Question 1

Which of the following best illustrates positive punishment in operant conditioning?
A)forbidding a child from watching television because he broke a glass
B)forbidding a teenager from leaving the house because he got drunk
C)scolding a child for being rude to his or her teachers
D)giving a child a 20-minute time-out for throwing a tantrum

Accepted Answer

Positive punishment involves adding an unpleasant stimulus to decrease a behavior. Scolding a child for being rude adds an unpleasant experience (the scolding) to reduce the likelihood of the rude behavior recurring.

Question 2

Which of the following is true of observational learning?
A)It takes advantage of embedded learning to reduce instinctive drift.
B)It often takes less time than operant conditioning.
C)It is primarily used to develop one's vestibular senses.
D)It uses positive punishment to increase behavior following an unpleasant stimulus.

Accepted Answer

Observational learning often takes less time than operant conditioning. This is because the learner is able to acquire new behaviors by observing others rather than having to go through trial-and-error learning themselves.

Question 3

Applied behavior analysis is
A)the use of psychoanalytic principles to explain behavior.
B)the use of evolutionary ideas to explain specific human behaviors.
C)the use of operant conditioning principles to change human behavior.
D)the use of altruistic tendencies to predict human behavior.

Accepted Answer

Applied behavior analysis is based on the principles of operant conditioning, which involve using rewards and punishments to modify and change human behavior. It is often used in therapy, education, and other settings to help individuals develop new skills and positive behaviors.

Question 4

Jenna receives a bonus for performing well.Instead of buying herself something nice,she invests her money with the intention of buying a house after a few years.In the context of reinforcement and punishment schedules,Jenna demonstrates _____ in this scenario.
A)delayed reinforcement
B)immediate reinforcement
C)delayed punishment
D)immediate punishment

Accepted Answer

Jenna's behavior of investing her bonus money in hopes of buying a house in the future demonstrates delayed reinforcement. This is because the reinforcement (buying a house) is delayed and not immediately received.

Question 5

Hitch-hikers are unable to predict when they will get a ride and when they will not.They are most likely functioning on a _____ schedule of reinforcement in operant conditioning.
A)variable-interval
B)fixed-interval
C)Fixed-interval
D)variable-ratio

Accepted Answer

The answer of Hitch-hikers are unable to predict when they...

Question 6

A _____ schedule in operant conditioning reinforces the first behavior after a set amount of time has passed.
A)fixed-ratio
B)variable-ratio
C)variable-interval
D)fixed-interval

Accepted Answer

Fixed-interval schedules reinforce a behavior after a fixed amount of time has passed since the last reinforcement. In this case, the first behavior after the allotted time has passed will be reinforced.

Question 7

Andrea,an avid golfer,imitates a professional golfer's swing after watching him play golf on television.Andrea's act of imitation represents the _____ element of observational learning.
A)reinforcement
B)retention
C)motor reproduction
D)shaping

Accepted Answer

Motor reproduction refers to the process of reproducing a behavior, and it is the element of observational learning that Andrea is demonstrating by imitating the professional golfer's swing. Reinforcement refers to the consequences of a behavior, retention refers to the ability to remember the behavior, and shaping refers to the gradual reinforcement of closer and closer approximations of a desired behavior.

Question 8

Five minutes is deducted from Frankie's recess hour every time he misbehaves in class.In the context of operant conditioning,his teacher is using _____ to discipline Frankie.
A)positive reinforcement
B)negative reinforcement
C)positive punishment
D)negative punishment

Accepted Answer

Negative punishment involves removing a desirable stimulus to decrease a behavior. In this case, taking away Frankie's recess time (a desirable stimulus) for misbehavior is aimed at reducing the misbehavior, fitting the definition of negative punishment.

Question 9

A worker at a handicraft store is paid $25 for every 20 wind chimes she makes.Which of the following schedules of reinforcement in operant conditioning is her payment based on?
A)the variable-ratio schedule
B)the fixed-interval schedule
C)the fixed-ratio schedule
D)the variable-interval schedule

Accepted Answer

The worker's payment is based on a fixed-ratio schedule, as she is paid for every 20 wind chimes she makes. A fixed-ratio schedule provides reinforcement after a specific number of responses, which is the case here. In contrast, a variable-ratio schedule provides reinforcement after an unpredictable number of responses, a fixed-interval schedule provides reinforcement after a specific period of time has passed, and a variable-interval schedule provides reinforcement after an unpredictable amount of time has passed.

Question 10

Which of the following is true of a fixed-interval schedule in the context of operant conditioning?
A)It reinforces the first behavior after a set amount of time has passed.
B)It produces a high,steady rate of behavior that is more resistant to extinction than the other three schedules.
C)It reinforces a behavior after a variable amount of time has elapsed.
D)It reinforces a behavior after a set number of behaviors.

Accepted Answer

A fixed-interval schedule reinforces the first behavior after a set amount of time has passed. For example, if a rat is given food every 10 seconds, it will learn to press the lever 10 seconds after receiving food in order to receive another one. This schedule tends to produce a scalloped pattern of responding, with a burst of responding just before the reinforcement is due.

Question 11

_____ in operant conditioning refers to the removal of a stimulus following a given behavior in order to decrease the frequency of that behavior.
A)Positive reinforcement
B)Positive punishment
C)Negative reinforcement
D)Negative punishment

Accepted Answer

Negative punishment involves the removal of a stimulus to decrease the frequency of a behavior. Positive reinforcement involves adding a stimulus to increase the frequency of a behavior. Positive punishment involves adding a stimulus to decrease the frequency of a behavior. Negative reinforcement involves the removal of a stimulus to increase the frequency of a behavior.

Question 12

In observational learning,retention is the process in which a learner must
A)encode the information to reproduce a model's actions.
B)withdraw attention from a model's actions.
C)use his or her instincts to resist reinforcers.
D)must generalize his or her conditional response.

Accepted Answer

Retention involves encoding the information observed from a model's actions. This encoded information must then be stored in memory to be retrieved later for reproduction of the behavior observed.

Question 13

_____ refers to the use of operant conditioning principles to change human behavior.
A)Vestibular correction
B)Behavioral depravation
C)Behavior modification
D)Sensory adaptation

Accepted Answer

Behavior modification specifically involves the use of operant conditioning principles, such as reinforcement and punishment, to modify and change human behavior. Vestibular correction, behavioral deprivation, and sensory adaptation do not involve the use of operant conditioning principles in changing behavior.

Question 14

Mrs.Graham is the principal of a high school.She enforces the practice of pop quizzes in the school because she knows that students will be more likely to study if they cannot predict when they will be tested.In this scenario,Mrs.Graham relies on a _____ schedule in operant conditioning to enforce a desired behavior in her students.
A)fixed-ratio
B)variable-ratio
C)fixed-interval
D)variable-interval

Accepted Answer

Mrs. Graham's use of pop quizzes on a random schedule is an example of a variable-interval schedule in operant conditioning. This means that students cannot predict when they will be tested, which leads to a more consistent effort to study and be prepared. A fixed-interval schedule would involve testing students on a specific, predictable time interval, which would not be as effective in motivating students to study. Fixed-ratio and variable-ratio schedules involve reinforcing behavior after a certain number of responses, which is not applicable to Mrs. Graham's use of pop quizzes.

Question 15

In operant conditioning,a consequence that decreases the likelihood that a behavior will occur is known as a(n)
A)contiguity.
B)punishment.
C)anomoly.
D)operant.

Accepted Answer

Punishment is a consequence that decreases the likelihood that a behavior will occur. Contiguity refers to the temporal proximity between a behavior and its consequence, while an anomaly is a deviation from what is expected or typical. Operant refers to a behavior that operates on the environment to produce a consequence.

Question 16

Janet scolds her daughter,Kelley,each time Kelley pinches her little brother.After two weeks,Janet notices that Kelley has stopped pinching her little brother.In this scenario,scolding Kelley is an example of _____ in operant conditioning.
A)positive reinforcement
B)negative reinforcement
C)negative punishment
D)positive punishment

Accepted Answer

Scolding Kelley acts as a form of positive punishment in operant conditioning because it introduces an unpleasant stimulus (the scolding) in response to Kelley's undesirable behavior (pinching her brother), which leads to a decrease in that behavior.

Question 17

Larry is in the habit of bullying his little brother by hitting and pushing him.Larry's parents try to stop this behavior by taking away Larry's video games whenever he hits his little brother.Over the next few weeks,Larry stops bullying his little brother.In this scenario,Larry's parents have used _____ in operant conditioning.
A)positive reinforcement
B)negative punishment
C)negative reinforcement
D)positive punishment

Accepted Answer

Larry's parents have used negative punishment by taking away something (video games) to decrease the likelihood of a behavior (bullying his little brother) happening again in the future.

Question 18

Josh has romantic feelings for the girl who works at the comic book store down the street.He likes to go into the store and talk to her.However,he does not know which days of the week she works,so he visits the store every Sunday,when he is sure she will be there.In this scenario,Josh is operating on a _____ schedule in operant conditioning.
A)fixed-ratio
B)variable-ratio
C)fixed-interval
D)variable-interval

Accepted Answer

The answer of Josh has romantic feelings for the girl...

Question 19

In operant conditioning,a punishment is a consequence that
A)decreases the likelihood that a behavior will occur.
B)increases the likelihood that a behavior will occur.
C)ensures the removal of something unpleasant.
D)ensures the occurrence of something pleasant.

Accepted Answer

Punishment is a consequence that decreases the likelihood that a behavior will occur again. It involves the presentation of an aversive stimulus or the removal of a pleasant stimulus in response to a behavior, with the goal of decreasing the likelihood of that behavior happening again in the future.

Question 20

Fred's mother allows him to watch television on Sundays only if he studies for four hours a day,every day of the week.Which of the following schedules of reinforcement in operant conditioning is Fred's mother using to discipline him?
A)the fixed-ratio schedule
B)the fixed-interval schedule
C)the variable-ratio schedule
D)the variable-interval schedule

Accepted Answer

Fred's mother is using a fixed-ratio schedule because the reinforcement (watching television) is contingent upon a fixed number of responses (studying for four hours every day of the week).

Quiz 6: Learning

Which of the following best illustrates positive punishment in operant conditioning?

Which of the following is true of observational learning?

Applied behavior analysis is

Jenna receives a bonus for performing well.Instead of buying herself something nice,she invests her money with the intention of buying a house after a few years.In the context of reinforcement and punishment schedules,Jenna demonstrates _____ in this scenario.

Hitch-hikers are unable to predict when they will get a ride and when they will not.They are most likely functioning on a _____ schedule of reinforcement in operant conditioning.

A _____ schedule in operant conditioning reinforces the first behavior after a set amount of time has passed.

Andrea,an avid golfer,imitates a professional golfer's swing after watching him play golf on television.Andrea's act of imitation represents the _____ element of observational learning.

Five minutes is deducted from Frankie's recess hour every time he misbehaves in class.In the context of operant conditioning,his teacher is using _____ to discipline Frankie.

A worker at a handicraft store is paid $25 for every 20 wind chimes she makes.Which of the following schedules of reinforcement in operant conditioning is her payment based on?

Which of the following is true of a fixed-interval schedule in the context of operant conditioning?

_____ in operant conditioning refers to the removal of a stimulus following a given behavior in order to decrease the frequency of that behavior.

In observational learning,retention is the process in which a learner must

_____ refers to the use of operant conditioning principles to change human behavior.

In operant conditioning,a consequence that decreases the likelihood that a behavior will occur is known as a(n)

Janet scolds her daughter,Kelley,each time Kelley pinches her little brother.After two weeks,Janet notices that Kelley has stopped pinching her little brother.In this scenario,scolding Kelley is an example of _____ in operant conditioning.

In operant conditioning,a punishment is a consequence that

Fred's mother allows him to watch television on Sundays only if he studies for four hours a day,every day of the week.Which of the following schedules of reinforcement in operant conditioning is Fred's mother using to discipline him?