Question 1

Traffic lights serve as discriminative stimuli for the operant behaviour of driving.

Accepted Answer

Traffic lights act as discriminative stimuli for driving behavior, as they signal specific behavior based on their color (e.g. green = go, yellow = caution, red = stop).

Question 2

The fact that the principles of conditioning are routinely applied in homes, businesses, schools, and factories show that the causes of behavior are multifactorial.

Accepted Answer

The application of conditioning principles in various settings demonstrates the effectiveness of behavioral modification techniques, not necessarily the multifactorial causes of behavior.

Question 3

Resistance to extinction occurs when a previously extinguished response reappears after a period of non-exposure to the conditioned stimulus.

Accepted Answer

Resistance to extinction refers to the persistence of a learned behavior (response) even when reinforcement is no longer provided, not to the reappearance of a behavior after a period of non-exposure.

Question 4

What are stimulus generalisation and stimulus discrimination? Why are they important?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What are stimulus generalisation and stimulus discrimination?...

Question 5

Imagine that you have a roommate who is a slob and you would like to change this behaviour. From your knowledge of conditioning principles how would you encourage and reinforce their behaviour?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Imagine that you have a roommate who...

Question 6

Describe how negative reinforcement differs from punishment.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe how negative reinforcement differs from punishment....

Question 7

In positive reinforcement the response is strengthened as a result of the presentation of an unpleasant stimulus; in negative reinforcement a response is strengthened as a result of the removal of a desirable stimulus.

Accepted Answer

In positive reinforcement, the response is strengthened as a result of the presentation of a desirable stimulus, and in negative reinforcement, the response is strengthened as a result of the removal of an unpleasant stimulus. The question has switched the definitions.

Question 8

Learning theorists argue that learning takes place through conditioning. Describe the two types of conditioning discussed in your text.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Learning theorists argue that learning takes place...

Question 9

What is extinction? How does it differ from forgetting?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is extinction? How does it differ...

Question 10

How do psychologists define learning?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How do psychologists define learning?...

Question 11

Kelly's parents always leave her with the same babysitter when they go out. Within minutes of the babysitter's arrival her parent are gone. Kelly's babysitter arrives at her birthday party; as soon as Kelly sees her she begins to cry. Using the principles of classical conditioning, explain why Kelly cried when she saw the babysitter.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Kelly's parents always leave her with the...

Question 12

Explain how a specific phobia could be acquired through classical conditioning, being sure to identify the unconditioned stimulus, unconditioned response, conditioned stimulus, and conditioned response in your example. Also, using classical conditioning, indicate how the phobia could be eliminated.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain how a specific phobia could be...

Question 13

Given the research findings in this chapter, explain how you would respond to your own children when they did things you did that you did not want them to do. When would you use positive reinforcement? When would you use punishment to teach them things? When would you use negative reinforcement? What kinds of reinforcement schedules would you use? (Be sure that you clearly differentiate between reinforcement and punishment, negative and positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement and punishment)

Accepted Answer

The answer of Given the research findings in this chapter,...

Question 14

Clearly differentiate between reinforcement and punishment.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Clearly differentiate between reinforcement and punishment....

Question 15

Negative reinforcement and punishment are similar in that they both weaken the tendency of the organism to make a response.

Accepted Answer

Negative reinforcement strengthens a behavior by removing an unpleasant stimulus when the behavior occurs, while punishment weakens a behavior by introducing an unpleasant stimulus or removing a pleasant one in response to the behavior.

Question 16

Briefly describe observational learning, and explain how it relates to classical and operant conditioning.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Briefly describe observational learning, and explain how...

Quiz 6: Conditioning and Learning