape behavior. The other options - A, B, and C - do not accurately describe the method being used in this scenario.

Question 13

Taylor's parents are very inconsistent with their child-rearing practices.Some days,Taylor can get away with climbing onto the back of the couch and jumping off,but other days she is punished.Taylor's parents are reinforcing her behavior on a ________ schedule.

Accepted Answer

Inconsistent reinforcement on a variable interval schedule means that the reinforcement is based on the passage of time, but the amount of time before reinforcement is received is variable. In Taylor's case, there is no set amount of time before she is allowed to jump on the couch or punished for it.

Question 14

Sophia's daughter Melanie is getting "D" grades in several of her classes.To get Melanie to study more,her parents should

Accepted Answer

Punishments and ignoring Melanie will only create negative feelings towards education and studying. Using praise to positively reinforce good study habits will encourage Melanie to continue putting in effort and improve her grades over time. Removing privileges can also create negative feelings and resentment towards studying.

Question 15

In operant conditioning,removing a stimulus to increase a behavior in the future is called

Accepted Answer

In operant conditioning, negative reinforcement involves removing a stimulus to increase a behavior in the future. Positive punishment involves adding a stimulus to decrease a behavior, negative punishment involves removing a stimulus to decrease a behavior, and positive reinforcement involves adding a stimulus to increase a behavior.

Question 16

The Acme Chemical Company has some employees who work in a production plant and some who work in a sales office.The plant workers get paid every Friday;however,the office workers get paid for every fifth sale that they make.The plant workers are paid on a ________ schedule,whereas the office workers are paid on a ________ schedule.

Accepted Answer

The plant workers are paid on a fixed interval schedule because they receive their pay every Friday, which is a set period. The office workers are paid on a fixed ratio schedule because they receive their pay after every fifth sale, which is a set number of responses.

Question 17

Aldo cannot get the answer to a chemistry problem even after sitting at his desk for an hour.He gets up and goes for a walk.Suddenly,even though he appears to have stopped thinking about it for a while,the answer comes to him.Aldo has most likely solved the problem based on

Accepted Answer

Aldo's sudden realization of the answer after a break indicates that he experienced insight learning, which involves sudden problem-solving without conscious awareness or active thinking. This contrasts with latent learning, which involves learning that occurs without any observable behavior or immediate reinforcement. Behavior modification and cognitive maps are not applicable to the situation described.

Question 18

Lenny needs to quickly train his cows to use one specific field when they graze.The reinforcement that will allow the cows to learn most quickly is ________ reinforcement.

Accepted Answer

Continuous reinforcement is the most effective way to quickly train a behavior. In this case, allowing the cows to graze only in the specific field every time will reinforce the behavior and lead to quicker learning. Partial, interval, and fixed reinforcement schedules may lead to slower learning or inconsistent behavior.

Question 19

When wild Arctic wolves hunt,their efforts are only sometimes reinforced because finding food is difficult.The fact that the wolves are only sometimes reinforced for hunting is an example of ________ reinforcement.

Accepted Answer

Partial reinforcement occurs when a behavior is not reinforced every single time it occurs. In the case of the wild Arctic wolves, they are not always successful in finding food when they hunt, so their reinforcement is partial rather than continuous (B). Ratio (C) and fixed (D) reinforcement refer to the types of schedules on which reinforcement is delivered, but do not accurately describe the situation with the wolves.

Question 20

Albert has a beautiful garden in his backyard and notices that hummingbirds feed on the flowers at the same time each day in order to get the most nectar.The hummingbirds are being rewarded for their feeding behavior on a ________ schedule of reinforcement.

Accepted Answer

The fact that the hummingbirds are feeding at the same time each day suggests that they are being reinforced on a fixed interval schedule. In this type of schedule, reinforcement is delivered after a fixed amount of time has elapsed since the last reinforcement, regardless of how much behavior has been emitted during that time. In this case, the hummingbirds receive nectar after a fixed interval of time (i.e. one day), which results in them showing up at the same time each day to engage in feeding behavior. The other types of reinforcement schedules (fixed ratio, variable ratio, and variable interval) would not explain why the hummingbirds consistently feed at the same time each day.

Quiz 6: Learning