Question 1

Which scenario is an example of habituation?
A) A cat learns that the sound of the electric can opener means that she will be fed soon.
B) A child learns how to turn on the television by watching his father.
C) An infant gradually stops paying attention to a continuous buzzing noise.
D) A dog learns not to chew on his owner's slippers after he is scolded.

Accepted Answer

Habituation is the decreasing responsiveness to a repeatedly presented stimulus. In this scenario, the infant stops paying attention to the continuous buzzing noise over time, which is an example of habituation.

The other scenarios involve learning through classical conditioning (A), observational learning (B), and punishment (D). While they may involve changes in behavior, they are not specifically related to habituation.

Question 2

Winston turns the water off in the shower when he hears someone flush a toilet so he will not get scalded.However,he does not do this when he hears someone turn on the bathroom sink faucet because he knows it will not scald him.This is because of stimulus ____.
A) generalization
B) reconditioning
C) predictability
D) discrimination

Accepted Answer

Winston is able to discriminate between different stimuli, such as the sound of a toilet flushing versus the sound of a sink faucet turning on. He has learned through experience that one stimulus (toilet flushing) is associated with a risk of being scalded in the shower, while the other stimulus (sink faucet turning on) is not. Therefore, he only responds by turning off the shower when he hears the stimulus that he has learned is associated with the risk of being scalded (toilet flushing), demonstrating stimulus discrimination.

Question 3

Sniffy,the rat,has been taught to press a bar in a cage to receive food.The behavior disappears,though,when Sniffy stops receiving food following bar-pressing.Several days later,Sniffy is placed in the cage again,and he immediately began to press the bar.The reappearance of this response is called ____.
A) reconditioning
B) acquisition
C) instantaneous learning
D) spontaneous recovery

Accepted Answer

The reappearance of the response after the behavior has disappeared is known as spontaneous recovery. This occurs after a rest period or after extinction. Choice A, reconditioning, refers to the process of relearning a behavior that has been conditioned before, usually faster than the initial learning. Choice B, acquisition, refers to the process of learning a new behavior. Choice C, instantaneous learning, suggests that the behavior is learned immediately, which is unlikely in most cases.

Question 4

Shamir reflexively kicks his leg when the doctor taps him on the knee.Then,the doctor begins saying the word "Help" and then tapping Shamir on the knee.After forty-five trials of first saying "Help," followed immediately by tapping the knee,on the forty-sixth trial,Shamir kicks his leg after hearing the word "Help." In this example,the word "Help" is the ____,and Shamir kicking his leg in response to the word "Help" is the ____.
A) unconditioned stimulus; unconditioned response
B) unconditioned stimulus; conditioned response
C) conditioned stimulus; unconditioned response
D) conditioned stimulus; conditioned response

Accepted Answer

The word "Help" becomes a conditioned stimulus because Shamir learned to associate it with the knee tap, and his kicking in response to "Help" alone is a conditioned response, as it is a learned reaction to the conditioned stimulus.

Question 5

In psychology,learning is best defined as ____.
A) the modification through experience of preexisting behavior and understanding
B) the systematic organization of information that facilitates later recall and use
C) a temporary change in behavior that results from past experience
D) the adaptation of instinctual responses to new environments

Accepted Answer

Learning is typically defined as a relatively permanent change in behavior or understanding that results from experience or practice. This definition describes how preexisting behaviors or understandings can be modified through the accumulation of new information or practice. Options B and D describe memory and adaptation, respectively, but do not fully capture the complexity of the learning process. Option C suggests that the change in behavior is temporary, which is not always the case in learning.

Question 6

According to Solomon's opponent-process theory,extended heroin use creates a conditioned bodily response that ____ the "high" that the user experiences.
A) intensifies
B) prolongs
C) neutralizes
D) causes

Accepted Answer

According to Solomon's opponent-process theory, extended drug use leads to a conditioned response that is opposite to the initial drug effects. In the case of heroin, the initial effect is a euphoric "high," but the prolonged use conditions the body to produce an opposing response that neutralizes this high. Therefore, the correct answer is C, neutralizes.

Question 7

Every time Bert slices onions,the onions burn his eyes and tears run down his face.One day,he opens the silverware drawer,pulls out the knife that he uses only to peel onions,and immediately starts to shed tears from the sight of the knife.In this situation,the onion is the ____,and the knife is the __________.
A) conditioned stimulus; unconditioned stimulus
B) unconditioned stimulus; conditioned stimulus
C) conditioned response; unconditioned response
D) unconditioned response; conditioned response

Accepted Answer

The onion is the unconditioned stimulus because it naturally causes Bert's eyes to tear up. The knife is the conditioned stimulus because it has become associated with the experience of cutting onions and now elicits the same response of tears even without the presence of the onion. Therefore, the best choice is B, where the onion is the unconditioned stimulus and the knife is the conditioned stimulus.

Question 8

Lenny cannot reach the bathroom shelf where his father keeps the electric toothbrush,but he continues trying,day after day.After seeing his brother use a stool to open the kitchen cupboards,Lenny pushes the stool into the bathroom and uses it to finally get the toothbrush.How would Lenny's behavior be classified by learning theorists?
A) Lenny's new behavior is the result of maturation, not learning.
B) Lenny has learned how to reach the bathroom shelf through associative learning.
C) Lenny has learned to compare his own physical growth with highplaces.
D) Lenny was classically conditioned to use stools to extend his reach.

Accepted Answer

Lenny's behavior can be classified as associative learning, where he observed his brother using a stool to reach high places and applied the same technique to reach the shelf where his father kept the electric toothbrush. Lenny's behavior is not a result of maturation, as he had not grown tall enough to reach the shelf on his own. Classical conditioning is not involved in this scenario. Lenny also did not compare his physical growth with high places.

Question 9

Baby Abbey is playing with her favorite toy rattle when her mom drops an armful of pots and pans behind her.The loud noise makes her startle and cry.Subsequently,on seeing her rattle,she cries.However,Mom continues to give Baby Abbey her favorite rattle and doesn't drop any more pots and pans.We can expect that Baby Abbey's crying when seeing the rattle willsoon be ____.
A) extinguished
B) generalized
C) continued through intermittent reinforcement
D) decreased because of spontaneous recovery

Accepted Answer

Extinction refers to the process of weakening and eventually eliminating a conditioned response by withholding reinforcement. In this scenario, Baby Abbey's crying when seeing the rattle is a conditioned response caused by the loud noise that initially startled her. However, if she is consistently given the rattle without any further negative reinforcement (i.e. no more pots and pans being dropped), the association between the rattle and the loud noise will gradually weaken and eventually be extinguished. Therefore, the best choice is A.

Question 10

Dr.Evil presents the sound of a buzzer to his pet rabbit,and he follows it with the delivery of a small electric shock.After repeated pairings of the buzzer and shock,the rabbit learns to fear the sound of buzzers.Dr.Evil then proceeds to extinguish the rabbit's fear of buzzers.Now suppose that,after extinction,Dr.Evil decides to present the buzzer and shock to the rabbit once again.After only a few pairings,the rabbit will demonstrate ____ and fear the buzzer again.
A) stimulus generalization
B) spontaneous recovery
C) stimulus discrimination
D) reconditioning

Accepted Answer

Reconditioning occurs when a previously extinguished response is relearned at a faster rate than it was originally learned, which is what happens when the rabbit quickly relearns to fear the buzzer after it is paired again with the shock.

Question 11

After Maria drank coffee for the first time in her life,she felt more awake.She then begandrinking coffee every morning.Now when she even smells coffee,she feels more awake.Feeling more awake after just smelling the coffee is the ____.
A) conditioned stimulus
B) unconditioned stimulus
C) conditioned response
D) unconditioned response

Accepted Answer

The feeling of being more awake after smelling coffee is a learned response to the conditioned stimulus (the smell of coffee) which is the result of classical conditioning. Therefore, the correct choice is conditioned response (C).

Question 12

A relatively permanent change in behavior or knowledge due to experience is known as ____.
A) maturation
B) instinct
C) learning
D) consciousness

Accepted Answer

Maturation refers to natural development over time, instinct is an innate behavior that does not require learning or experience, and consciousness refers to awareness and perception. Learning involves acquiring knowledge or modifying existing behavior through experience, making it the best choice.

Question 13

Bertha becomes conditioned to cry every time she sees an onion chopper because she associates it with cutting onions,which always make her eyes water.For weeks,the onion cutter sits on the counter with no onions.Eventually,she never cries when she sees the cutter.Then the onion cutter disappears for two months,and when Bertha sees it again for the first time,she begins to cry.This response is known as ____.
A) positive reinforcement
B) negative reinforcement
C) spontaneous recovery
D) reconditioning

Accepted Answer

Spontaneous recovery is the reappearance of a previously extinguished conditioned response after a rest period. In this scenario, Bertha's conditioned response to cry when seeing the onion chopper had previously been extinguished after weeks of the chopper being present without any onions. However, when the chopper reappeared after a two-month absence, Bertha experienced spontaneous recovery and began to cry again. Choice A and B are incorrect because neither positive nor negative reinforcement is occurring in this scenario. Choice D is incorrect because there is no indication of Bertha undergoing reconditioning (also known as second-order conditioning) in this scenario.

Question 14

When Ken kisses Barbie,his heart races.For a month,Barbie snapped her fingers just before she kissed him.She stopped snapping her fingers,but now,whenever Ken hears someone snapping their fingers,his heart begins to race.This is an example of ____ conditioning,and finger snapping is the ____.
A) classical; conditioned stimulus
B) operant; conditioned stimulus
C) classical; primary reinforcer
D) operant; primary reinforcer

Accepted Answer

This is an example of classical conditioning, as Ken's physiological response (his racing heart) is being triggered by a previously neutral stimulus (finger snapping) that was paired with the conditioned stimulus (Barbie's kisses). In this scenario, the finger snapping is the conditioned stimulus.

Question 15

Every time Brandy drops a cricket into the cage of her pet tarantula,Chompers,he begins to salivate.Brandy has gotten in the habit of playing her favorite CD when she feeds Chompers.After several pairings of the cricket and her favorite CD,all Brandy has to do is play the CD and Chompers begins to salivate.In this example,Chompers salivating to the cricket is a(n)____.
A) unconditioned stimulus
B) conditioned stimulus
C) unconditioned response
D) conditioned response

Accepted Answer

Chompers salivating to the cricket is an unconditioned response because it is a natural, unlearned reaction to the unconditioned stimulus (the cricket).

Question 16

If a tone is sounded each time a puff of air is delivered to the eye,the tone alone will eventually produce eye blinks.In this example,the ____ is the conditioned stimulus and the ____is the conditioned response.
A) puff of air; eye blink response to the puff of air
B) puff of air; eye blink response to the tone
C) tone; eye blink response to the puff of air
D) tone; eye blink response to the tone

Accepted Answer

In classical conditioning, the conditioned stimulus (CS) is the one that originally does not elicit a strong or natural response but comes to do so through association with an unconditioned stimulus (US). In this case, the tone, which initially does not cause eye blinking, becomes associated with the puff of air (the US that naturally causes blinking). Therefore, the tone becomes the conditioned stimulus, and the eye blink in response to the tone (not the air puff) becomes the conditioned response (CR).

Question 17

Andre is participating in a psychology study.He is sitting alone in a room and every few seconds,a bright light flashes in front of him.When the light flashes,he blinks.After a while,a phone rings right before the flash of light.Soon,Andre blinks when the phone rings.In this example,the conditioned stimulus is the ____.
A) phone ringing
B) flash of light
C) blinking after the flash
D) blinking after the ringing

Accepted Answer

The conditioned stimulus is the phone ringing because it is the stimulus that is being paired with the flash of light, which is the unconditioned stimulus. The blinking response that occurs after the flash of light is the conditioned response, which is a learned behavior.

Question 18

Ignoring the attention-getting behavior of hyperactive children can be a helpful tool to classroom teachers because often,the frequency of the misbehavior will decrease and even stop.What operant conditioning process does this technique most utilize?
A) negative reinforcement
B) shaping
C) stimulus discrimination
D) extinction

Accepted Answer

Ignoring the attention-getting behavior is a form of extinction, which is the process of reducing the frequency or eliminating the occurrence of a behavior by withholding reinforcement. In this case, the reinforcement the child seeks is attention, so by not acknowledging the behavior, the reinforcement is no longer present, and the behavior will likely decrease or stop. Negative reinforcement involves removing an aversive stimulus to increase or maintain a behavior, shaping involves gradually reinforcing successive approximations of a desired behavior, and stimulus discrimination is the ability to distinguish between different stimuli and respond differently based on those differences. None of these processes accurately describe the technique of ignoring attention-seeking behavior.

Question 19

In an experiment,a flash of light is paired with a mild electric shock to a subject's finger.After several trials,the subject begins to pull the finger away after seeing the flash of light.The experimenter then begins to present just the flash,but with no shock.After several trials of the latter,the subject will ____.
A) keep pulling his finger away after seeing the light
B) pull his finger away sometimes but not others
C) gradually cease pulling his finger away after the flash of light
D) pull his finger away more quickly on each trial

Accepted Answer

This phenomenon is called classical conditioning. The subject learns to associate the flash of light with the electric shock and therefore pulls their finger away. However, if the shock is no longer presented, eventually the subject will learn that the flash of light no longer predicts the shock and will stop pulling their finger away. This is known as extinction. Therefore, the subject will gradually cease pulling their finger away after the flash of light.

Question 20

As the months pass,Kurt begins taking more and more heroin as each dose doesn't seem to give him the same high.Eventually,Kurt is addicted to heroin.According to opponent-process theory,____ may be the basis of Kurt's dangerous addiction.
A) sensitization
B) learning
C) habituation
D) classical conditioning

Accepted Answer

According to opponent-process theory, habituation refers to the diminishing response to a repeated stimulus, which in the context of drug use, means that Kurt needs more heroin to achieve the same effect, leading to increased use and addiction.

Quiz 5: Learning

Which scenario is an example of habituation?

Winston turns the water off in the shower when he hears someone flush a toilet so he will not get scalded.However,he does not do this when he hears someone turn on the bathroom sink faucet because he knows it will not scald him.This is because of stimulus ____.

In psychology,learning is best defined as ____.

According to Solomon's opponent-process theory,extended heroin use creates a conditioned bodily response that ____ the "high" that the user experiences.

After Maria drank coffee for the first time in her life,she felt more awake.She then begandrinking coffee every morning.Now when she even smells coffee,she feels more awake.Feeling more awake after just smelling the coffee is the ____.

A relatively permanent change in behavior or knowledge due to experience is known as ____.

When Ken kisses Barbie,his heart races.For a month,Barbie snapped her fingers just before she kissed him.She stopped snapping her fingers,but now,whenever Ken hears someone snapping their fingers,his heart begins to race.This is an example of conditioning,and finger snapping is the .

If a tone is sounded each time a puff of air is delivered to the eye,the tone alone will eventually produce eye blinks.In this example,the is the conditioned stimulus and the is the conditioned response.

Ignoring the attention-getting behavior of hyperactive children can be a helpful tool to classroom teachers because often,the frequency of the misbehavior will decrease and even stop.What operant conditioning process does this technique most utilize?

As the months pass,Kurt begins taking more and more heroin as each dose doesn't seem to give him the same high.Eventually,Kurt is addicted to heroin.According to opponent-process theory,____ may be the basis of Kurt's dangerous addiction.