Psychology 101: Intro to Psychology Ch 5. Introduction to Learning in Psychology

classical conditioning

a form of learning in which a new, involuntary response is acquired as a result of two stimuli being presented at the same time

unconditioned stimulas

the stimulus that unconditionally, naturally and automatically triggers a response

unconditioned response

the fear reaction

neutral stimulus

in normal situations would not trigger an automated response

conditioned stimulus

the fear reaction

generalization

occurs when a person learns a response to a particular stimulus and then makes the same response to similar stimuli

extinction

the gradual disappearance of an acquired response by the absence of the unconditioned stimulus

An instructor was doing a demonstration with her class. She had the students form pairs and look in each other's eyes. She then suddenly turned off the lights and blew a whistle. She repeated this process several times. Finally, she blew the whistle but left the lights on. To the amazement of the students as they watched, the pupils of their eyes began to dilate. Seeing the eyes dilate after the whistle blew with the lights on is an example of:

1. Observing a classically conditioned response

2. Observing a classically conditioned stimulus

3. Observing an unconditioned stimulus

4. Reinforcement of a desired behavior

Observing a classically conditioned response

Sara feels anxious about solving fraction problems. Soon, Sara becomes anxious about attempting any mathematical problems. This is a phenomenon known as:

1. Generalization

2. Shaping

3. Discrimination

4. Reinforcement

5. Extinction

Generalization

Mr. Zee claps his hands and tells his students to be quiet. After a period of time, he just has to clap his hands and the children become quiet. What is the clap?

1. Unconditioned stimulus

2. Neutral stimulus

3. Generalized stimulus

4. Conditioned stimulus

5. Conditioned response

Conditioned stimulus

When the conditioned stimulus is no longer paired with the unconditioned stimulus, what occurs?

1. Generalization

2. Shaping

3. Extinction

4. Reversal

5. Discrimination

Extinction

On the first day of kindergarten Mrs. Rose's class appears nervous. Mrs. Rose allows the children to have free time to color and play with clay. Each day during the first week of school, Mrs. Rose allows the children free time. By the end of the first week, the children appear calm and enter the room with happy faces. For the children, the kindergarten classroom has become the

1. Conditioned stimulus

2. Reinforcer

3. Unconditioned stimulus

4. Unconditioned response

5. Conditioned response

Conditioned stimulus

In Watson's experiment, the baby initially _____.

1. feared both the loud noise and the rat

2. feared the rat

3. didn't fear the loud noise

4. didn't fear the rat

5. feared neither the rat nor the loud noise

didn't fear the rat

Watson was able to condition the baby to _____.

1. fear the loud noise when a rat entered the room

2. fear the rat when a loud noise occurred

3. fear the loud noise without the rat

4. fear the rat without the loud noise

5. grow unafraid of the loud noise

fear the rat without the loud noise

John Watson's experiments involved the unconditioned stimulus of _____ with the conditioned stimulus of _____.

1. a rat; loud noises

2. loud noises; a rat

3. sales; admirable people

4. admirable people; sales

loud noises; a rat

Classical conditioning involves _____.

1. stopping an unconditioned stimulus from eliciting an unconditioned response

2. creating a paired association between unrelated stimuli

3. causing an unconditioned stimulus to elicit an unconditioned response

4. causing an unconditioned stimulus to elicit a conditioned response

5. stopping a conditioned stimulus from eliciting an unconditioned response

creating a paired association between unrelated stimuli

McDonald's using Olympic athletes in its ads is classical conditioning because _____.

1. audiences are conditioned to mimic celebrities, including famous athletes

2. audiences have been shown to unconsciously follow calls to action made on TV

3. it links healthy athletes with fast food, planting the idea that fast food is healthy

4. this is not an example of classical conditioning but of an unconditioned stimulus being used

it links healthy athletes with fast food, planting the idea that fast food is healthy

operant conditioned

• form of learning in which a response increases in frequency as a result of reinforcement

• a response that is followed by a reinforcing stimulus is more likely to occur again 

Edward Thorndike

introduced the law of effect

B.F. Skinner

often regarded as the ‘father of operant conditioning’

reinforcer

stimuli that increase the probability of the response occurring again

reinforcement

the act of following a response with a reinforcer

operant conditioning

the individual actively operates on the environment to bring about reinforcement (the response is voluntary)

classical conditioning

the individual is passive (the response is involuntary)

primary reinforces

consequences that satisfy a biologically built-in need

secondary reinforcers

stimulus reinforcers a behavior after it has been associated with a primary reinforcer

secondary reinforcement

also known as conditioned reinforcement

extrinsic reinforcers

come from the outside environment

intrinsic reinforcers

the reinforcement comes from oneself

positive reinforcement

• reinforcing consequence that increases the likelihood of the behavior

• stimulus is presented

negative reinforcement

• strengthening of a behavior because something negative or unpleasant is removed

• by eliminating undesirable outcomes, the preventative behaviors become more likely to occur again

• stimulus is removed

punishment

• a consequence that decreases the frequency of the response it follows

• does not promote, nor teach desired behaviors

Secondary, or conditioned, reinforcement is:

1. directly reinforcing a social need

2. repeating a primary reinforcer a second time

3. using a secondary stimulus to reinforce a behavior that already has a primary reinforcer

4. using reinforcement to encourage the participant's last response

using a secondary stimulus to reinforce a behavior that already has a primary reinforcer

Which of the following is an example of intrinsic reinforcement?

1. Losing weight to look better in clothing.

2. Running every morning to feel energized.

3. Working hard on a project to earn a raise.

4. Staying late at work to earn praise.

Running every morning to feel energized.

What is the difference between negative reinforcement and punishment?

1. Negative reinforcement strengthens certain behaviors and punishment decreases the frequency of a response.

2. Only negative reinforcement involves the presence of an unpleasant stimulus.

3. Only punishment removes the presence of an unpleasant stimulus.

4. There is no difference; they remove undesirable stimuli.

Negative reinforcement strengthens certain behaviors and punishment decreases the frequency of a response.

Who was the behaviorist who developed the Operant Conditioning Chamber?

1. Tolman

2. Skinner

3. Thorndike

4. Keller

Skinner

_____ are examples of primary reinforcers.

1. Family and friends

2. Money and pride

3. Oxygen and food

4. Punishment and justice

Oxygen and food

shaping

the process of reinforcing successively closer and closer approximations to a desired terminal behavior

program

series of discriminative stimuli and reinforcements for subtle changes in response

complex behaviors

have almost a zero probability of occurring naturally in the final form

Which of these is NOT a step in the shaping process?

1. Punishing behavior that deviates from the terminal behavior.

2. Stopping the reinforcement of previously reinforced responses.

3. Reinforcing a response that closely approximates the terminal behavior

4. Reinforcing any response that resembles the terminal behavior.

Punishing behavior that deviates from the terminal behavior.

A shaping program should be continued until the student can _____.

1. teach the correct behavior to other students

2. demonstrate the first step of the desired behavior

3. reinforce his/her own behavior

4. demonstrate the appropriate behavior

demonstrate the appropriate behavior

Shaping involves reinforcing behaviors that _____.

1. are negative

2. do not occur naturally

3. occur naturally

4. you want to decrease in frequency

do not occur naturally

A shaping program incorporates all of the following, EXCEPT:

1. The learner is reinforced for achieving short-term goals in order to reach target behavior

2. The learner is reinforced for performing the entire, original target behavior

3. The learner is required to reach a higher goal before receiving reinforcement

4. The learner is required to self-reinforce for each successive approximation

The learner is required to self-reinforce for each successive approximation

Mrs. García has planned a shaping program. The first thing that she did was to clearly define the target behavior, and then she decided when to deliver the _____. Based on how Mrs. Garcia is planning the shaping program, it is likely it will succeed.

1. test outline

2. reinforcements

3. steps of the program

4. quiz questions

reinforcements

reinforcement

is defined as a consequence that follows a response that increases (or attempts to increase) the likelihood of that response occurring in the future

schedule of reinforcement

acts as a rule, stating which instances of a behavior will be reinforced

continuous reinforcement schedule

the desired behavior is reinforced each and every time it occurs

extinction

the gradual disappearance of an acquired response - resulting from repeated lack of reinforcement for the response

partial reinforcement schedule

the response is reinforced only part of the time

four types of partial reinforcement schedules

• fixed ratio

• variable ratio

• fixed interval

• variable interval schedules 

fixed ratio schedules

occur when a response is reinforced only after a specific number of responses

variable ratio

the schedule where a response is reinforced after an unpredictable number of responses

fixed interval

where the response is rewarded only after a specified amount of time has elapsed

variable interval schedule

where a response is rewarded after an unpredictable amount of time has passed

Fishing, in which you may catch something after 15 minutes, then another after 45 minutes, then another after two hours, is an example of a _____.

1. fixed ratio

2. variable interval

3. fixed interval

4. variable ratio

variable interval

Giving a lab rat food every third time it presses a lever is an example of a _____.

1. variable ratio

2. constant reward

3. fixed interval

4. fixed ratio

fixed ratio

Why is scheduling useful in reinforcement?

1. Rewarding or punishing behavior every time is more effective than if done selectively.

2. Rewarding or punishing behavior every time is less effective than if done selectively.

3. Rewarding or punishing is most easily facilitated when using a schedule.

4. While rewarding is most effective if done every time, punishing is most effective if done selectively.

Rewarding or punishing behavior every time is less effective than if done selectively.

Playing a slot machine, which provides inconsistently occurring payouts, is an example of a _____.

1. fixed ratio

2. variable ratio

3. variable interval

4. fixed interval

variable ratio

A child's weekly allowance is an example of a _____.

