Question 1

Let's say you have a hungry cat in your kitchen.You use your electric can opener,which makes a rather loud sound,to open a can of cat food.You have done this many times before.The hungry cat comes running toward the kitchen at the sound of the can opener,not at the sight of the food.In this example,the sound of the can opener is the
A) conditioned stimulus.
B) conditioned response.
C) unconditioned stimulus.
D) unconditioned response.

Accepted Answer

The sound of the can opener is the conditioned stimulus as it has been repeatedly paired with the presentation of food, resulting in the cat associating the sound with food and coming to the kitchen in response to the sound.

Question 2

Frequency and timing of the association of two neutral stimuli are important to the formation of what?
A) classical conditioning
B) unconditioned stimulus
C) shaped behavior
D) Thorndikian learning

Accepted Answer

The association of two neutral stimuli and the frequency and timing of that association are important to the formation of classical conditioning.

Question 3

A fleck of dust or dirt in your eye automatically causes the eye to produce tears to wash out the dirt.If this were part of a classical conditioning experiment,the fleck of dust or dirt would be labeled as the
A) unconditioned stimulus.
B) unconditioned response.
C) conditioned stimulus.
D) conditioned response.

Accepted Answer

In classical conditioning, the unconditioned stimulus is the natural or automatic stimulus that triggers an unconditioned response without any learning involved. In this scenario, the fleck of dust or dirt is the natural stimulus that automatically triggers tears to wash it out, without any prior conditioning. Therefore, it would be labeled as the unconditioned stimulus.

Question 4

A parent brings his 15-month-old to the pediatrician's office for her first shot.The child is happy and playful right up until the time the shot is injected.Now,every time the child sees someone in a white lab coat,she cries in terror.The injection in this scenario served as the
A) conditioned stimulus.
B) unconditioned stimulus.
C) unconditioned response.
D) conditioned response.

Accepted Answer

The injection, which naturally causes pain and fear without prior conditioning, serves as the unconditioned stimulus. The child's fear response to the injection did not need to be learned; it occurred naturally.

Question 5

In order to cry during a particular scene,an actor held a handkerchief soaked in onion juice close to her nose.The onion juice served as a(n)
A) conditioned response.
B) unconditioned response.
C) conditioned stimulus.
D) unconditioned stimulus.

Accepted Answer

The onion juice acts as an unconditioned stimulus because it naturally triggers a reflexive response (crying) without the need for learning.

Question 6

Learning is defined as a _______ change in behavior due to _______.
A) temporary;experience
B) biological;reinforcement
C) relatively permanent;experience
D) biological;maturation

Accepted Answer

Learning involves a relatively permanent change in behavior due to experience, meaning that the individual retains the new knowledge or skill acquisition over time. Temporary changes in behavior are more likely to be classified as reflexes or spontaneous reactions. Biological factors may play a role in learning, but reinforcement (i.e. rewards or punishments) is a more central aspect of the behavioral approach to learning. Maturation refers to the natural developmental changes that occur over time, whereas learning is a process influenced by experience.

Question 7

Some kindergarten children were shown a film on how to brush their teeth.If a change in behavior is not immediately obvious after viewing the instructional film,you may conclude that
A) learning has not occurred.
B) there is a potential for a behavioral change.
C) maturation has interfered with learning.
D) the children were obviously not paying attention.

Accepted Answer

Learning may not immediately translate into behavioral change, but the potential for a behavioral change still exists. It may take some time for the children to integrate the information and apply it to their daily routine.

Question 8

Women who breastfeed their babies often notice that the crying of any infant may result in milk ejection.In this case,the crying of any infant is a(n)
A) unconditioned stimulus.
B) conditioned stimulus.
C) unconditioned response.
D) conditioned response.

Accepted Answer

The crying of any infant becomes a conditioned stimulus because it triggers milk ejection after the mother has learned to associate it with her own baby's need for feeding. Initially, her baby's cry directly stimulates milk ejection (unconditioned response to an unconditioned stimulus), but over time, the sound of any baby crying can trigger the same response, making it a conditioned stimulus.

