Behavioral Sciences — Learning and Memory

Researchers repeatedly startle a participant with a loud buzzer. After some time, the participant stops being startled by the buzzer. If the researchers interrupt the study with the sound of pans banging together, which of the following would likely be observed?

A. Increased startle response to the buzzer

B. Decreased startle response to the buzzer

C. No change in the response to the buzzer

D. Generalization to previously nonaversive stimuli

A

Many pets will run toward the kitchen when they hear the sound of a can opener opening a can of pet food. The sound of the can opener is a(n):

a. conditioned response.

b. unconditioned response.

c. conditioned stimulus.

d. unconditioned stimulus.

C

A person suffers from food poisoning after eating a spoiled orange and later finds that the smell of lemon and other citrus fruits causes a feeling of nausea. This is an example of:

A. acquisition.

B. generalization.

C. discrimination.

D. negative reinforcement.

B

Which of the following processes would increase the likelihood of a behavior?

A. Extinction

B. Negative punishment

C. Positive punishment

D. Avoidance learning

D

The presynaptic neuron becomes more efficient at releasing neurotransmitters while receptor density increases on the postsynaptic neuron. These changes are consistent with:

A. long term potentiation.

B. synaptic pruning.

C. an increase in neuroplasticity.

D. amnesia.

A

A rat is trained to press a lever to obtain food under a fixed-interval schedule. Which of the following behaviors would the rat most likely exhibit?

a. Pressing the lever continuously whenever it is hungry.

b. Pressing the lever exactly once and waiting for the food pellet before pressing it again.

c. Pressing the lever slowly at first, but with increasing frequency as the end of the interval approaches.

d. None of the above; the association formed by fixed-interval schedules is too weak to increase behavior.

C

Which of the following is true of teaching an animal a complicated, multistage behavior?

I. The individual parts of the behavior should not run counter to the animal's natural instincts.

II. The behaviors must be tied to a food reward of some kind.

III. Rewarding individual parts of the behavior on their own interferes with reinforcement of the entire behavior.

A. I only

B. I and III only

C. II and III only

D. I, II, and III

A

Which of the following is true of controlled processing?

A. It is the means through which information enters short-term memory.

B. Information that requires controlled processing cannot become automatic.

C. It always requires active attention to the information being encoded.

D. Most information we can later recall is encoded using controlled processing.

C

Which of the following methods of encoding is most conducive to later recall?

A. Semantic

B. Visual

C. Iconic

D. Acoustic

A

A hemisphere of the brain can be removed to prevent the recurrence of severe seizures. How would the ability of the other hemisphere to adopt functionalities of the removed section differ between a 2 ya and a 20 ya?

A. The brain of the 20 ya would be more adaptable due to higher neuroplasticity

B. The brain of the 20 ya would be more adaptable due to lower neuroplasticity

C. The brain of the 2 ya would be more adaptable due to higher neuroplasticity

D. Same as B but a 2 ya instead of 20 ya

C

An individual memorizes a shopping list by associating each item with an image that corresponds with a number. This individual is using which of the following mnemonics?

A. Clustering

B. Method of loci

C. Elaborating rehearsal

D. Peg-words

D

A researcher uses a partial-report procedure after presenting participants with an array of nine numbers for a fraction of a second. Which of the following is the most likely result of this procedure?

a. The participant will be able to recall any of the rows or columns in great detail but only immediately after presentation.

b. The participant will only be able to recall the first few numbers in the array due to the serial position effect.

c. The participant will be able to recall approximately seven of the numbers for a few seconds following presentation of the stimulus.

d. The participant will not be able to recall any of the numbers verbally, but will be able to draw the full array under hypnosis.

A

Which of the following is an example of a semantic memory?

A. Having the ability to drive a car

B. Knowing the parts of a car engine

C. Remembering the experience of learning to drive

D. Associating a car with other vehicles in a semantic network

B

Which of the following is an example of a circumstance that could cause a state-dependent recall effect?

I. The individual is outside on a rainy day.

II. The individual is intoxicated on cannabis.

III. The individual is experiencing a manic episode.

A. I only

B. III only

C. II and III only

D. I, II, and III

C

Which of the following would an older adult be most likely to have trouble recalling?

A. The circumstances of meeting a significant other in college

B. A doctor's appointment scheduled for 1:00 p.m.

C. The names of the characters in a favorite television show

D. That a library book needs to be returned when passing by the library on a morning walk

B

Habituation

the process of becoming used to a stimulus

Dishabituation

when a second stimulus intervenes, causing a resensitization to the original stimulus

Associative learning

a way of pairing together stimuli and responses, or behaviors and consequences

Observational learning (modeling)

the acquisition of behavior by watching others

Classical conditioning

an unconditioned stimulus that produces an instinctive, unconditioned response is paired with a neutral stimulus

With repetition in classical conditioning,

the neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus that produces a conditioned response

Operant conditioning

behavior is changed through the use of consequences

Reinforcement

increases the likelihood of a behavior in operant conditioning

Punishment

decreases the likelihood of a behavior in operant conditioning

The schedule of reinforcement affects

the rate at which the behavior is performed

Schedules are either based on

a ratio of behavior to reward or on an amount of time

Schedules may be

fixed or variable

Which behaviors are hardest to extinguish?

learned through variable-ratio scheduules

Encoding

process of putting new information into memory

Encoding can either be

automatic or effortful

Which encoding is strongest?

semantic encoding

Sensory memory

A type of storage that holds sensory information for a few seconds or less, based on neurotransmitter activity

Short-term memory

transient memory that is based on neurotransmitter activity

Working memory

requires short-term memory, attention, and executive function to manipulate information

Long-term memory

requires elaborative rehearsal and is the result of increased neuronal connectivity

Two forms of long-term memory

explicit (declarative) and implicit (non-declarative)

Explicit (declarative) memory

long-term memory that stores facts and stories; conscious memory

Implicit (nondeclarative) memory

Long-term memory for procedural tasks, classical conditioning, and primary effects. This type of memory does not require conscious awareness or the need to make declarations about the information remembered; unconscious memory

Procedural memory

a type of implicit memory that involves motor skills and behavioral habits

Declarative memory

type of long-term memory of facts and events we personally experience

Episodic memory

A category of long-term declarative memory that involves the recollection of specific events, situations and experiences.

Semantic memory

a type of long-term declarative memory involving the capacity to recall words, concepts, or numbers, which is essential for the use and understanding of language.

Recognition

a measure of memory in which the person need only identify items previously learned, as on a multiple-choice test

Recall

A measure of memory in which the person must retrieve information learned earlier, as on a fill-in-the-blank test.

Recognition of information is _________ than recall

stronger

Retrieval

the process of bringing to mind information that has been previously encoded and stored; based on priming interconnected nodes of the semantic network

Memories are highly subject to influence by

outside information and mood both at the time of encoding and at recall