Question 1

Bev was quite successful with her diet, while Wilf was terribly unsuccessful. One explanation for this difference is that Wilf has a(n) _____ delay function for the positive effects of dieting as compared to Bev.
A) more linear
B) less deeply scalloped
C) S-shaped
D) more deeply scalloped

Accepted Answer

A more deeply scalloped delay function suggests greater sensitivity to immediate rewards over delayed rewards, which could explain why Wilf was less successful in dieting compared to Bev.

Question 2

In general, deeply scalloped delay functions are indicative of a tendency toward:
A) impulsiveness.
B) self-control.
C) spontaneous recovery.
D) disinhibition.

Accepted Answer

Deeply scalloped delay functions, which show a rapid decline in value as a delay is introduced and then a sudden choice of the smaller, immediate reward, are indicative of impulsiveness. This pattern suggests a preference for immediate gratification over waiting for a larger reward, which is a hallmark of impulsive behavior.

Question 3

If you ask a student to choose between getting an A at the end of a course or getting a D and a beer at the end of the course, most students would choose the former. If you ask students to choose between studying right now or going to a bar right now, however, many will choose the latter. According to the _____ model, this can be explained by the _____ value of a small reward when it is _____.
A) Ainslie -Rachlin; increasing; far away
B) Ainslie -Rachlin; increasing; imminent
C) controlled-response; decreasing; far away
D) controlled-response; increasing; imminent

Accepted Answer

The Ainslie-Rachlin model explains how the perceived value of a reward increases as it becomes more imminent, leading to preference reversals.

Question 4

Young children are likely to have _____ delay functions for larger later rewards than older children.
A) less deeply scalloped
B) more deeply scalloped
C) thinner
D) thicker

Accepted Answer

Young children tend to have more deeply scalloped delay functions for larger later rewards than older children, indicating a higher degree of impulsivity or a stronger preference for immediate over delayed rewards. Older children typically develop greater delay tolerance or the ability to wait for larger rewards.

Question 5

Self-control can be enhanced through repeated exposure to rewards that are presented after:
A) gradually decreasing delays.
B) suddenly decreasing delays.
C) gradually increasing delays.
D) suddenly increasing delays.

Accepted Answer

Self-control can be enhanced through repeated exposure to rewards that are presented after gradually increasing delays. This process teaches individuals to wait longer for a more desirable outcome, thereby strengthening self-control.

Question 6

Impulsiveness is to self-control as _____ is to _____.
A) more deeply scalloped delay curves; flatter delay curves
B) flatter delay curves; more deeply scalloped delay curves
C) older people; younger people
D) Both b and c are correct.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Impulsiveness is to self-control as _____ is...

Question 7

Repeated exposure to rewards presented at gradually increasing delays has been shown to:
A) increase impulsiveness.
B) decrease delay of gratification.
C) increase self-control.
D) Both a and c are correct.

Accepted Answer

Repeated exposure to rewards at gradually increasing delays can help individuals develop greater self-control, as they learn to wait for larger rewards over time.

Question 8

The availability of other sources of reinforcement can serve to:
A) increase impulsiveness.
B) increase self-control.
C) increase inhibition.
D) result in dishabituation.

Accepted Answer

The availability of other sources of reinforcement can increase self-control by providing alternative rewards that a person can focus on, which can help delay gratification and reduce impulsive behavior.

Question 9

Bob is in good health and lives with his parents in a comfortable home. Linda is in poor health and lives with her parents in a very stressful home environment. All else being equal, chances are that:
A) Bob tends to be more impulsive than Linda.
B) Bob tends to be less impulsive than Linda.
C) Neither a nor b is correct. These factors are probably unrelated to impulsiveness.
D) Bob and Linda are equally impulsive.

Accepted Answer

Bob's stable and comfortable home environment, coupled with good health, suggests he might have a lower level of stress and potentially better coping mechanisms, which can correlate with being less impulsive. In contrast, Linda's stressful home environment and poor health could contribute to higher stress levels, which are often linked to more impulsive behavior.

Question 10

Gord has no trouble buckling down to study each night, while Gayle is constantly putting it off in order to do fun tasks. This suggests that Gord has a _____ delay function for _____ than Gayle has.
A) more deeply scalloped; studying
B) less deeply scalloped; studying
C) less deeply scalloped; fun tasks
D) more linear; fun tasks

Accepted Answer

Gord's ability to focus on studying without deferring to fun tasks suggests he experiences less of a decrease in motivation over time for tasks that are not immediately rewarding, which is indicative of a less deeply scalloped delay function for studying compared to Gayle.

Question 11

Compared to other animals, humans tend to have _____ delay functions for larger later rewards.
A) less deeply scalloped
B) more deeply scalloped
C) less predictable
D) thinner

Accepted Answer

Humans tend to have less deeply scalloped delay functions for larger later rewards, indicating a greater willingness or ability to wait for larger rewards compared to other animals. This reflects a higher level of self-control or valuation of future outcomes.

Question 12

Faced with a choice between two pellets of food available in 20 seconds and three pellets of food available in 30 seconds, a rat will likely choose the _____ alternative. If 18 seconds are allowed to pass, such that the rat is faced with a choice between two pellets available in 2 seconds and three pellets available in 12 seconds, the rat will most likely choose the _____ alternative.
A) smaller; larger
B) larger; smaller
C) larger; larger
D) smaller; smaller

Accepted Answer

Initially, the rat will choose the larger reward (three pellets in 30 seconds) because the delay is not immediate. However, when the delay is reduced and the choice becomes more immediate (two pellets in 2 seconds vs. three pellets in 12 seconds), the rat will likely choose the smaller, sooner reward (two pellets in 2 seconds) due to the immediacy effect.