Question 9

In an experiment,participants are to learn a classically conditioned response.Which of the following will occur on the first learning trial?
A) The participant cannot make a UCR.
B) The UCR will elicit a CS.
C) The CS will not elicit a CR.
D) The CS will elicit a UCR.

Accepted Answer

On the first learning trial, the conditioned stimulus (CS) has not yet been associated with the unconditioned stimulus (US) to elicit the conditioned response (CR). Therefore, the CS will not elicit a CR until after several pairings of the CS and US.

Question 10

In Pavlov's classic studies with dogs and digestion,what was the response that Pavlov measured?
A) amount of food presented
B) footsteps in the laboratory
C) sound of a metrodome
D) amount of salivation

Accepted Answer

Pavlov measured the amount of salivation in his classic studies with dogs and digestion. He conditioned the dogs to salivate at the sound of a metronome by repeatedly pairing the sound with the presentation of food. Eventually, the dogs began to salivate at the sound of the metronome even when no food was present, demonstrating classical conditioning.

Question 11

In classical conditioning,an unlearned,inborn reaction to an unconditioned stimulus is a(n)
A) unconditioned stimulus.
B) conditioned stimulus.
C) unconditioned response.
D) conditioned response.

Accepted Answer

An unlearned, inborn reaction to an unconditioned stimulus is called an unconditioned response.

Question 12

In classical conditioning,which of the following is true of the unconditioned stimulus?
A) It becomes associated with the response after learning.
B) It causes the response only in the presence of the conditioned stimulus.
C) It elicits the response without any learning.
D) It is emitted by the unconditioned response.

Accepted Answer

The unconditioned stimulus refers to a stimulus that naturally triggers a response without any prior learning or conditioning. Therefore, option C is the correct statement. Option A is incorrect because the unconditioned stimulus is already associated with the response without any learning. Option B is incorrect because the unconditioned stimulus is not dependent on the presence of the conditioned stimulus. Option D is also incorrect because the emission of the unconditioned response is not related to the unconditioned stimulus.

Question 13

Pavlov found that a neutral stimulus was more likely to produce dogs to salivate if the stimulus
A) was delivered on a variable interval schedule.
B) positively reinforced salivation.
C) and food were frequently associated.
D) followed the salivation by 1 second.

Accepted Answer

This answer is supported by Pavlov's findings that the neutral stimulus (such as a bell) became associated with food through classical conditioning, leading to dogs salivating at the sound of the bell alone. Therefore, the neutral stimulus and food were frequently associated, and this association led to the change in the dog's response.

Question 14

When a baby is born,it shows no preference for its father's voice,but after a month of living with Dad,a baby will show a clear preference for Dad's voice over other men's voices.This new preference is an example of
A) maturation.
B) genetics.
C) insight.
D) learning.

Accepted Answer

The clear preference for Dad's voice over other men's voices after a month of living with Dad is an example of learning. The baby has been exposed to Dad's voice more frequently than other men's voices, which has led to the development of a preference for that voice. This process of learning and developing preferences is an important aspect of human development.

Question 15

An essential factor in the definition of learning is that the learned behavior
A) must result from maturation.
B) must be unmotivated.
C) has a biological cause.
D) is relatively permanent.

Accepted Answer

The definition of learning includes that the learned behavior is relatively permanent. Options A, B, and C do not accurately reflect the defining characteristic of learning.

Question 16

A major league baseball pitcher changes his arm strength by taking steroids,which in turn changes his pitching.Is this change in pitching due to learning?
A) No,because the change was not due to experience.
B) No,because arm strength has nothing to do with pitching.
C) Yes,because the pitcher learned to take steroids.
D) Yes,because changes from steroids are permanent.

Accepted Answer

Learning refers to changes in behavior or performance as a result of experience. In this scenario, the change in pitching is due to a physical alteration caused by taking steroids, not due to any learned skill or experience.

