Question 1

Instrumental conditioning is another name for:
A)operant conditioning
B)classical conditioning
C)second-order conditioning
D)higher-order conditioning

Accepted Answer

Instrumental conditioning is another term for operant conditioning, which involves learning through consequences, such as rewards and punishments, for voluntary behaviors.

Question 2

Alice developed a fear of the water when she fell out of a canoe two summers ago.Then she took swimming lessons and she thought she had finally overcome her fear of water.Alice was eagerly looking forward to an upcoming vacation at the lake.However, as soon as she stepped back into a canoe, she was instantly terrified again.The reappearance of Alice's fear of water illustrates the classical conditioning process referred to as:
A)extinction
B)conditioned inhibition
C)spontaneous recovery
D)overjustification

Accepted Answer

Spontaneous recovery occurs when a previously extinguished conditioned response reappears after a period of time. In this case, Alice's fear of water reappeared when she stepped back into a canoe, even though she thought she had overcome her fear through swimming lessons. This is an example of spontaneous recovery.

Question 3

We learn our own actions lead to outcomes through:
A)operant conditioning
B)classical conditioning
C)second-order conditioning
D)higher-order conditioning

Accepted Answer

Operant conditioning is the process by which we learn that our actions lead to outcomes. Through this process, we learn to associate a behavior with a consequence, such as receiving a reward for completing a task or being punished for misbehaving. Classical conditioning, second-order conditioning, and higher-order conditioning involve learning associations between stimuli, rather than between our actions and their outcomes.

Question 4

After months of work, Phil's conditioned fear of flying finally disappeared.However, his fear suddenly reappeared.His renewed fear probably represents:
A)conditioned inhibition
B)second-order conditioning
C)spontaneous recovery
D)extinction

Accepted Answer

Spontaneous recovery is the reappearance of a previously extinguished response after a delay or rest period. In this scenario, Phil's fear of flying disappeared after months of work which likely involved some form of extinction. However, his fear suddenly reappeared, indicating a spontaneous recovery of the fear response.

Question 5

A shock is given shortly after a buzzer sounds, but not if the light is also flashing.A rat will act normally if the light and buzzer are presented, but it will freeze if only the buzzer is presented.This is an example of:
A)the law of effect
B)conditioned inhibition
C)escape conditioning
D)avoidance conditioning

Accepted Answer

This is an example of conditioned inhibition, where the rat has learned that the shock will not be given when the light is flashing, and therefore does not freeze. However, when only the buzzer is presented, the rat has learned to associate it with the shock and freezes as a result. The law of effect refers to the principle that behaviors that are followed by positive consequences are more likely to be repeated, while behaviors that are followed by negative consequences are less likely to be repeated. Escape conditioning refers to a type of learning in which an animal learns to engage in a response that stops an ongoing aversive stimulus, while avoidance conditioning refers to a type of learning in which an animal learns to engage in a response that prevents an aversive stimulus from occurring.

Question 6

Frieda used to be afraid of dental visits because she associated the sound of the drill with pain.However, Frieda's new dentist is "painless" and the sound of the drill is no longer associated with pain.Consequently, Frieda finds her fear of dental visits has disappeared.Frieda's change in responsiveness to dental visits illustrates the classical conditioning process referred to as:
A)extinction
B)spontaneous recovery
C)conditioned inhibition
D)second-order conditioning

Accepted Answer

Frieda's fear response (conditioned response) to the sound of the drill (conditioned stimulus) has been extinguished (eliminated) because it is no longer paired with pain (unconditioned stimulus).

Question 7

The law of effect was formulated by which of the following individuals?
A)Ivan Pavlov
B)Robert Rescorla
C)John Watson
D)Edward Thorndike

Accepted Answer

The law of effect was formulated by Edward Thorndike, who conducted pioneering work on animal learning and behavior in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. According to the law of effect, the consequences of a behavior determine the likelihood of it being repeated in the future. This concept forms the basis of operant conditioning, which is an important aspect of behavioral psychology. Pavlov is known for his work on classical conditioning, Watson is known for his behaviorist approach, and Rescorla is known for his work on cognitive processes in learning.

Question 8

Edward Thorndike formulated the:
A)principles of classical conditioning
B)law of effect
C)principles of second-order conditioning
D)law of habituation

Accepted Answer

Edward Thorndike formulated the law of effect, which states that behaviors that are followed by satisfying consequences are more likely to be repeated in the future, while behaviors followed by unpleasant consequences are less likely to be repeated. This law was a precursor to B.F. Skinner's operant conditioning concepts.

Question 9

"If a response in a particular situation is followed by a pleasant consequence, the connection between the response and situation will be strengthened" is a statement of the:
A)principle of classical conditioning
B)law of effect
C)principle of second-order conditioning
D)law of habituation

Accepted Answer

The statement describes the law of effect, which states that behaviors followed by positive outcomes are more likely to be repeated in the future. This is a key concept in operant conditioning, which involves learning through the consequences of behavior. The principle of classical conditioning involves learning associations between two stimuli, while second-order conditioning refers to creating a new conditioned response to a neutral stimulus that has been paired with a previously conditioned stimulus. The law of habituation refers to a decrease in responsiveness to a stimulus over time.

Question 10

In classical conditioning, the return of a conditioned response that had been extinguished, after a period of nonexposure to the conditioned stimulus is referred to as:
A)spontaneous recovery
B)extinction
C)conditioned inhibition
D)second-order conditioning

Accepted Answer

Spontaneous recovery refers to the reappearance of a previously extinguished conditioned response after a period of nonexposure to the conditioned stimulus. This is a common phenomenon in classical conditioning, where the organism's learned response to a stimulus can reappear even if the stimulus has not been present for a while.

Question 11

Wayne used to drool at the smell of chocolate chip cookies as they baked, and he couldn't wait to sink his teeth into that first cookie.However, Wayne's newest roommate makes terrible chocolate chip cookies, and the smell of them baking is no longer associated with a wonderful taste experience.Consequently, Wayne finds that the smell of the cookies no longer makes him drool in anticipation.Wayne's change in responsiveness to the smell of chocolate chip cookies illustrates the classical conditioning process referred to as:
A)spontaneous recovery
B)extinction
C)conditioned inhibition
D)second-order conditioning

Accepted Answer

Wayne's lack of drooling in response to the smell of the chocolate chip cookies indicates that the association between the smell and the taste has been weakened or broken. This is an example of extinction in classical conditioning.

Question 12

The law of effects states that:
A)if a response in a particular situation is followed by an unpleasant consequence, the connection between the response and the situation will be weakened
B)if a response in a particular situation is followed by an unpleasant consequence, the connection between the response and the situation will be strengthened
C)pleasant consequences alter behavior while unpleasant consequences have no impact on behavior
D)unpleasant consequences alter behavior while pleasant consequences have no impact on behavior

Accepted Answer

The law of effects states that if a response in a particular situation is followed by an unpleasant consequence, the connection between the response and the situation will be weakened. This means that the individual is less likely to repeat the same response in that situation in the future because they do not want to experience the unpleasant consequence again. Conversely, if a response is followed by a pleasant consequence, the connection between the response and the situation will be strengthened, making it more likely for the individual to repeat the response in that situation in the future.

Question 13

In operant conditioning, a discriminative stimulus is:
A)a cue that indicates a response is likely to produce some type of consequence
B)a cue that indicates a response is not likely to produce any consequences
C)the stimulus or event that immediately follows a reinforced behavior
D)the stimulus or event that immediately follows a nonreinforced behavior

Accepted Answer

A discriminative stimulus is a cue that signals the likelihood that a certain response will produce a certain consequence. Essentially, it discriminates between when a behavior will be rewarded or punished and when it will not.

Question 14

Through operant conditioning, we learn that:
A)our own actions lead to outcomes
B)conditioned stimuli lead to outcomes
C)copying the behavior of others leads to outcomes
D)constant stimuli lead to outcomes

Accepted Answer

Operant conditioning is a type of learning in which an organism's behavior is strengthened or weakened by the consequences that follow. Through operant conditioning, we learn that our own actions (operant behaviors) lead to outcomes, whether they are positive (reinforcement) or negative (punishment).

Question 15

Conditioned inhibition is:
A)a loss of responding that results from the repeated presentation of a conditioned stimulus without an unconditioned stimulus
B)the return of a conditioned response that had been extinguished, after a period of nonexposure to the conditioned stimulus
C)learning that an event signals the absence or nonoccurrence of the unconditioned stimulus
D)a procedure that uses an established conditioned stimulus to condition a response to a second, neutral stimulus

Accepted Answer

Conditioned inhibition is the learning process where an organism learns that a particular stimulus reliably predicts the absence or non-occurrence of the unconditioned stimulus. It is sometimes referred to as "negative" or "inhibitory" conditioning.

Question 16

Operant conditioning is important because it is adaptive to:
A)be able to learn about consequences of behavior without direct experience
B)learn to ignore events that are of little long-term significance
C)learn about the consequences of behavioral responses
D)learn what events in the environment signal

Accepted Answer

Operant conditioning is important for an individual to learn about the consequences of their behavioral responses. This type of learning occurs when the consequences of a behavior – positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, punishment – affect the likelihood of the behavior occurring again in the future. This type of learning helps individuals to adjust their behavior in response to the environment and is critical for adapting to changing circumstances.

Question 17

Niko was hit by a line drive, and afterward he would duck whenever he heard the crack of a bat hitting a baseball.After hearing that sound many times without ever getting hit again by a ball, Niko no longer ducks at the sound of a hit.This is best explained by:
A)spontaneous recovery
B)observational learning
C)extinction
D)conditioned inhibition

Accepted Answer

Extinction occurs when a conditioned response gradually disappears when the conditioned stimulus is presented without the unconditioned stimulus. In this case, the sound of the bat hitting the ball is the conditioned stimulus, and being hit by the ball is the unconditioned stimulus. Niko's conditioned response was to duck when he heard the sound of the bat hitting the ball, but over time, when the conditioned stimulus (sound of the bat hitting the ball) was presented without the unconditioned stimulus (getting hit by the ball), the conditioned response (ducking) gradually disappeared.

Question 18

You are watching a rat in a Skinner box, and every time a red light comes on, the rat presses the bar in the cage.However, when a green light comes on, the rat never presses the bar.In this case, it appears that the color of the light is acting as:
A)a positive reinforcer for bar pressing
B)a negative reinforcer for bar pressing
C)an unconditioned stimulus for bar pressing
D)a discriminative stimulus for bar pressing

Accepted Answer

The green and red lights are serving as discriminative stimuli for the rat's behavior. The red light signals that pressing the bar will result in a positive outcome (such as food or water), while the green light signals that pressing the bar will not result in a positive outcome. Therefore, the rat discriminates between the different stimuli and only responds when the appropriate stimulus is present.

Question 19

Learning that an event signals the absence or nonoccurrence of the unconditioned stimulus is referred to as:
A)conditioned inhibition
B)extinction
C)spontaneous recovery
D)second-order conditioning

Accepted Answer

Learning that an event signals the absence or nonoccurrence of the unconditioned stimulus is referred to as conditioned inhibition.

Question 20

The law of effect states that:
A)if a response in a particular situation is followed by a pleasant consequence, the connection between the response and the situation will be weakened
B)pleasant consequences alter behavior while unpleasant consequences have no impact on behavior
C)if a response in a particular situation is followed by a pleasant consequence, the connection between the response and the situation will be strengthened
D)unpleasant consequences alter behavior while pleasant consequences have no impact on behavior

Accepted Answer

The law of effect states that behavior that is followed by pleasant consequences is likely to be repeated, while behavior followed by unpleasant consequences is less likely to be repeated. Therefore, if a response in a particular situation is followed by a pleasant consequence (e.g. reward), the connection between the response and the situation will be strengthened, and the behavior is more likely to be repeated in the future.

Quiz 7: Learning From Experience

Instrumental conditioning is another name for:

We learn our own actions lead to outcomes through:

After months of work, Phil's conditioned fear of flying finally disappeared.However, his fear suddenly reappeared.His renewed fear probably represents:

A shock is given shortly after a buzzer sounds, but not if the light is also flashing.A rat will act normally if the light and buzzer are presented, but it will freeze if only the buzzer is presented.This is an example of:

The law of effect was formulated by which of the following individuals?

Edward Thorndike formulated the:

"If a response in a particular situation is followed by a pleasant consequence, the connection between the response and situation will be strengthened" is a statement of the:

In classical conditioning, the return of a conditioned response that had been extinguished, after a period of nonexposure to the conditioned stimulus is referred to as:

The law of effects states that:

In operant conditioning, a discriminative stimulus is:

Through operant conditioning, we learn that:

Conditioned inhibition is:

Operant conditioning is important because it is adaptive to:

Niko was hit by a line drive, and afterward he would duck whenever he heard the crack of a bat hitting a baseball.After hearing that sound many times without ever getting hit again by a ball, Niko no longer ducks at the sound of a hit.This is best explained by:

You are watching a rat in a Skinner box, and every time a red light comes on, the rat presses the bar in the cage.However, when a green light comes on, the rat never presses the bar.In this case, it appears that the color of the light is acting as:

Learning that an event signals the absence or nonoccurrence of the unconditioned stimulus is referred to as:

The law of effect states that: