Question 1

Though it is much less common now, parents would try to limit bad behavior in children by delivering spankings for each instance of disobedience. This is an example of
A)positive reinforcement
B) positive punishment
C) negative reinforcement
D) negative punishment

Accepted Answer

Positive punishment involves adding an unpleasant stimulus to decrease a behavior, which in this case is the addition of spanking to reduce disobedience.

Question 2

When the frequency or probability of a behavior is increased as a result of the removal of something following the performance of the behavior, it is called
A)positive reinforcement
B) positive punishment
C) negative reinforcement
D) negative punishment

Accepted Answer

Negative reinforcement involves increasing the frequency or probability of a behavior by removing or avoiding a negative outcome or aversive stimulus following the behavior.

Question 3

In an attempt to get his class to quiet down more quickly, Dr. Johnson continuously sounds a very loud bullhorn until the class stops talking. This is an example of
A)positive reinforcement
B) positive punishment
C) negative reinforcement
D) negative punishment

Accepted Answer

Dr. Johnson is using negative reinforcement by removing an unpleasant stimulus (the loud bullhorn sound) when the desired behavior (the class quieting down) occurs, encouraging that behavior to happen more often in the future.

Question 4

Natalie's mother has found her smoking cigarettes again and immediately confiscates Natalie's car keys in an effort to deter her from smoking in the future. This is an example of
A) positive reinforcement
B) positive punishment
C) negative reinforcement
D) negative punishment

Accepted Answer

This is an example of negative punishment because it involves taking away something desirable (Natalie's car keys) in order to decrease a behavior (smoking).

Question 5

The targeted behavior in most operant conditioning experiments is often not likely to occur spontaneously. Therefore, the experimenter must engage the animal in this procedure before further experimentation.
A) classical conditioning
B) shaping by successive approximation
C) operant behavior training
D) acquisition training

Accepted Answer

Shaping by successive approximation involves reinforcing behaviors that are progressively closer to the targeted behavior, which is necessary when the desired behavior does not occur naturally or spontaneously. This technique is commonly used in operant conditioning experiments to gradually train animals to perform specific actions.

Question 6

According to this principle of operant conditioning, strong reinforcers can be used to reinforce weak reinforcers.
A) Skinner's law
B) law of effect
C) equipotentiality
D) Premack principle

Accepted Answer

The Premack principle states that more probable behaviors (strong reinforcers) can serve as reinforcers for less probable behaviors (weak reinforcers).

Question 7

Parents can use the Premack principle to condition children to clean their rooms by
A)shouting loud enough so that the children can hear
B)threatening physical violence against the children
C) offering a piece of chocolate to the children when cleaning
D) making TV watching contingent upon having a clean room

Accepted Answer

The Premack principle suggests that more probable behaviors (watching TV) can be used as rewards for less probable behaviors (cleaning a room), thereby increasing the likelihood of the less probable behavior occurring.

Question 8

Among other things, food, water, and sex have been found to be the best
A) classical reinforcers
B) primary reinforcers
C) operant reinforcers
D) secondary reinforcers

Accepted Answer

Primary reinforcers are innately satisfying or desirable, meaning they do not need to be learned or acquired through experience. Food, water, and sex are considered primary reinforcers because they satisfy basic biological needs and are inherently rewarding.

Question 9

In order for something to be a secondary reinforcer it must be
A)automatically related to survival and reproductive success
B)something with no intrinsic value as a reinforcer
C) just as powerful as a primary reinforce
D) reliably associated with access to primary reinforcers

Accepted Answer

Secondary reinforcers gain their reinforcing properties through their association with primary reinforcers. They are not inherently valuable or related to survival but become valuable through learned associations.

Question 10

If a behavior, like playing a slot machine, is continuously reinforced, the behavior is initially strong but
A) stays strong long after playing ceases to become rewarding
B) is extinguished soon after the slot machine ceases delivering rewards
C) is more likely to occur in a different context from the casino
D) lingers longer than a partially reinforced behavior

Accepted Answer

Continuous reinforcement leads to rapid learning, but the behavior is quickly extinguished when the reinforcement stops, as the individual quickly notices the lack of reward.

Question 11

All of the following statements about partial reinforcement are true, EXCEPT:
A) Partial reinforcement generally leads to a stronger, more enduring conditioning.
B) Partial reinforcement rarely occurs in the natural world.
C) Schedules of reinforcement result in various levels of the partial reinforcement effect.
D) Acquiring a behavior takes more time when the behavior is only partially reinforced.

Accepted Answer

Partial reinforcement often occurs in the natural world, contrary to the statement in option B. For example, animals do not always find food every time they search for it, which is a form of partial reinforcement.

Question 12

Jason generally works hard at the law firm and is on a salary there. The firm pays Jason every 2 weeks to ensure that Jason's work is relatively equally distributed across days in the office. This is an example of which reinforcement schedule?
A) fixed-interval
B) fixed-ratio
C) variable-interval
D) variable-ratio

Accepted Answer

Jason is paid on a fixed schedule (every 2 weeks), regardless of how much work he does. This is characteristic of a fixed-interval reinforcement schedule, where rewards are given after a specific amount of time has passed.

Question 13

This schedule of reinforcement, sometimes reinforcing hunting strategies in animals, and shopping strategies in humans, generally produces the lowest rate of responding because reinforcement is delivered at unpredictable time intervals.
A) fixed-interval
B) fixed-ratio
C) variable-interval
D) variable-ratio

Accepted Answer

Variable-interval schedules of reinforcement deliver reinforcement at unpredictable time intervals, which can lead to a lower rate of responding because the individual cannot predict when the next reinforcement will be available. This contrasts with fixed schedules, where the timing or number of responses required for reinforcement is predictable.

Question 14

This reinforcement schedule is the logic behind factory piecework, where workers are paid by the number of items produced rather than the number of hours worked.
A) fixed-interval
B) fixed-ratio
C) variable-interval
D) variable-ratio

Accepted Answer

Fixed-ratio schedules reward a response after a specified number of responses. In the context of factory piecework, workers are paid based on the number of items they produce, which aligns with the fixed-ratio reinforcement schedule, where the reward (payment) is given after a set number of responses (produced items).

Question 15

Slot-machine players do not typically pause for rest following reinforcement, but rather, they continue to respond at high rates to reach the next pay-off. The schedule of reinforcement in effect here is
A) fixed-interval
B) fixed-ratio
C) variable-interval
D) variable-ratio

Accepted Answer

The answer of Slot-machine players do not typically pause for...

Question 16

Which of these statements is most consistent with Skinner's views about the effects of punishment?
A) He believed that schools should continue the use of corporal punishment as an effective way to control students' behavior.
B) He was said to have enjoyed shocking rats and using other punishments to "teach" organisms new behaviors.
C) He generally believed that punishment altered behavior in a desirable direction.
D) He believed that punishment for undesirable behavior was in most cases a poor teacher in comparison to reward for desirable behavior.

Accepted Answer

Skinner, a behaviorist, argued that positive reinforcement is more effective than punishment in shaping behavior. He believed that punishment might stop undesirable behavior temporarily, but it does not teach or promote the development of alternative, desirable behavior. Skinner emphasized the use of positive reinforcement to strengthen desired behaviors rather than relying on punishment to reduce unwanted behaviors.

Question 17

Many operant conditioning programs set up in substance abuse treatment facilities, which work by reinforcing desired behaviors with prizes, chances to win prizes, or tokens that may be redeemed for various privileges, use this technique.
A)conditioned taste aversion
B) behavioral analysis
C) contingency management
D) progressive shaping

Accepted Answer

Contingency management is a behavioral therapy technique that uses positive reinforcement to encourage sobriety and other healthy behaviors in individuals with substance use disorders. It involves providing tangible rewards for evidence of positive behavior changes, such as maintaining sobriety, which is consistent with the description given.

Question 18

Edward Tolman was a behaviorist, but, unlike Skinner, he believed that it would be possible to use scientific methods to study
A) the effect of electric shocks on learned helplessness
B)the impact of mental activity on operant conditioning
C) the role of motivation in punishment
D) the specific cognitive processes involved in choice behavior

Accepted Answer

The answer of Edward Tolman was a behaviorist, but, unlike...

Question 19

Which of the following was NOT a condition in the Tolman and Honzik (1930) study of latent learning in rats?
A) One group of rats was given food as a reinforcer at the end of the maze.
B) One group of rats was given a small electric shock to start the maze.
C) One group of rats was given no reinforcement at any point in the maze.
D) One group of rats received reinforcement after 10 days of no reinforcement.

Accepted Answer

In the Tolman and Honzik (1930) study on latent learning, there was no condition where rats were given a small electric shock to start the maze. The study focused on the effects of reinforcement on learning and performance in rats navigating a maze, but did not involve using electric shocks as a motivator or condition.

Question 20

Tolman's research on latent learning focused on distinguishing between learning and
A)cognition
B) aptitude
C) intelligence
D) performance

Accepted Answer

Tolman's research on latent learning primarily aimed to distinguish between the process of learning itself and the observable performance that demonstrates that learning. He showed that learning could occur without any immediate, observable change in behavior, challenging the behaviorist notion that learning and performance are the same.

Quiz 7: Learning

Though it is much less common now, parents would try to limit bad behavior in children by delivering spankings for each instance of disobedience. This is an example of

When the frequency or probability of a behavior is increased as a result of the removal of something following the performance of the behavior, it is called

In an attempt to get his class to quiet down more quickly, Dr. Johnson continuously sounds a very loud bullhorn until the class stops talking. This is an example of

Natalie's mother has found her smoking cigarettes again and immediately confiscates Natalie's car keys in an effort to deter her from smoking in the future. This is an example of

The targeted behavior in most operant conditioning experiments is often not likely to occur spontaneously. Therefore, the experimenter must engage the animal in this procedure before further experimentation.

According to this principle of operant conditioning, strong reinforcers can be used to reinforce weak reinforcers.

Parents can use the Premack principle to condition children to clean their rooms by

Among other things, food, water, and sex have been found to be the best

In order for something to be a secondary reinforcer it must be

If a behavior, like playing a slot machine, is continuously reinforced, the behavior is initially strong but

All of the following statements about partial reinforcement are true, EXCEPT:

Jason generally works hard at the law firm and is on a salary there. The firm pays Jason every 2 weeks to ensure that Jason's work is relatively equally distributed across days in the office. This is an example of which reinforcement schedule?

This schedule of reinforcement, sometimes reinforcing hunting strategies in animals, and shopping strategies in humans, generally produces the lowest rate of responding because reinforcement is delivered at unpredictable time intervals.

This reinforcement schedule is the logic behind factory piecework, where workers are paid by the number of items produced rather than the number of hours worked.

Slot-machine players do not typically pause for rest following reinforcement, but rather, they continue to respond at high rates to reach the next pay-off. The schedule of reinforcement in effect here is

Which of these statements is most consistent with Skinner's views about the effects of punishment?

Many operant conditioning programs set up in substance abuse treatment facilities, which work by reinforcing desired behaviors with prizes, chances to win prizes, or tokens that may be redeemed for various privileges, use this technique.

Edward Tolman was a behaviorist, but, unlike Skinner, he believed that it would be possible to use scientific methods to study

Which of the following was NOT a condition in the Tolman and Honzik (1930) study of latent learning in rats?

Tolman's research on latent learning focused on distinguishing between learning and