Question 17

Let's say you have a hungry cat in your kitchen.You use your electric can opener,which makes a rather loud sound,to open a can of cat food.You have done this many times before.The hungry cat runs toward the plate of food when it sees it being set on the floor.In this example,the placement of the food on the floor is a/n
A) conditioned stimulus.
B) conditioned response.
C) unconditioned stimulus.
D) unconditioned response.

Accepted Answer

The unconditioned stimulus is something that naturally and automatically triggers a response without any learning involved. In this case, the food itself is the unconditioned stimulus because it naturally causes the cat to come towards it to eat, without the cat having to learn that the food is desirable.

Question 18

Let's say you have a hungry cat in your kitchen.You use your electric can opener,which makes a rather loud sound,to open a can of cat food.You have done this many times before.The hungry cat comes running toward the kitchen at the sound of the can opener,not at the sight of the food.In this example,the running into the kitchen at the sound of the can opener is the
A) conditioned stimulus.
B) conditioned response.
C) unconditioned stimulus.
D) unconditioned response.

Accepted Answer

The cat's running into the kitchen at the sound of the can opener is a learned response to the sound, which has become a conditioned stimulus. Therefore, the correct answer is B - conditioned response.

Question 19

Using Pavlov's idea of learning through association,a/n ______ stimulus comes to elicit a response over time.
A) learned
B) original
C) neutral
D) inborn

Accepted Answer

According to Pavlov's theory, a neutral stimulus (such as a bell or a tone) can become a learned stimulus through association with an unconditioned stimulus (such as food), eventually eliciting a response (such as salivation) on its own.

Question 20

In Pavlov's experiments,which condition of association produced the best results?
A) when the metronome preceded the food powder by 10 seconds
B) when the food powder and metronome were presented simultaneously
C) when the food powder preceded the metronome by 10 seconds
D) when the metronome preceded the food powder by 1/2 second

Accepted Answer

In Pavlov's experiments, the most effective conditioning occurred when the conditioned stimulus (metronome) preceded the unconditioned stimulus (food powder) by a short interval, such as 1/2 second, allowing the association to be formed effectively.

Quiz 7: Basic Principles of Learning

Frequency and timing of the association of two neutral stimuli are important to the formation of what?

A fleck of dust or dirt in your eye automatically causes the eye to produce tears to wash out the dirt.If this were part of a classical conditioning experiment,the fleck of dust or dirt would be labeled as the

A parent brings his 15-month-old to the pediatrician's office for her first shot.The child is happy and playful right up until the time the shot is injected.Now,every time the child sees someone in a white lab coat,she cries in terror.The injection in this scenario served as the

In order to cry during a particular scene,an actor held a handkerchief soaked in onion juice close to her nose.The onion juice served as a(n)

Learning is defined as a _ change in behavior due to _.

Some kindergarten children were shown a film on how to brush their teeth.If a change in behavior is not immediately obvious after viewing the instructional film,you may conclude that

Women who breastfeed their babies often notice that the crying of any infant may result in milk ejection.In this case,the crying of any infant is a(n)

In an experiment,participants are to learn a classically conditioned response.Which of the following will occur on the first learning trial?

In Pavlov's classic studies with dogs and digestion,what was the response that Pavlov measured?

In classical conditioning,an unlearned,inborn reaction to an unconditioned stimulus is a(n)

In classical conditioning,which of the following is true of the unconditioned stimulus?

Pavlov found that a neutral stimulus was more likely to produce dogs to salivate if the stimulus

When a baby is born,it shows no preference for its father's voice,but after a month of living with Dad,a baby will show a clear preference for Dad's voice over other men's voices.This new preference is an example of

An essential factor in the definition of learning is that the learned behavior

A major league baseball pitcher changes his arm strength by taking steroids,which in turn changes his pitching.Is this change in pitching due to learning?

Using Pavlov's idea of learning through association,a/n ______ stimulus comes to elicit a response over time.

In Pavlov's experiments,which condition of association produced the best results?