Question 1

The procedure of shaping usually involves
A)positive reinforcement
B)conditioned reinforcement
C)variability in behavior
D)all of the above

Accepted Answer

Shaping always utilizes positive reinforcement to gradually improve and shape desired behavior through reinforcing successive approximations to the target behavior. Sometimes, conditioned reinforcement may also be used. Additionally, shaping often involves encouraging variability in behavior to help guide the organism towards the desired behavior. Therefore, all of the above (A, B, and C) are the best choices.

Question 2

Money is an example of
A)a primary reinforcer
B)a generalized reinforcer
C)an unconditioned stimulus
D)none of the above

Accepted Answer

Money is considered a generalized reinforcer because it can be exchanged for a variety of different types of primary reinforcers, such as food, shelter, and clothing. It does not have inherent value or meaning, but rather gains value through its ability to be exchanged for other desired items or experiences.

Question 3

In a response chain,the weakest response is usually
A)the response at the beginning of the chain
B)the response at the end of the chain
C)the last response the individual learns
D)the first response the individual learns

Accepted Answer

A

Question 4

Experiments that repeated the basic procedure of Skinner's superstition experiment found
A)no evidence that animals repeated similar behaviors trial after trial
B)evidence for adjunctive behaviors during the time between reinforce deliveries
C)evidence that one animal would learn a superstitious behavior by observing another animal
D)none of the above

Accepted Answer

The answer of Experiments that repeated the basic procedure of...

Question 5

The Brelands usually observed "instinctive drift" in their animals
A)early in training
B)after a response had been successfully learned
C)during extinction
D)when the animals were not highly motivated to work for food

Accepted Answer

Instinctive drift occurs after an animal has learned a response, where the animal begins to revert to instinctual behaviors, interfering with the learned behavior.

Question 6

Which of the following is not part of the three-term contingency-
A)operant response
B)reinforcer
C)discriminative stimulus
D)conditioned stimulus

Accepted Answer

The three-term contingency includes the antecedent (discriminative stimulus), the behavior (operant response), and the consequence (reinforcer or punisher). The conditioned stimulus is a component of classical conditioning, which involves pairing a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus to elicit a conditioned response.

Question 7

A stimulus that occurs in the middle of a response chain serves as
A)a conditioned reinforce
B)a discriminative stimulus
C)both a and b
D)neither a nor b

Accepted Answer

A stimulus that occurs in the middle of a response chain serves as both a conditioned reinforcer (because it signals the availability of the primary reinforcer at the end of the response chain) and a discriminative stimulus (because it signals the appropriate behavior to perform in order to obtain the primary reinforcer).

Question 8

Skinner's explanation of his superstition experiment made use of the concept of
A)interim behaviors
B)terminal behaviors
C)accidental reinforcement
D)none of the above

Accepted Answer

Skinner explained the results of his superstition experiment by proposing that the pigeons developed superstitious behaviors because they were accidentally reinforced by a random event that occurred while they were engaging in an unrelated behavior. This accidental reinforcement is an example of what Skinner called accidental reinforcement.

Question 9

Which of the following is an example of a conditioned reinforcer-
A)food
B)warmth
C)sexual stimulation
D)a good grade on an exam

Accepted Answer

A conditioned reinforcer is a stimulus or event that gains its reinforcing power through its association with a primary reinforcer (such as food or warmth). In this case, a good grade on an exam may be associated with getting praise from a teacher, parents, or peers, which can serve as a conditioned reinforcer. A, B, and C are all examples of primary reinforcers that do not rely on association with other stimuli.

Question 10

All of the following can be observed in both classical and operant conditioning except
A)extinction
B)spontaneous recovery
C)generalization
D)none of the above (that is,all three can be observed in both)

Accepted Answer

All three (extinction, spontaneous recovery, and generalization) can be observed in both classical and operant conditioning.

Question 11

If a response is reinforced,then reappears when another response is extinguished,this is called
A)spontaneous recover
B)resurgence
C)disinhibition
D)generalization

Accepted Answer

This phenomenon is known as resurgence. It occurs when a previously reinforced response reappears following the extinction of a related behavior. In other words, if a behavior has been reinforced in the past, but then becomes extinct, another previously extinguished behavior may be replaced by the previously reinforced behavior.

Question 12

A modern term for the law of effect is
A)reinforcement
B)classical conditioning
C)evolution
D)generalization

Accepted Answer

The law of effect states that behavior which is followed by pleasant consequences is more likely to be repeated in the future, while behavior followed by unpleasant consequences is less likely to be repeated. This concept is central to the idea of reinforcement in modern behavioral psychology.

