Question 1

When Stanley is afraid of meeting a woman, he finds an excuse to run off by himself. The immediate effect of running away is to make him feel less anxious and more at ease. Stanley's behavior illustrates the ____.
A) role of negative reinforcers in avoidance behavior
B) fact that shaping can result in maladjusted behavior
C) role of partial reinforcement in abnormal behavior
D) power of positive reinforcement

Accepted Answer

Stanley's behavior illustrates the role of negative reinforcers in avoidance behavior. By running away from the situation that causes him anxiety (meeting a woman), he immediately feels less anxious and more at ease. This reduction in anxiety acts as a negative reinforcer, encouraging him to repeat the avoidance behavior in similar situations in the future. Negative reinforcement involves the removal of an unpleasant stimulus (in this case, anxiety) following a behavior, which increases the likelihood of that behavior being repeated.

Question 2

In his original experiments, Pavlov paired a bell tone with the presentation of food. After a while, the bell tone alone could provoke salivation. By the time this happened, the ____.
A) bell had become a conditioned stimulus
B) food had become a conditioned stimulus
C) animal had lost interest in the food
D) salivation had become an unconditioned response

Accepted Answer

The bell, initially a neutral stimulus, became a conditioned stimulus after being repeatedly paired with the presentation of food, which naturally elicited salivation.

Question 3

Unlike behaviors in classical conditioning, operant behaviors are ____.
A) learned by observing others
B) unconscious
C) voluntary and controllable
D) instinctive

Accepted Answer

Operant behaviors, as defined by B.F. Skinner, are voluntary and controllable actions that an organism performs to produce certain consequences, distinguishing them from the automatic responses seen in classical conditioning.

Question 4

Which quote is most similar to the theory of operant conditioning?
A) "Emotions are a function of beliefs, not events."
B) "Emotions are the outgrowth of passive associations we make with positive and negative stimuli in the world."
C) "Most of our behavior is motivated by factors of which we are not conscious."
D) "We do more of whatever behavior pays off."

Accepted Answer

Operant conditioning is a learning process through which the strength of a behavior is modified by reinforcement or punishment. The quote "We do more of whatever behavior pays off." directly reflects this principle, as it suggests that behaviors that are rewarded (or pay off) are likely to be repeated.

Question 5

Which example best illustrates operant conditioning?
A) A man gets nauseated when he smells the same kind of food that once caused him food poisoning.
B) A man asks for a raise because, in the past, his requests have been successful.
C) A woman has been frightened by thunderstorms all her life.
D) A child watches a friend steal from a store, so he thinks he might steal sometime in the future.

Accepted Answer

Operant conditioning involves learning through the consequences of behavioral responses. In choice B, the man's behavior (asking for a raise) is influenced by the positive outcomes (successful raises) he received in the past, which is a clear example of operant conditioning.

Question 6

Which statement about classical conditioning is accurate ?
A) The conditioned response is a response the organism makes automatically when in the presence of the UCS.
B) Classical conditioning does not occur unless the associated stimuli are reinforced.
C) A reliable pairing of the UCS and the UCR leads to learning.
D) Classical conditioning involves involuntary responses.

Accepted Answer

Classical conditioning involves involuntary responses, as it is a learning process that creates associations between a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus, leading to a conditioned response.

Question 7

Patty knows that if she cries, she will get her way. Paul knows that if he cries. he will be ignored. Which model of behavior suggests that Patty will increase her crying and Paul will decrease his crying?
A) classical conditioning
B) operant conditioning
C) psychodynamic theory
D) observational learning

Accepted Answer

Operant conditioning explains how behaviors can be increased or decreased through reinforcement or punishment. Patty's crying is reinforced by getting her way, so she'll likely cry more. Paul's crying, being ignored, acts as a form of punishment, leading him to cry less.

Question 8

Dr. White says, "Psychopathology is learned through a person's interactions with his or her environment." Dr. White's statement reflects which psychological model?
A) behavioral
B) psychodynamic
C) cognitive
D) biological

Accepted Answer

Dr. White's statement aligns with the behavioral model, which posits that behaviors, including dysfunctional or abnormal behaviors (psychopathology), are learned through interactions with the environment. This model emphasizes the role of conditioning and environmental influences on behavior.

Question 9

A common myth about behavioral approaches assumes that people are ____.
A) empty organisms
B) active participants in the developmental process
C) overwhelmed by their free will
D) greatly affected by their internal mental life

Accepted Answer

Behavioral approaches often view individuals as being shaped by their environments, rather than being driven by internal thoughts or motivations, which is why the myth exists that they are seen as "empty organisms" without intrinsic motivations or internal mental processes guiding their behavior.

Question 10

Which statement about classical conditioning is accurate ?
A) It was first described by Edward Thorndike after observing the behavior of cats.
B) It assumes that behavior is controlled by its consequences.
C) It explains most human behavior.
D) It was discovered by Ivan Pavlov when he was studying the digestive processes of dogs.

Accepted Answer

Classical conditioning was discovered by Ivan Pavlov, a Russian physiologist, during his research on the digestive processes of dogs. He noticed that dogs would start to salivate not only when they tasted food but also when they saw the lab assistant who fed them, leading to the foundational experiments and theory of classical conditioning.

Question 11

In classical conditioning, behaviors are controlled by events that ____ the response, whereas in operant conditioning, they are controlled by events that ____ the response.
A) intensify; reduce
B) follow; precede
C) precede; follow
D) increase; decrease

Accepted Answer

In classical conditioning, behaviors are elicited by stimuli that come before the response, while in operant conditioning, behaviors are influenced by the consequences that follow the response.

Question 12

Classical conditioning has been useful in the field of abnormal psychology primarily by ____.
A) explaining the acquisition of phobias and other human behaviors
B) emphasizing the voluntary nature of human behavior
C) exploring how abnormal behavior is learned through observation of disturbed models
D) demonstrating the importance of the consequences of behavior

Accepted Answer

Classical conditioning explains how involuntary responses to certain stimuli can be learned, which is crucial in understanding the acquisition of phobias and other behaviors where a neutral stimulus becomes associated with a fear response.

Question 13

Unlike operant or classical conditioning, in observational learning, ____.
A) direct reinforcement is necessary to establish behavior
B) new behaviors can be learned by watching others
C) reinforcement must precede the person's action
D) reinforcers are not necessary to maintain a behavior

Accepted Answer

Observational learning, as described by Albert Bandura, involves learning new behaviors by watching and imitating others (models). This process does not require direct reinforcement of the behavior for the learner, distinguishing it from operant and classical conditioning.

Question 14

Watson and Rayner's famous research in classical conditioning was designed to explain the development of ____.
A) cognitive disorders
B) neuroses
C) phobias
D) depression

Accepted Answer

Watson and Rayner's famous research, particularly the Little Albert experiment, was designed to explain the development of phobias through classical conditioning. They demonstrated how a neutral stimulus, when paired with a frightening one, could produce a phobic reaction in an individual.

Question 15

A kindergarten teacher wants to reduce the amount of aggressiveness children display in her class and on the playground. Using operant conditioning principles, the teacher should ____.
A) use negative reinforcers to decrease the behavior
B) pair aggressiveness with some pleasant stimulus
C) eliminate the reinforcement associated with aggressiveness
D) encourage the children to get the aggressiveness out of their systems

Accepted Answer

Operant conditioning principles suggest that behaviors can be increased or decreased through reinforcement or punishment. By eliminating the reinforcement (positive outcomes or attention that children might be receiving for aggressive behavior), the behavior is less likely to be repeated, thus reducing aggressiveness. Choices A, B, and D do not directly apply operant conditioning principles to decrease aggressive behavior.

Question 16

According to operant conditioning, self-injurious behavior may be learned through the use of ____.
A) reinforcement
B) personalization
C) implosion
D) modeling

Accepted Answer

Operant conditioning suggests that behaviors, including self-injurious ones, can be learned and maintained through reinforcement, which can be positive (adding something desirable) or negative (removing something undesirable).

Question 17

If a loud siren is sounded, any newborn infant will automatically scream. In classical conditioning terminology, the siren is a(n) ____.
A) conditioned response
B) unconditioned response
C) unconditioned stimulus
D) conditioned stimulus

Accepted Answer

The siren acts as an unconditioned stimulus because it naturally (without prior learning) triggers the reflexive response of screaming in newborn infants.

Question 18

Erin has an exaggerated fear of flying. She refuses to board an airplane and avoids airports altogether. This is an example of associative learning; therefore, which type of therapy is most likely to be helpful in her case?
A) cognitive
B) classical conditioning
C) modeling
D) psychodynamic

Accepted Answer

Classical conditioning is a type of associative learning, and therapies based on this, such as exposure therapy, can help individuals like Erin by gradually reducing the fear response associated with flying.

Question 19

Classical conditioning is a form of associative learning. What exactly is associated?
A) internal models of the world and behavior
B) a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus
C) a behavior and its consequence
D) unconscious motivations and internal needs

Accepted Answer

In classical conditioning, a neutral stimulus is associated with an unconditioned stimulus to produce a conditioned response. This form of learning was famously demonstrated by Ivan Pavlov through his experiments with dogs, where a neutral stimulus (a bell) was paired with an unconditioned stimulus (food) to produce a conditioned response (salivation).

Question 20

Which technique increases the frequency of a behavior because it removes or reduces an aversive (punishing) event?
A) positive reinforcement
B) vicarious conditioning
C) negative reinforcement
D) modeling

Accepted Answer

Negative reinforcement increases the frequency of a behavior by removing or reducing an aversive (punishing) event when the behavior occurs.

Quiz 2: Understanding and Treating Mental Disorders

When Stanley is afraid of meeting a woman, he finds an excuse to run off by himself. The immediate effect of running away is to make him feel less anxious and more at ease. Stanley's behavior illustrates the ____.

In his original experiments, Pavlov paired a bell tone with the presentation of food. After a while, the bell tone alone could provoke salivation. By the time this happened, the ____.

Unlike behaviors in classical conditioning, operant behaviors are ____.

Which quote is most similar to the theory of operant conditioning?

Which example best illustrates operant conditioning?

Which statement about classical conditioning is accurate ?

Patty knows that if she cries, she will get her way. Paul knows that if he cries. he will be ignored. Which model of behavior suggests that Patty will increase her crying and Paul will decrease his crying?

Dr. White says, "Psychopathology is learned through a person's interactions with his or her environment." Dr. White's statement reflects which psychological model?

A common myth about behavioral approaches assumes that people are ____.

Which statement about classical conditioning is accurate ?

In classical conditioning, behaviors are controlled by events that the response, whereas in operant conditioning, they are controlled by events that the response.

Classical conditioning has been useful in the field of abnormal psychology primarily by ____.

Unlike operant or classical conditioning, in observational learning, ____.

Watson and Rayner's famous research in classical conditioning was designed to explain the development of ____.

A kindergarten teacher wants to reduce the amount of aggressiveness children display in her class and on the playground. Using operant conditioning principles, the teacher should ____.

According to operant conditioning, self-injurious behavior may be learned through the use of ____.

If a loud siren is sounded, any newborn infant will automatically scream. In classical conditioning terminology, the siren is a(n) ____.

Erin has an exaggerated fear of flying. She refuses to board an airplane and avoids airports altogether. This is an example of associative learning; therefore, which type of therapy is most likely to be helpful in her case?

Classical conditioning is a form of associative learning. What exactly is associated?

Which technique increases the frequency of a behavior because it removes or reduces an aversive (punishing) event?