Question 13

People who generally prefer a larger later reward over a smaller sooner reward may be said to have a _____ delay function for that reward compared to people who prefer the smaller sooner reward.
A) more deeply scalloped
B) less deeply scalloped
C) linear
D) very steep

Accepted Answer

People who prefer a larger later reward over a smaller sooner reward demonstrate a less deeply scalloped delay function. This means they are more willing to wait for a greater reward, showing less decrease in the value of the reward over time compared to those who prefer immediate gratification.

Question 14

The general relationship between reward value and decreasing delay is that reward value _____ when the reward is _____.
A) increases sharply; imminent
B) increases sharply; quite distant
C) increases slowly; imminent
D) suddenly drops; imminent

Accepted Answer

The general relationship between reward value and decreasing delay is that reward value increases sharply when the reward is imminent. This is based on the principle of temporal discounting, where the perceived value of a reward decreases as the delay to receiving that reward increases.

Question 15

During tax season, there are a number of tax-preparation companies that provide immediate tax rebates, but take a substantial percentage of the total refund as a "service fee." So, if someone were to receive a refund by mail, it might take several weeks (but the amount of money would be larger) whereas if that individual uses the immediate refund service, the amount of money is reduced but is received immediately. Individuals' willingness to pay steep fees to get their refunds immediately is consistent with:
A) the Ainslie-Rachlin model.
B) Skinner's model of  countercontrol .
C) Bandura's reciprocal determinism.
D) the Rescorla-Wagner model.

Accepted Answer

The Ainslie-Rachlin model of self-control addresses the preference for smaller-sooner rewards over larger-later rewards, which explains why individuals might choose immediate tax rebates despite higher fees.

Question 16

Setting up a series of subgoals as you work toward the completion of a term paper would likely serve to _____ the delay curve for that reward, thereby _____ the resistance to temptation.
A) deepen; increasing
B) deepen; decreasing
C) flatten; increasing
D) flatten; decreasing

Accepted Answer

The answer of Setting up a series of subgoals as...

Question 17

The general relationship between reward value and decreasing delay is that the function for reward value looks somewhat similar to the typical response pattern on a(n) _____ schedule of reinforcement.
A) FR
B) FI
C) VR
D) VI

Accepted Answer

The general relationship between reward value and decreasing delay resembles the response pattern observed in a Fixed Interval (FI) schedule of reinforcement, where responses typically increase as the time for the next reward approaches.

Question 18

Alexis grew up in a family that was fairly strict, and she had repeated experiences with having to "wait her turn" for toys, the bathroom, attention, and various other things. Trey grew up in a family where he was rather "spoiled" and got whatever he wanted when he asked for it. According to Herrnstein, _____ will be more likely to be _____ in adulthood.
A) Alexis; impulsive
B) Trey; impulsive
C) Alexis; able to work toward LLRs
D) Both b and c are correct

Accepted Answer

According to Herrnstein's matching law, individuals who grow up in environments where they are frequently required to delay gratification (like Alexis) are more likely to develop the ability to work toward long-term rewards (LLRs). Conversely, individuals who grow up in environments where they are often given what they want immediately (like Trey) are more likely to develop impulsive behaviors. Therefore, both Trey being more likely to be impulsive and Alexis being more able to work toward LLRs are correct interpretations.

Question 19

Over time, Billie's delay curves for different reward alternatives become somewhat flatter. What might account for the change?
A) Age
B) Experience
C) Both a and b are correct.
D) Neither a nor b is correct.

Accepted Answer

Both age and experience can influence how individuals value rewards over time, leading to changes in their delay discounting curves. Age can affect cognitive processes and patience, while experience can alter perceptions of reward value and delay tolerance.

Question 20

In general, the value of a delayed reward:
A) climbs more and more rapidly as the reward draws near.
B) climbs at a constant rate as time passes and the reward draws near.
C) first decreases and then increases as the reward draws near.
D) first increases and then dips slightly as the reward draws near.

Accepted Answer

The value of a delayed reward generally increases more rapidly as the time to receiving the reward decreases, reflecting a psychological principle known as temporal discounting, where the perceived value of a reward increases as the delay decreases.

Quiz 10: Choice Matching and Self Control

Bev was quite successful with her diet, while Wilf was terribly unsuccessful. One explanation for this difference is that Wilf has a(n) _____ delay function for the positive effects of dieting as compared to Bev.

In general, deeply scalloped delay functions are indicative of a tendency toward:

Young children are likely to have _____ delay functions for larger later rewards than older children.

Self-control can be enhanced through repeated exposure to rewards that are presented after:

Impulsiveness is to self-control as _ is to _.

Repeated exposure to rewards presented at gradually increasing delays has been shown to:

The availability of other sources of reinforcement can serve to:

Bob is in good health and lives with his parents in a comfortable home. Linda is in poor health and lives with her parents in a very stressful home environment. All else being equal, chances are that:

Gord has no trouble buckling down to study each night, while Gayle is constantly putting it off in order to do fun tasks. This suggests that Gord has a _ delay function for _ than Gayle has.

Compared to other animals, humans tend to have _____ delay functions for larger later rewards.

People who generally prefer a larger later reward over a smaller sooner reward may be said to have a _____ delay function for that reward compared to people who prefer the smaller sooner reward.

The general relationship between reward value and decreasing delay is that reward value _ when the reward is _.

Setting up a series of subgoals as you work toward the completion of a term paper would likely serve to _ the delay curve for that reward, thereby _ the resistance to temptation.

The general relationship between reward value and decreasing delay is that the function for reward value looks somewhat similar to the typical response pattern on a(n) _____ schedule of reinforcement.

Over time, Billie's delay curves for different reward alternatives become somewhat flatter. What might account for the change?

In general, the value of a delayed reward: