Chapter 5: Operant Learning

E. L. Thorndike's studies of learning started as an attempt to understand _.
a. operant conditioning
b. the psychic reflex
c. animal intelligence
d. maze learning

c. animal intelligence

Thorndike complained that _ evidence provided a "supernormal psychology of animals."
a. anecdotal
b. case study
c. informal experimental
d. intuitive

a. anecdotal

In one of Thorndike's puzzle boxes, a door would fall open when a cat stepped on a treadle, thus allowing the cat to reach food outside the box. Eventually the cat would step on the treadle as soon as it was put into the box. Thorndike concluded that .
a. the reasoning ability of cats is quite remarkable
b. treadle stepping increased because it had a "satisfying effect"
c. the treadle is a CS for stepping
d. learning meant connecting the treadle with freedom and food

b. treadle stepping increased because it had a "satisfying effect"

Thorndike plotted the results of his puzzle box experiments as graphs. The resulting curves show a _ with succeeding trials.
a. decrease in time
b. decrease in errors
c. change in topography
d. increase in the rate of behavior

a. decrease in time

The law of effect says that _.
a. satisfying consequences are more powerful than annoying consequences
b. behavior is a function of its consequences
c. how an organism perceives events is more important than the events themselves
d. effective behavior drives out ineffective behavior

b. behavior is a function of its consequences

Thorndike made important contributions to all of the following fields except _.
a. educational psychology
b. animal learning
c. social psychology
d. psychological testing

c. social psychology

Thorndike emphasized that we learn mainly from _.
a. errors
b. repeated trials
c. success
d. social experiences

c. success

Operant learning is sometimes called _____ learning.
a. free
b. higher-order
c. instrumental
d. reward

c. instrumental

gave Skinner's experimental chamber the name, "Skinner box."
a. Fred Keller
b. E. L. Thorndike
c. John Watson
d. Clark Hull

d. Clark Hull

Operant learning may also be referred to as _.
a. trial-and-error learning
b. effects learning
c. non-Pavlovian conditioning
d. instrumental learning

d. instrumental learning

Mary's grandmother, Pearl, is from the Old Country. Although she knows some English, she continues to speak her native tongue. Pearl can't go anywhere without a member of the family because she can't communicate with people about prices, directions, bus routes, etc. Pearl's resistance to learning English is most likely the result of .
a. a lack of intelligence
b. age. Studies show that after the age of 60 learning a second language is nearly impossible.
c. the length of time she has spent speaking her native language
d. the benefits she receives for not speaking English

d. the benefits she receives for not speaking English

Mary decides to try to modify Pearl's behavior (see above item). She and the rest of the family refuse to respond to any comment or request by Pearl that they know she is capable of expressing in English. For example, if during dinner she says, "Pass the potatoes" in English, she gets potatoes; if she says it in her native language she gets ignored. The procedure being used to change Pearl's behavior is .
a. positive reinforcement
b. negative reinforcement
c. adventitious reinforcement
d. punishment

a. positive reinforcement

Charles Catania identified three characteristics that define reinforcement. These include all of the following except _.
a. a behavior must have a consequence
b. the consequence of the behavior must be positive
c. a behavior must increase in strength
d. the increase in strength must be the result of the behavior's consequence

b. the consequence of the behavior must be positive

The one thing that all reinforcers have in common is that they _.
a. strengthen behavior
b. are positive
c. feel good
d. provide feedback

a. strengthen behavior

The number of operant procedures indicated in the contingency square is .
a. two
b. four
c. six
d. nine

b. four

Positive reinforcement is sometimes called _.
a. escape training
b. positive training
c. satisfier training
d. reward learning

d. reward learning

Negative reinforcement is also called _.
a. punishment
b. aversive training
c. escape avoidance training
d. reward training

c. escape avoidance training

Alan Neuringer demonstrated that with reinforcement, _ could learn to behave randomly.
a. preschoolers
b. cats
c. rats
d. pigeons

d. pigeons

Skinner describes some of his most important research in _.
a. Verbal Behavior
b. The Behavior of Organisms
c. Particulars of My Life
d. Animal Intelligence

b. The Behavior of Organisms

The author of your text calls Skinner the .
a. Newton of psychology
b. Thorndike of free operant work
c. discoverer of reinforcement
d. Darwin of behavior science

d. Darwin of behavior science

The opposite of a conditioned reinforcer is a .
a. tertiary reinforcer
b. secondary reinforcer
c. primary reinforcer
d. generalized reinforcer

c. primary reinforcer

All of the following are recognized kinds of reinforcers except .
a. primary
b. contrived
c. secondary
d. classical

d. classical

Donald Zimmerman found that a buzzer became a positive reinforcer after it was repeatedly paired with .
a. food
b. water
c. escape from shock
d. morphine

b. water

The level of deprivation is less important when the reinforcer used is a(n) _ reinforcer.
a. primary
b. secondary
c. unexpected
d. intrinsic

b. secondary

Secondary reinforcers are also called _ reinforcers.
a. transient
b. conditioned
c. second order
d. acquired

b. conditioned

Money is a good example of a _ reinforcer.
a. primary
b. tertiary
c. generalized
d. transient

c. generalized

The Watson and Rayner experiment with Little Albert may have involved operant as well as Pavlovian learning because the loud noise .
a. occurred as Albert reached for the rat
b. occurred while Albert was eating
c. did not bother Albert initially
d. was aversive

a. occurred as Albert reached for the rat

Studies of delayed reinforcement document the importance of .
a. contiguity
b. contingency
c. intertrial interval
d. deprivation level

a.contiguity

Schlinger and Blakely found that the reinforcing power of a delayed reinforcer could be increased by .
a. increasing the size of the reinforcer
b. preceding the reinforcer with a stimulus
c. providing a different kind of reinforcer
d. following the reinforcer with a stimulus

b. preceding the reinforcer with a stimulus

An action that improves the effectiveness of a reinforcer is called a .
a. motivating operation
b. reward booster
c. contrived reinforcer
d. activator

a. motivating operation

demonstrated that electrical stimulation of the brain could be reinforcing.
a. Olds and Milner
b. Skinner
c. Barnes and Noble
d. Hull

a. Olds and Milner

_ is a neurotransmitter that seems to be important in reinforcement.
a. Dopamine
b. Stupamine
c. Intelamine
d. Actomine

a. Dopamine

Clark Hull's explanation of reinforcement assumes that reinforcers _.
a. stimulate the brain
b. reduce a drive
c. activate neurotransmitters
d. leave a neural trace

b. reduce a drive

34. The best title for the figure below is .
    a. Motivation and Line Drawing
    b. The Effect of Practice without Reinforcement
    c. Trial and Error Learning
    d. Improvement in Line Drawing with Practice

b. The Effect of Practice without Reinforcement

Sylvia believes that the reinforcement properties of an event depend on the extent to which it provides access to high probability behavior. Sylvia is most likely an advocate of _ theory.
a. drive- reduction
b. relative value
c. response deprivation
d. random guess

b.relative value

Premack's name is most logically associated with _.
a. drive reduction theory
b. relative value theory
c. response deprivation theory
d. equilibrium theory

b. relative value theory

The Premack principle says that reinforcement involves _.
a. a reduction in drive
b. an increase in the potency of a behavior
c. a relation between behaviors
d. a satisfying state of affairs

c. a relation between behaviors

According to ___ theory, schoolchildren are eager to go to recess because they have been deprived of the opportunity to exercise.
a. drive reduction
b. relative value
c. response deprivation
d. stimulus substitution

c. response deprivation

The distinctive characteristic of the Sidman avoidance procedure is that _.
a. the aversive event is signaled
b. the aversive event is not signaled
c. the aversive event is signaled twice
d. there is no aversive event

b. the aversive event is not signaled

Douglas Anger proposed that there is a signal in the Sidman avoidance procedure. The signal is .
a. reinforcement
b. the aversive event
c. fatigue
d. time

d. time

According to the one process theory of avoidance, the avoidance response is reinforced by _.
a. escape from the CS
b. a reduction in the number of aversive events
c. positive reinforcers that follow aversive events
d. non-contingent aversives

b. a reduction in the number of aversive events

T/F: Another term for operant is instrumental.

TRUE

T/F: Positive reinforcement increases the strength of a behavior.

TRUE

T/F: According to Skinner, people are rewarded, but behavior is reinforced.

TRUE

T/F: Reprimands, restraint, captivity, and electrical shocks can be reinforcers.

TRUE

T/F: Negative reinforcement increases the strength of a behavior.

TRUE

T/F: A general assumption of behavioral research is that any feature of a behavior may be strengthened by reinforcement, so long as reinforcement can be made contingent on that feature.

TRUE

T/F: Negative reinforcement and punishment are synonyms.

FALSE

T/F: People can learn to behave randomly provided that reinforcers are made contingent on random acts.

TRUE

T/F: Reinforcement is often said to increase the frequency of a behavior, but research suggestss that any feature of a behavior (e.g., intensity, duration, form, etc.) can be strengthened if a reinforcer can be made contingent on that feature.

TRUE

T/F: Operant learning probably always involves Pavlovian conditioning as well.

TRUE

T/F: In operant learning, the word contingency usually refers to the degree of correlation between a behavior and a consequence.

TRUE

T/F: Vomiting is ordinarily an involuntary response, but sometimes it can be modified by operant procedures.

TRUE

Often the initial effect of an extinction procedure is an increase in the behavior called a/an extinction ____.
A. rebound
B. resurgence
C. burst
D. flyer

C. burst

Resurgence may help account for ____.
A. PMS
B. rationalization
C. regression
D. reaction formation

C. regression

Thorndike's 1898 dissertation describes experiments with cats, chicks, and ____.
A. mice
B. rats
C. monkeys
D. dogs

d. dogs

Williams found that the greater the number of reinforcements before extinction, the ____.
A. greater the number of responses during extinction
B. faster the rate of extinction
C. stronger the response during extinction
D. greater the frustration during extinction

A. greater the number of responses during extinction

The reappearance of previously effective behavior during extinction is called ____.
A. spontaneous recovery
B. recovery
C. resurgence
D. fulfillment

c. resurgence

The three term contingency is often represented by the letters ____.

ABC

Pearl's resistance to learning English is most likely the result of ____.
A. a lack of intelligence
B. age. Studies show that after the age of 60 learning a second language is nearly impossible.
C. the length of time she has spent speaking her native language
D. the benefits she receives for not speaking English

D. the benefits she receives for not speaking English

The training procedure Thorndike used in his famous experiments with cats is best described as ____.
A. free operant
B. discrete trial
C. trial-and- error
D. field research

B. discrete trial