Question 13

Thorndike's explanation of the learning that took place in his puzzle box involved all of the following except
A)the animal's knowledge
B)the animal's satisfaction
C)a strengthening of S-R connections
D)the law of effect

Accepted Answer

Thorndike's explanation did not involve the animal's knowledge, but rather the formation and strengthening of S-R connections through the law of effect.

Question 14

When photographing cats escaping their puzzle box,Guthrie and Horton found that
A)all cats learned to respond in the same way
B)a cat's responses became more variable over trials
C)a cat's responses became more consistent over trials
D)some cats never learned the escape response

Accepted Answer

The answer of When photographing cats escaping their puzzle box,Guthrie...

Question 15

Experiments on superstitious behavior in humans have found
A)that adults cannot be fooled into developing superstitious behaviors in a laboratory setting
B)that children cannot be fooled into developing superstitious behaviors in a laboratory setting
C)that if children are given periodic free reinforcers,they all develop the same superstitious behavior
D)none of the above

Accepted Answer

Experiments on superstitious behavior in humans have not found conclusive evidence for any of the statements mentioned in choices A, B, or C. While some studies have shown that superstitious behavior can be induced in laboratory settings, the results have been inconsistent and not robust enough to make a generalization about all adults or children. Additionally, the specific superstitious behaviors that arise in response to free reinforcers have varied across individuals and settings. Therefore, it is best to choose option D as the most accurate statement.

Question 16

What makes shaping such a useful technique in behavior modification is that it
A)relies on instinctive behaviors
B)produces behavior changes that are permanent
C)can be used to produce behaviors the learner has never displayed before
D)does not require the use of reinforcement

Accepted Answer

Shaping allows the trainer to gradually shape a desired behavior by reinforcing successive approximations towards the final behavior. This means that shaping can be used to produce behaviors that the learner has never displayed before, as the trainer can start by reinforcing any behavior that is even remotely similar to the desired behavior and shape it into the final behavior over time.

Question 17

From the perspective of traditional reinforcement principles,the most puzzling finding made by the Brelands in their animal training was that
A)their animals had difficulty learning outside the laboratory
B)their animals had difficulty learning sequences of behavior
C)their animals exhibited behaviors that delayed the reinforcer
D)their animals exhibited various instinctive behavior patterns

Accepted Answer

The answer of From the perspective of traditional reinforcement principles,the...

Question 18

In a percentile schedule of reinforcement,
A)a higher and higher percentage of responses receive reinforcement as training proceeds
B)a lower and lower percentage of response receive reinforcement as training proceeds
C)a fixed percentage of response receive reinforcement as training proceeds
D)the percentage of responses that receive reinforcement depends on how well the subject performs

Accepted Answer

In a percentile schedule of reinforcement, a fixed percentage of responses receive reinforcement as training proceeds. For example, if a teacher tells their students that the top 10% of the class will receive an A grade, regardless of how well the rest of the class performs, this is a percentile schedule. The percentage remains fixed throughout the training period, regardless of how many responses are made.

Question 19

When photographing cats escaping their puzzle box,Guthrie and Horton found evidence for
A)conditioned inhibition
B)spontaneous recovery
C)the stop-action principle
D)conditioned reinforcement

Accepted Answer

Guthrie and Horton's work on photographing cats escaping from puzzle boxes is associated with the stop-action principle. This principle suggests that the last action a subject performs before achieving a goal (in this case, escaping the puzzle box) is the one that is most strongly learned or reinforced.

Question 20

Unlike a discrete trial procedure,the free operant procedure involves
A)a response that the subject can perform at any time
B)just about any response the experimenter decides to examine
C)both a and b
D)neither a nor b

Accepted Answer

The answer of Unlike a discrete trial procedure,the free operant...

Quiz 5: Basic Principles of Operant Conditioning

The procedure of shaping usually involves

Money is an example of

In a response chain,the weakest response is usually

Experiments that repeated the basic procedure of Skinner's superstition experiment found

The Brelands usually observed "instinctive drift" in their animals

Which of the following is not part of the three-term contingency-

A stimulus that occurs in the middle of a response chain serves as

Skinner's explanation of his superstition experiment made use of the concept of

Which of the following is an example of a conditioned reinforcer-

All of the following can be observed in both classical and operant conditioning except

If a response is reinforced,then reappears when another response is extinguished,this is called

A modern term for the law of effect is

Thorndike's explanation of the learning that took place in his puzzle box involved all of the following except

When photographing cats escaping their puzzle box,Guthrie and Horton found that

Experiments on superstitious behavior in humans have found

What makes shaping such a useful technique in behavior modification is that it

From the perspective of traditional reinforcement principles,the most puzzling finding made by the Brelands in their animal training was that

In a percentile schedule of reinforcement,

When photographing cats escaping their puzzle box,Guthrie and Horton found evidence for

Unlike a discrete trial procedure,the free operant procedure involves