Question 1

Primary reinforcers are stimuli that:
A)Satisfy biological needs.
B)Are the most effective of all reinforcers.
C)Work only with students in the lower elementary grades.
D)Are effective even when presented before the desired response.

Accepted Answer

Primary reinforcers are stimuli that satisfy biological needs, such as food, water, and warmth, which are inherently reinforcing because they fulfill essential survival requirements.

Question 2

Which one of the following is the best example of the use of an activity reinforcer?
A)Getting a new outfit that you think is "cool"
B)Being told that you did a good job
C)Being allowed to play basketball at a friend's house after you finish your homework
D)Feeling good about your own generosity toward a less fortunate classmate

Accepted Answer

An activity reinforcer involves allowing someone to engage in a preferred activity as a reward for completing a less preferred task, such as playing basketball after finishing homework.

Question 3

In the middle of a difficult exam,Robert tells his teacher that his stomach hurts,and the teacher immediately sends him to the school nurse. On several later occasions when he has a difficult test or assignment,Robert again tells his teacher that he doesn't feel well. Each time he is sent to the school nurse before he has completed his work. From an operant conditioning perspective,we can say that Robert is:
A)Experiencing removal punishment for complaining about his stomach.
B)Being negatively reinforced for complaining about his stomach.
C)Being intermittently reinforced for complaining about his stomach.
D)Showing a tendency to delay gratification.

Accepted Answer

B

Question 4

The term negative reinforcement can best be described as a situation in which:
A)Something the learner wants is presented after a response.
B)Something the learner wants is taken away after a response.
C)Something the learner doesn't want is presented after a response.
D)Something the learner doesn't want is taken away after a response.

Accepted Answer

Negative reinforcement involves the removal or reduction of an aversive stimulus after a response. So, something the learner doesn't want (an aversive stimulus) is taken away after a response. This is correctly described in option D.

Question 5

Operant conditioning theorists use the term reinforcement rather than "reward" because:
A)The term "reward" implies a consequence that others would judge to be desirable.
B)One type of reinforcement (negative reinforcement)is actually a form of punishment.
C)The term "reward" can refer only to a material reinforcer.
D)The term "reward" can refer only to a social reinforcer.

Accepted Answer

Reinforcement is a broader term that includes any consequence that strengthens behavior, not just those judged as desirable.

Question 6

Bill's behaviors in Ms. Kennedy's class are really distracting to other students. For example,he whispers to the boy beside him when Ms. Kennedy is giving directions on how to do any assignment. He flings paper clips at a girl across the room. He makes strange grunting noises that a few classmates find amusing. Ms. Kennedy glares at him or admonishes him whenever he behaves in a distracting way,yet his inappropriate behaviors are increasing rather than decreasing. Which one of the following interpretations best explains why Bill's behaviors are increasing?
A)Ms. Kennedy is positively reinforcing him for the distracting behaviors.
B)Ms. Kennedy is negatively reinforcing him for the distracting behaviors.
C)Ms. Kennedy is vicariously reinforcing him for the distracting behaviors.
D)Ms. Kennedy is punishing him for the distracting behaviors.

Accepted Answer

Ms. Kennedy's attention, even if negative, may be serving as positive reinforcement for Bill's behaviors, as he continues to seek it out.

Question 7

A police officer visits Ms. Duhaime's first-grade class one morning to talk about safety precautions at home and on the street. The students listen quietly and attentively while the officer speaks. At the end of the visit,the officer and teacher agree that the students' good behavior warrants some kind of reinforcement. Given what we know about effective reinforcers at different grade levels,their best choice would be:
A)An official-looking "good behavior" certificate given at the school's award ceremony the following week.
B)Plastic toy police "badges" handed out just before the officer leaves.
C)A letter home to parents describing the children's good behavior.
D)Twenty minutes of free time at the end of the day.

Accepted Answer

First-grade students are likely to respond well to immediate, tangible rewards like plastic toy police "badges," which can serve as a direct and concrete reinforcement for their good behavior.

