Deck 4: Learning and Performance Management

Question 1

Crystal is the manager of a local beauty supply store. She allows her employees to handle customer complaints in the manner they think will best solve the situation. Crystal has empowered her employees.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

According to "Across Cultures Competency," sending yellow roses in France is considered inappropriate because the color yellow symbolizes infidelity.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

The end result of an individual going through a classical conditioning process is a

A) conditioned stimulus.
B) conditioned response.
C) voluntary stimulus.
D) voluntary response.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

The relatively permanent change in knowledge or observable behavior that results from practice or experience is referred to as

A) conditioning.
B) reinforcement.
C) learning.
D) punishment.

Question 5

Most everyday behaviors such as walking and talking are the result of classical conditioning.

Question 6

A kaizen is a suggestion that results in safety, cost, or quality improvements.

Question 7

In "Teams Competency: Steelcase Inc.," the implementation of teams at Steelcase has made its workers more productive.

Question 8

A relatively permanent change in knowledge or observable behavior that results from practice or experience is called conditioning.

Question 9

"Ethics Competency: Spanked at the Bank," highlights the effective use of punishment by Changzhi Zhangze Rural Commercial Bank.

Question 10

Positive reinforcement will increase the frequency of employee behavior; negative reinforcement will not.

Question 11

The terms reinforcement and reward are interchangeable.

Question 12

Because state lotteries pay out whenever a person selects the right combination of numbers, the lotteries utilize a fixed ratio schedule.

Question 13

In "Ethics Competency: Time Off for Bad Behavior," male inmates who participate in rehab programs for substance abuse are less likely to commit another crime or relapse into future drug abuse.

Question 14

At the staff meeting, Camille explained the new safety rules to her employees and told them that if an employee does not follow the new rules, he or she will be placed on probation. In this scenario, the safety rules are an antecedent.

Question 15

Which learning theory is LEAST likely to be used in work settings?

A) operant conditioning
B) classical conditioning
C) contingency of reinforcement
D) social learning

Question 16

Based on "Learning From Experience: Driving at Uber," which of the following statements regarding Uber is NOT TRUE?

A) For Uber drivers the benefits the company provides are more important than the pay that they receive.
B) Uber drivers are not employees, but are independent contractors.
C) Uber was rated the "Most Important Private Company of 2016."
D) Uber drivers can earn higher fares if they choose to drive when surge prices are charged.

Question 17

Knowledge acquisition through the mental processing of information by observing and imitating others is the premise behind social learning theory.

Question 18

In "Learning From Experience: Driving for Uber," the transportation network company, Uber Technologies has yet to expand into the international market.

Question 19

Primary reinforcers will always act as a reinforcer in any given situation.

Question 20

The process by which individuals learn to link the information from a neutral stimulus to a stimulus that causes a response is called

A) negative reinforcement.
B) classical conditioning.
C) positive reinforcement.
D) operant conditioning.

Question 21

Regarding the size of a reinforcer, it should be understood that

A) the significance of the size of a reinforcer varies with each individual.
B) reinforcers must always be large in order to be effective.
C) the size of the reinforcer is not what is important, it is the timing of the reinforcer.
D) the larger the amount of the reinforcer, the less effect it will have on the frequency of the desired behavior.

Question 22

The removal of all reinforcing events is referred to as

A) withdrawal.
B) extinction.
C) aversion.
D) escaping.

Question 23

______ occurs when an unpleasant event that precedes the employee behavior is removed when the desired behavior occurs.

A) Negative reinforcement
B) Punishment
C) Positive reinforcement
D) Extinction

Question 24

What is the premise behind escape learning?

A) Employees will "escape" any situation that does not lend itself to positive reinforcement or the attainment of a reward.
B) A reinforcer must be administered only if the desired behavior is performed.
C) An unpleasant event will occur until an employee performs a behavior that will terminate it.
D) All reinforcing events should be removed; employees don't need reinforcers in order to learn proper behavior.

Question 25

Which of the following statements regarding reinforcement and rewards is TRUE?

A) An individual's culture influences whether a reward acts as a reinforcer.
B) The terms reinforcement and reward can be used interchangeably.
C) To qualify as a reinforcer, a reward must decrease the frequency of the behavior it follows.
D) Rewards seldom act as reinforcers, even if the behavior occurs frequently.

Question 26

The premise behind operant conditioning is the learning of ______ behavior.

A) negative
B) conditioned
C) voluntary
D) routine

Question 27

A contingency of reinforcement consists of which three elements?

A) unconditioned stimulus, conditioned stimulus, conditional response
B) reinforcement, behavior, reward
C) symbolizing, forethought, self-control
D) antecedent, behavior, and consequence

Question 28

How does a response in operant conditioning become a learned behavior?

A) when the response leads to a particular consequence that is strengthened each time it is reinforced
B) when a conditioned stimulus is paired with a unconditioned stimulus to produce a conditional response
C) when an individual imitates behavior that he or she observes
D) when rules or other environmental events dictate appropriate behavior

Question 29

A contingency of reinforcement can be described as

A) the process by which individuals learn voluntary behavior.
B) knowledge acquisition through the mental processing of information by observing and imitating others.
C) the relationship between a behavior and the preceding and following environmental events that influence that behavior.
D) the process by which individuals learn to link the information from a neutral stimulus to a stimulus that causes a response.

Question 30

______ is a behavioral contingency that increases the frequency of a particular behavior that it follows.

A) Aversion
B) A reward
C) A consequence
D) Reinforcement

Question 31

Core benefits, optional benefits, and other benefits are the three categories of ______ reinforcers.

A) primary
B) immediate
C) neutral
D) secondary

Question 32

What is a kaizen?

A) a material reward such as salary or a bonus
B) a suggestion that results in safety, cost, or quality improvements
C) an event that is pleasing to an employee
D) an undesirable event for an employee

Question 33

Which of the following statements regarding reinforcement is TRUE?

A) The less an individual is deprived of a reinforcer, the greater effect it will have on the future occurrence of the desired behavior.
B) A reinforcer should be administered regardless of whether the desired behavior is performed.
C) A reinforcer will be most effective if administered immediately after the desired behavior has occurred.
D) The larger the amount of reinforcer delivered after the desired behavior, the less effective the reinforcer will be on the desired behavior.

Question 34

An event for which the individual already knows the value is a(n) ______ reinforcer.

A) neutral
B) primary
C) secondary
D) immediate

Question 35

Milton and his boss Daniel are in the process of setting Milton's sales goal for the coming year. If Milton meets his goal, he will earn a bonus. If he fails to meet his goal, he will have to add more clients to his client base. In this example, what is the antecedent?

A) Milton's boss, Daniel
B) Milton's sales goal
C) the bonus Milton can receive
D) the clients Milton might have to add to his client base

Question 36

Cameron will only receive a bonus if he refers new customers. This is an example of

A) negative reinforcement.
B) contingent reinforcement.
C) a conditioned response.
D) reinforcement deprivation.

Question 37

At a food manufacturing plant, a loud buzzer sounds repeatedly when temperature levels of the dryer are starting to increase to dangerous levels. Since this represents a safety concern, the buzzer will not stop until an employee lowers the temperature level or shuts the machine off. This is an example of

A) extinction.
B) escape learning.
C) reinforcement deprivation.
D) a kaizen reward.

Question 38

According to "Ethics Competency: Time Off for Bad Behavior," Samuel Waksal, former CEO of the biotech firm ImClone served time in a federal prison for

A) bank fraud.
B) sexual harassment.
C) insider trading.
D) embezzlement.

Question 39

Which of the following is NOT a step in the extinction procedure?

A) identifying the behavior to be reduced or eliminated
B) identifying the reinforcer that maintains the behavior
C) explaining the negative consequences of the behavior
D) stopping the reinforcer

Question 40

Salaries, bonuses, and fringe benefits such as vacation time are ______ rewards.

A) monetary
B) kaizen
C) conditioned
D) material

Question 41

A training session by the Shanghai Hongfeng Leadership School is highlighted in "Ethics Competency: Spanked at the Bank." What was the result of Changzhi Zhangze Rural Commercial Bank's use of this leadership program?

A) The employees who took part in the leadership course were promoted to top executive positions.
B) The bank implemented the use of negative reinforcement and punishment on its employees.
C) The bank was recognized for its ethical treatment of its employees.
D) The president of the bank and another top executive were dismissed from the bank's supervisory body.

Question 42

In a ______ schedule, a certain number of desired behaviors must occur before the reinforcer is delivered, but the number of behaviors varies around some average.

A) fixed ratio
B) continuous ratio
C) variable ratio
D) average ratio

Question 43

When monetary reinforcement comes regularly at the end of a specific period of time, such as at the end of each month, it is a type of _______ schedule.

A) fixed ratio
B) variable ratio
C) fixed interval
D) variable interval

Question 44

An unpleasant event occurring following a behavior and decreasing that behavior's frequency is referred to as

A) a punishment.
B) an antecedent.
C) a negative reinforcement.
D) extinction.

Question 45

According to "Across Cultures Competency," in which country is the color yellow associated with death?

A) France
B) Latin America
C) Africa
D) India

Question 46

In a variable interval schedule, the amount of time between reinforcers

A) is always the same.
B) is chosen randomly.
C) is not as important as the actual behavior.
D) is the same for each individual type of behavior.

Question 47

Which of the following is a guideline for using contingencies of reinforcement in the workplace?

A) Don't let employees know which behaviors will be reinforced.
B) Reward all employees in the same manner.
C) For punishment to be effective, it must be administered in front of others.
D) Carefully examine the consequences of nonactions as well as actions.

Question 48

The simplest schedule of reinforcement is

A) intermittent reinforcement.
B) continuous reinforcement.
C) a fixed-ratio schedule.
D) an interval schedule.

Question 49

Which of the following is NOT TRUE regarding the use of punishment in the workplace?

A) Punishment suppresses employee initiative and flexibility.
B) Punishment produces a conditioned fear of management.
C) Organizations that rely on punishment have low rates of employee turnover.
D) Controlling the use of undesirable behavior through punishment is often contingent on the leader's presence.

Question 50

What is important for leaders to understand regarding the use of punishment?

A) As a form of punishment, public reprimands are more effective than private reprimands.
B) When using an oral reprimand regarding an employee's behavior, leaders should refrain from focusing on specific actions.
C) A leader needs to use either punishment or positive reinforcement, but not both.
D) When using punishment, a leader must specify an alternative behavior to the employee.

Question 51

Terry wants to perfect his breaststroke; he spends time watching videos of Michael Phelps swimming so he can observe his breaststroke technique. Terry is engaged in

A) classical learning.
B) empowerment.
C) symbolizing.
D) shadowing.

Question 52

The individual piece-rate system used in many manufacturing plants is an example of a ______ schedule.

A) fixed ratio
B) variable ratio
C) fixed interval
D) variable interval

Question 53

The person most closely associated with social learning theory is

A) Albert Bandura.
B) B.F. Skinner.
C) Ivan Pavlov.
D) John Watson.

Question 54

In order to be defined as a punisher, an action must

A) remove all reinforcing events.
B) stop or reduce the undesired behavior.
C) simply be thought of as unpleasant.
D) be replaced by a positive reinforcer.

Question 55

Which of the following is NOT one of the primary types of intermittent schedules?

A) fixed interval
B) variable ratio
C) continuous ratio
D) variable interval

Question 56

In a ______ schedule, the desired behavior must occur a specified number of times before it is reinforced.

A) fixed interval
B) variable interval
C) variable ratio
D) fixed ratio

Question 57

What makes a variable ratio schedule effective?

A) The behavior is reinforced each time it occurs.
B) It creates uncertainty about when the consequence will occur.
C) The desired behavior must occur a specified number of times before it is reinforced.
D) Reinforcement occurs regardless of the amount of time that exists between behaviors.

Question 58

_______ reinforcement refers to a reinforcer being delivered after some, but not every occurrence of the desired behavior.

A) Intermittent
B) Continuous
C) Conditional
D) Sporadic

Question 59

Frank owns three deli shops in town. Employees are awarded gift cards for adhering to standards set forth for sandwich preparation and shop cleanliness. In order to reinforce the standards he has set forth, Frank makes inspections of each shop at random times. This is an example of

A) a continuous interval schedule.
B) a variable interval schedule.
C) a fixed ratio schedule.
D) a variable ratio schedule.

Question 60

Knowledge acquisition through the mental processing of information by observing and imitating others is the premise behind

A) social learning theory.
B) classical conditioning.
C) operant conditioning.
D) reinforcement schedules.

Question 61

Describe the five dimensions of social learning theory.

Question 62

When an individual plans his or her actions based on the level of performance he or she desires, it is referred to as

A) forethought.
B) symbolizing.
C) vicarious learning.
D) imitating.

Question 63

Symbolizing can be defined as

A) an individual basing his or her actions on the level of performance he or she desires.
B) the process of creating a mental image to guide an individual's behavior.
C) observing not only the behavior of others, but also the consequences associated with their behavior.
D) the process of selecting goals and ways of reaching them to learn new behavior.

Question 64

Describe the three elements in a contingency of reinforcement.

Question 65

According to "Teams Competency: Steelcase, Inc.," when new equipment is needed, a team of employees who are responsible for running the equipment make the decision about what to buy and how it should be installed on the shop floor. This is an example of

A) empowerment.
B) symbolizing.
C) conditioning.
D) escape learning.

Question 66

What is the difference between a fixed ratio schedule and a variable ratio schedule? Provide an example of each.

Question 67

What should leaders be aware of when using punishment to decrease undesirable behavior in employees?

Question 68

An individual's estimate of his or her own ability to perform a specific task in a particular situation is called

A) self-control.
B) self-efficacy.
C) self-empowerment.
D) self-awareness.

Question 69

Describe the four types of intermittent reinforcement schedules. Which are time-based and which are behavior-based?

Question 70

Discuss the following principles of positive reinforcement: contingent reinforcement, immediate reinforcement, reinforcement size, and reinforcement deprivation.

Question 71

List the guidelines that leaders should keep in mind when using social learning theory to influence employee behavior in organizations.

Question 72

Compare classical conditioning with operant conditioning. What is the premise behind each and what person is most associated with each theory?

Question 73

Which of the following is NOT a condition that must be met in order for vicarious learning to occur?

A) The learner must accurately perceive the model's behavior.
B) The learner must remember the behavior.
C) The learner must practice the behavior.
D) The learner must have the competencies necessary to perform the behavior.

Question 74

What are the guidelines that are recommended for leaders using contingencies of reinforcement in the workplace?

Question 75

What is the difference between a primary and a secondary reinforcer? Provide an example of each and list the three categories of secondary reinforcers.