1. variable ratio

2. fixed interval

3. variable interval

4. fixed ratio

fixed interval

Extinction

the disappearance of a previously learned behavior when the behavior is not reinforced

Operant conditioning

behavior is reinforced by either gaining something positive or having something negative taken away when the behavior occurs

Extinction burst

the initial increase in the frequency and magnitude of the behavior prior to the gradual decrease and extinction of the behavior

Spontaneous recovery

the sudden reoccurrence of a behavior after it has shown extinction

Which of the following is NOT an example of extinction:

1. A squirrel does not find food in the bird feeder so it is less likely to search for food there

2. A child screams and is ignored so they scream less in the future

3. A dog obeys and is not given a treat so they become less likely to obey

4. A child screams for candy and is given the candy so they discontinue the screaming

A child screams for candy and is given the candy so they discontinue the screaming

An extinction burst:

1. Is most likely when the reinforcer is removed abruptly

2. Occurs when the reinforcer has initially been removed

3. All answers are correct

4. Is an increase in frequency and magnitude of a behavior during extinction

All answers are correct

Spontaneous recovery is:

1. A long term renewal of a problem behavior

2. The sudden recurrence of a behavior after it has shown extinction

3. The recurrence of a behavior before it shows extinction

4. A return to demonstration of a positive behavior

The sudden recurrence of a behavior after it has shown extinction

Extinction is best defined as:

1. An increase in a behavior when the reinforcer is taken away

2. The disappearance of a previously learned behavior when the behavior is not reinforced

3. All answers are correct

4. The loss of a negative behavior using conditioning

The disappearance of a previously learned behavior when the behavior is not reinforced

Which of the following does NOT help extinction occur:

1. The person is not in need of the reinforcement

2. Previous reinforcement has been consistent

3. The behavior requires effort

4. Reinforcement has occurred for a long period of time

Reinforcement has occurred for a long period of time

observational learning

learning where the observer learns new behaviors by watching some other organism

attention

observe someone else engaging in the activity while actively bringing the information into your brain through your senses

retention

the process of talking the information in through your senses and committing it to memory

motor reproduction

the act of putting to use the information that your brain has taken in

reinforcement

can increase or decrease the likelihood of a behavior being repeated

vicarious reinforcement

is unique to observational learning and impacts the behavior of the observer

Practice makes perfect would best describe which step of observational learning?

1. Motor reproduction

2. Attention

3. Reinforcement

4. Retention

Motor reproduction

Which of these types of reinforcement are influential in observational learning?

1. Negative reinforcement

2. Positive reinforcement

3. All of these answers are correct.

4. Vicarious reinforcement

All of these answers are correct.

The four steps of observational learning are...

1. understanding, memorization, recall, and repetition.

2. inquiry, definition, explanation, and reinforcement.

3. identification, definition, recall, and rationalization.

4. attention, retention, motor reproduction, and reinforcement.

attention, retention, motor reproduction, and reinforcement.

Remembering the steps of a process is critical to which of the four concepts of observational learning?

1. Retention

2. Reinforcement

3. Motor reproduction

4. Attention

Retention

The Theory of Observational Learning was developed by _____.

1. Leon Festinger

2. Sigmund Freud

3. Albert Bandura

4. Stanley Milgram

Albert Bandura

taste aversion

prevents us from eating something twice that might be toxic

John Garcia

1950s psychologist

Keller and Marian Breland

trained raccoons to put coins in a piggy bank

Keller and Marian Breland's raccoon experiment showed that:

1. Natural instincts can never be overcome through conditioning.

2. Natural instincts can interfere with conditioning.

3. Raccoons cannot be conditioned.

4. Conditioning can overcome natural instincts.

Natural instincts can interfere with conditioning.

Which of the following statements is true about evolutionarily-advantageous bodily defense mechanisms?

1. These mechanisms can be learned immediately.

2. These mechanisms take months to be learned.

3. These are the mechanisms that occur in the body after radiation.

4. These are the mechanisms that occur in the body after conditioning.

These mechanisms can be learned immediately.

A few years ago, Claudia ate a tuna fish sandwich that made her sick. Since then, she cannot eat tuna fish sandwiches. This is an example of _____.

1. taste aversion

2. taste recognition

3. food toxicity recognition

4. losing the sense of taste

taste aversion

In John Garcia's experiments, the rats did not want to eat the things they'd been fed shortly before being irradiated. What is a plausible explanation for this observation?

1. The rats would not eat those foods because they were tired of the same taste.

2. The radiated rats were conditioned to link the taste of the food eaten before the radiation to nausea.

3. The rats would not eat because they knew they were about to be irradiated.

4. The radiated rats were conditioned to link the taste of those foods to being irradiated.

The radiated rats were conditioned to link the taste of the food eaten before the radiation to nausea.

In Keller and Marian Breland's raccoon experiment, why didn't raccoons put coins in a piggy bank when they were given multiple coins?

1. The raccoons were tired.

2. The raccoons have a natural instinct of 'washing' food by rubbing it together.

3. The raccoons have a natural instinct of burying their food.

4. The raccoons were not hungry.

The raccoons have a natural instinct of 'washing' food by rubbing it together.