Question 8

Only one of the following could be a primary reinforcer. Which one?
A)An electronic tablet,such as an iPad
B)Money
C)A glass of water
D)Praise

Accepted Answer

A primary reinforcer is something that satisfies a basic biological need, such as food, water, or shelter. A glass of water directly satisfies the biological need for hydration.

Question 9

Three of the following are examples of people or dogs who have been conditioned through operant conditioning. Which one is not?
A)Andrew gives his dog Maggie a scrap of food from his plate whenever Maggie begs at the dinner table. Before long,Maggie is by Andrew's side begging at every meal.
B)Bart uses obscene words when he speaks in class. His teacher scolds him for such language in front of his classmates. Much to the teacher's dismay,Bart's use of obscene words increases.
C)Carol's room has been a disaster area for more than a month,with toys and clothes lying about everywhere. Carol's mother has told Carol that,once the room has been cleaned,they will spend a day at the zoo. There is no noticeable improvement in Carol's housekeeping habits.
D)Daniel once went to visit the elderly woman next door,and she gave him a couple of homemade cookies. Now Daniel goes to see the woman almost every day after school and comes home a half an hour later still licking crumbs off his lips.

Accepted Answer

Operant conditioning involves learning through rewards or punishments. In option C, there is no change in behavior (Carol's housekeeping habits) despite the promise of a reward, indicating that operant conditioning has not occurred.

Question 10

Which one of the following statements best describes positive reinforcement?
A)Reinforcement consists of getting something a learner finds desirable.
B)Reinforcement consists of getting rid of something a learner finds unpleasant.
C)A desirable classroom behavior is reinforced.
D)An inappropriate classroom behavior is reinforced.

Accepted Answer

Positive reinforcement involves presenting a desirable stimulus after a behavior to increase the likelihood of that behavior being repeated.

Question 11

Which one of the following is the best example of a social reinforcer?
A)Getting a new outfit that you think is "cool"
B)Being told that you did a good job
C)Being allowed to play basketball at a friend's house after you finish your homework
D)Feeling good about your own generosity toward a less fortunate classmate

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which one of the following is the...

Question 12

Which one of the following is the best example of intrinsic reinforcement?
A)Getting a new outfit that you think is "cool"
B)Being told that you did a good job
C)Being allowed to play basketball at a friend's house after you finish your homework
D)Feeling good about your own generosity toward a less fortunate classmate

Accepted Answer

Intrinsic reinforcement occurs when an individual feels internally rewarded or satisfied by their own actions, such as feeling good about being generous.

Question 13

Good grades are reinforcing to some students but not to others. Someone explaining this fact from an operant conditioning perspective would say that good grades are most likely to be reinforcers to students who:
A)Come from middle- or upper-income families.
B)Have been told that good grades can help them get a scholarship.
C)Have previously associated grades with other reinforcers.
D)Have never received a grade above C.

Accepted Answer

Good grades are reinforcing to students who have previously associated them with other reinforcers, as operant conditioning suggests that behaviors are strengthened when followed by a reinforcing stimulus.

Question 14

A teacher wants to encourage her students to work cooperatively with one another as they study classroom subject matter. Which one of the following strategies reflects the principle that some antecedent stimuli tend to elicit certain kinds of responses?
A)Praise students after they cooperate with one another.
B)Use mild punishment with students who are not working cooperatively with one another.
C)Say "I like how Sally and John are helping one another today" loudly enough that other students can hear.
D)Provide instructional materials that students can use only by working together.

Accepted Answer

Providing instructional materials that require students to work together creates an antecedent stimulus that naturally elicits cooperative behavior.

Question 15

Ms. Aguilar's third-grade students enjoy art and spend much of their free time drawing and painting. If she tells them,"You can paint as soon as you finish your arithmetic problems," she is providing:
A)Negative reinforcement.
B)An activity reinforcer.
C)An intrinsic reinforcer.
D)Intermittent reinforcement.

Accepted Answer

Ms. Aguilar is using an activity reinforcer by allowing the students to engage in a preferred activity (painting) after completing a less preferred task (arithmetic problems). This can increase the likelihood that the students will complete their arithmetic problems in order to access the reinforcing activity of painting.

