Question 1

Shelby rarely interacts with her peers. She is obviously quite lonely but apparently has no confidence in her ability to make friends. Using a behaviorist perspective, describe how you might help Shelby develop social skills through shaping. In your discussion, be sure to include:
a. The specific behavior(s) you would shape
b. A specific reinforcer you might use, and why you make the choice you do
c. The sequence of steps you might take as you shape the desired behavior

Accepted Answer

The answer of Shelby rarely interacts with her peers. She...

Question 2

You are giving tennis lessons to a beginning tennis player. Describe how you would teach the proper tennis swing through shaping. Specify:
a. A reasonable end result toward which you would work
b. A reinforcer you might use
c. The specific steps you would take during shaping
d. When you would use continuous reinforcement
e. When you would use intermittent reinforcement

Accepted Answer

The answer of You are giving tennis lessons to a...

Question 3

A teacher claps his hands together loudly three times as a way of reminding his students that they need to talk more quietly during their free time at the end of the day. In behaviorist terminology, his strategy can best be described as:

Accepted Answer

Cueing refers to using a specific signal or cue to elicit a particular behavior. In this case, the teacher is using the sound of clapping hands as a cue for the students to talk more quietly. An intermittent schedule refers to reinforcing a behavior only sometimes rather than every time, which does not apply in this situation. Negative reinforcement refers to removing an aversive stimulus to increase a behavior, which is not the case here. A setting event refers to an environmental variable that affects behavior, such as hunger or fatigue, which is also not applicable in this scenario.

Question 4

A mother has been paying her daughter Melissa one dollar an hour to shovel snow off the driveway. At the end of January, the mother raises the rate to two dollars an hour. Based on research related to contrast effects, we can predict that Melissa will probably:

Accepted Answer

Contrast effects suggest that Melissa will perceive the increased rate as a significant improvement from her previous wage, making the task more appealing and motivating her to shovel more snow than if the pay had always been two dollars an hour.

Question 5

Distinguish among positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, Punishment I, and Punishment II. Give an example of each.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Distinguish among positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, Punishment...

Question 6

Avoidance responses are extremely difficult to eliminate. Explain why this is so, and describe two different procedures that can effectively reduce or eliminate avoidance behavior.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Avoidance responses are extremely difficult to eliminate....

Question 7

A physics teacher wants her students to work on several difficult physics problems that involve calculating velocity, acceleration, or time using the formula v = a $\times$ t. The teacher first has her students work on a few easy problems involving the formula. She then presents the more difficult problems; when she does so, she finds that her students are reasonably persistent in working at the problems, and most of them eventually solve the problems correctly. By using the easy problems to promote persistence in her students during the more difficult ones, the teacher is, in behaviorist terminology, using the concept of:

Accepted Answer

Behavioral momentum refers to the idea that the likelihood of a behavior occurring in the future is influenced by the strength and persistence of past behavior. By starting with easier problems and gradually increasing the difficulty, the teacher is building momentum and persistence in her students' problem-solving behavior, which increases the likelihood that they will continue to work on the more difficult problems.

Question 8

In each of the following situations, a person is learning through either reinforcement or punishment. Classify each situation as involving one of these four consequences: positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, Punishment I, or Punishment II. Then explain why you chose the answer you did.
a. Because Danielle fails her math class, she is taken off the school dance squad.
b. Joe always does his homework assignments as soon as he gets them so he won't have to worry about them anymore.
c. Lisa and Fran are giggling together in the back of the classroom. Their teacher scowls at them. They are embarrassed and shut up.
d. A teacher finds that by yelling at her students when they get too rowdy, they will settle down and be quiet for a while. (Focus on what is happening to the teacher.)

Accepted Answer

The answer of In each of the following situations, a...

Question 9

A member of your family never volunteers to wash the dishes after dinner. Explain how you might use shaping to teach dishwashing to this family member. Identify the reinforcer you would use, and describe your procedure in a step-by-step fashion.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A member of your family never volunteers...

Question 10

Mark's previous girlfriend always told him how handsome he looked whenever he wore his green sweater. Tonight Mark is going out with a new girlfriend and puts on the same green sweater. In behaviorist terminology, Mark is:

Accepted Answer

Mark is exhibiting generalization by associating the positive reinforcement (compliments from his previous girlfriend) with the green sweater itself, rather than specifically with his previous girlfriend.

Question 11

Which one of the following teacher statements best illustrates cueing?

Accepted Answer

Cueing involves giving students a direction or hint to help them stay on task. Option C gives a clear direction to students for how they can be the first ones to be dismissed. Options A, B, and D do not involve cueing.

Question 12

Stacey dislikes physical education class because her classmates tease her about her lack of strength and coordination. One day Stacey unintentionally hits one of her classmates, and the teacher sends her to the principal's office for the remainder of the class time. Stacey becomes increasingly aggressive in class and so spends more and more time in the principal's office. Use one or more concepts and/or principles from behaviorism to explain why Stacey has become more (rather than less) aggressive.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Stacey dislikes physical education class because her...

Question 13

Explain the difference between continuous reinforcement and intermittent reinforcement. When is each most useful?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain the difference between continuous reinforcement and...

Question 14

A teacher wants to encourage her students to work cooperatively with one another as they study classroom subject matter. If she were to use the concept of a setting event to encourage such cooperative behavior, she would:

Accepted Answer

Providing instructional materials that students can use only by working together creates a setting event that promotes cooperative behavior. The students are motivated to work with one another because they need each other to complete the task, and they may experience a sense of interdependence and shared responsibility. Options A and C may provide positive feedback for cooperative behavior, but they do not create a setting event. Option B may create some frustration or conflict, but it does not necessarily promote cooperative behavior.

Question 15

Three of the following statements reflect contemporary perspectives of instrumental conditioning and reinforcement. Which one does not?

Accepted Answer

This statement is not reflective of contemporary perspectives on instrumental conditioning and reinforcement, as punishment is generally considered to be less effective than reinforcement in changing behavior.

Quiz 4: Instrumental Conditioning