Question 16

Which one of the following is an example of negative reinforcement?
A)When Kevin does his homework,his teacher praises him profusely,to the point that it embarrasses him.
B)When Kathleen insults another student while waiting in line for lunch,her teacher moves her to the end of the line.
C)When Edward complains about a classmate who is picking on him,his teacher allows him to come in from recess on a bitterly cold day.
D)When Priscilla answers a teacher's question incorrectly,one of her classmates teases her unmercifully.

Accepted Answer

Negative reinforcement involves the removal of an unpleasant stimulus to increase a behavior. In option C, Edward's complaining behavior is reinforced by the removal of the unpleasant stimulus (being outside in the cold).

Question 17

One common educational practice is to chart students' progress over time so that students can see their own improvement. These progress charts often lead to higher student achievement in the absence of other observable forms of reinforcement. The effectiveness of such charts in changing behavior illustrates the role of reinforcement as:
A)Positive feedback.
B)Cueing.
C)An immediate,rather than delayed,consequence.
D)An alternative to school-wide standardized achievement testing.

Accepted Answer

The charts provide positive feedback by visually showing students their progress, which acts as a form of reinforcement that encourages continued effort and improvement.

Question 18

In three of the following situations,positive reinforcement is occurring. In which situation is positive reinforcement not occurring?
A)Sara begins behaving better in class when Ms. Jones allows her to spend extra time with her friends for exhibiting appropriate behavior.
B)Mr. Lewis consistently praises Mark for completing his independent seatwork on time,and Mark's work habits improve.
C)Ms. Villareal scolds Jeremy every time he speaks out of turn,but Jeremy's speaking out is increasing rather than decreasing.
D)Mr. Salazar smiles at Ellen every time she acts appropriately toward her classmates,but Ellen's social behaviors don't change.

Accepted Answer

Positive reinforcement is not occurring in situation D because Ellen's behavior does not change despite Mr. Salazar's attempts to reinforce it with smiles.

Question 19

The basic idea underlying operant conditioning is that:
A)Responses are learned primarily through repetition.
B)Responses are affected by the consequences that follow them.
C)Learners are more motivated to acquire some behaviors than others.
D)Stimulus-response associations,once learned,are permanent.

Accepted Answer

Responses are affected by the consequences that follow them.

Question 20

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 session. Stacey becomes increasingly aggressive in class and so spends more and more time in the principal's office. From an operant conditioning perspective,we can explain this situation by saying that Stacey is:
A)Being vicariously reinforced for her aggression.
B)Being punished for her aggression.
C)Being negatively reinforced for her aggression.
D)Undergoing extinction in her aggression.

Accepted Answer

Stacey's aggressive behavior results in her being removed from the class, which she dislikes. This removal acts as a negative reinforcement, as it increases the likelihood of her aggression to avoid the unpleasant class environment.

Quiz 4: Learning in Context

Primary reinforcers are stimuli that:

Which one of the following is the best example of the use of an activity reinforcer?

The term negative reinforcement can best be described as a situation in which:

Operant conditioning theorists use the term reinforcement rather than "reward" because:

Only one of the following could be a primary reinforcer. Which one?

Three of the following are examples of people or dogs who have been conditioned through operant conditioning. Which one is not?

Which one of the following statements best describes positive reinforcement?

Which one of the following is the best example of a social reinforcer?

Which one of the following is the best example of intrinsic reinforcement?

Good grades are reinforcing to some students but not to others. Someone explaining this fact from an operant conditioning perspective would say that good grades are most likely to be reinforcers to students who:

A teacher wants to encourage her students to work cooperatively with one another as they study classroom subject matter. Which one of the following strategies reflects the principle that some antecedent stimuli tend to elicit certain kinds of responses?

Ms. Aguilar's third-grade students enjoy art and spend much of their free time drawing and painting. If she tells them,"You can paint as soon as you finish your arithmetic problems," she is providing:

Which one of the following is an example of negative reinforcement?

In three of the following situations,positive reinforcement is occurring. In which situation is positive reinforcement not occurring?

The basic idea underlying operant conditioning is that: