Psych Ch. 6 - Learning

Reginald's camera always makes a clicking sound just before the flash goes off. After taking many pictures of his little brother Devin, he presses the button, the camera clicks, but the flash does not go off. Despite this, Devin blinks just as he did when the flash was working. This is an example of _________ conditioning, and the flash is the _________. a. classical; unconditioned stimulus b. operant; positive reinforcer c. operant; negative reinforcer d. classical; unconditioned response

a. classical; unconditioned stimulus

Pamela and Martin are practicing a complicated dance to be filmed for a soft-drink commercial, but are having trouble with one section. Which of the following would be the best way for them to improve their learning of the dance? They should practice the entire dance a. during several shorter session, rather than one long session b. from the end to the beginning c. without seeking feedback from other performers because they might only confuse them d. until they can perform it perfectly once

a. during several shorter session, rather than one long session

Marlene's parents spank her with a paddle whenever she misbehaves. Because of this, Marlene is afraid whenever the paddle is in sight. Her parents move the paddle to a closet that squeaks. Marlene soon grows afraid of the squeak of the closet door because it predicts the appearance of the paddle, and the paddle predicts a spanking and pain. This is an example of _________ conditioning. a. higher-order b. escape c. backward d. simulaneous

a. higher-order

Lavonne hates to listen to new age music. So, when Lavonne refuses to clean her room, her mother makes her stay in her room and plays new age music through the intercom. Her mother tells Lavonne that as soon as she finishes cleaning her room the music will be stopped. This is an example of a. negative reinforcement b. positive reinforcement c. punishment d. shaping

a. negative reinforcement

What kind of reinforcer is money? a. secondary b. negative c. primary d. discriminative

a. secondary

Jia is a bear trainer at the circus. She wants to teach Barney the bear to ride a unicycle. To do this, Jia first rewards Barney for sitting up. Then she rewards Barney only if he sits on the unicycle seat. Next she rewards him only for sitting on the unicycle and raising his paws toward the pedals and so on. By show time, Barney can ride the unicycle. This method is called a. shaping b. latent learing c. higher-order conditioning d. reconditioning

a. shaping

Keren decides to try cotton candy for the first time. She enjoys it, but unfortunately, later that day Keren comes down with the stomach flu. Now the smell or thought of candy cotton makes her shudder and feel slightly nauseous. This is an example of a. taste aversion b. extinction c. cotton candy phobia d. learned response

a. taste aversion

Although punishment has several drawbacks, it is most effective when a. the punisher identifies more appropriate behavior b. the behavior is intermittently punished c. the punisher is very angry while punishing d. it occurs a couple of days after the behavior

a. the punisher identifies more appropriate behavior

Which of the following is the best example of Premack's principle for a normal child a. "If you do not eat your spinach, you will be punished." b. "When you eat your spinach, you can go outside and play with your friends." c. "If you do not want your spinach, give it to the dog." d. "Eat your spinach, and you will grow up big and strong like your father."

b. "When you eat your spinach, you can go outside and play with your friends."

Art has doting parents who praise him every time he sits down and studies. Ben has parents who praise him every now and then when he studies. A learning theorist would predict that if both set of parents stopped giving encouragement for studying, _________ would continue studying longer because behaviors rewarded on _________ schedule persist longer. a. Ben; continuous b. Ben; partial c. Art; continuous d. Art; partial

b. Ben; partial

Charles wants to get a job in which he is rewarded for his work on a fixed interval reinforcement schedule. Which job should Charlie pursue? a. Teddy's Carpentry, where he will earn money as the jobs are completed b. Burger Express, where he will earn a paycheck each week c. Vanguard Advertising, where he will earn $3.00 for each ad he sells d. Cruise-In, where the tips are split between all the servers

b. Burger Express, where he will earn a paycheck each week

When Joel asks his psychology class a question, he calls on only those students whose hands are raised. Guff, another psychology instructor, requires all students in his class to answer every question by holding up a card showing their written responses. Assuming that Joel and Guff are equally competent instructors who cover the same material, which class should perform better on the upcoming midterm? a. Joel's class on multiple-choice questions and Guff's class on essay questions b. Guff's class c. Joel's class d. They should perform equally

b. Guff's class

Whenever Lisa's aunts visit, they kiss her on the cheek. Lisa hates this and eventually learns that they will not kiss her if she is coughing. Now whenever her aunts enter her home, she pretends to cough. This is an example of a. punishment b. avoidance conditioning c. latent learning d. escape conditioning

b. avoidance conditioning

When Ken kisses Barbie, his heart races. For a month, Barbie snapped her fingers just before she kissed him. She stopped snapping her fingers, but now whenever Ken hears someone snapping their fingers, his heart begins to race. This is an example of _________ conditioning, and finger snapping is the _________. a. classical; primary reinforcer b. classical; conditioned stimulus c. operant; primary reinforcer d. operant; conditioned stimulus

b. classical; conditioned stimulus

Jelena is studying her apartment when suddenly the power goes out. She has to walk to the kitchen to get a flashlight and is surprised by how well she "navigates" without bumping into anything in the dark. She is able to do this because she has formed a(n) a. mental proposition b. cognitive map c. conditioned response d. unconditioned response

b. cognitive map

Extinction will be most rapid after a history of _________ reinforcement. a. variable-interval b. continuous c. fixed-ratio d. variable-ratio

b. continuous

Just before being attacked by a mugger while jogging, David had been listening to a saxophone player, watching a mime artist, and smelling the newly mown grass. According to the textbook, which of these stimuli is most likely to become a conditioned stimulus for fear? a. listening to the saxophone player b. it depends on where David's attention was focused c. smelling the newly mown grass d. watching the mime artist

b. it depends on where David's attention was focused

Hailey thinks that it doesn't matter how hard she studies for her classes. Sometimes she studies and other times she doesn't, but her grades are always the same. Soon, Hailey never studies because she doesn't see any reason to do so. Hailey is experiencing a. latent learning b. learned helplessness c. social learning d. observational learning

b. learned helplessness

Jerome tried to please his parents by always being good, but whenever Jerome's older brother, Tom, misbehaved, their parents would punish both Tom and Jerome. Jerome soon stopped trying to please his parents because he didn't think it would make any difference. This change in Jerome's behavior is an example of a. positive reinforcement b. learned helplessness c. vicarious experience d. classical conditioning

b. learned helplessness

Fed up with his son not cleaning around the house, Jack buys a book called Shape Up, which instructs the reader to implement the operant conditioning technique of shaping. According to the book, Jack will want to a. utilize a mixture of punishment and reinforcement b. reinforce successive approximations of the desired response c. reward his son only after the final desired response is performed d. pair an unconditioned response with a conditioned one

b. reinforce successive approximation of the desired response

Every time the papergirl says to her customers, "I want my two dollars," her customers give her money. In this example, receiving the customer's money is a(n) a. insight b. reinforcer c. operant d. unconditioned response

b. reinforcer

Grasping how to perform a complex action sequence, such as driving a car, pitching a baseball, or playing the harmonica, is referred to as a. trace learning b. skill learning c. insight d. part-task learning

b. skill learning

One aspect common to Tolman's research on latent learning and Kohler's research on insight is a. slow, gradual improvement in performance b. sudden, dramatic improvement in performance c. negative reinforcement d. vicarious experience

b. sudden, dramatic improvement in performance

If a research team is going to Chicago to conduct a study on latent learning, they would be most interested in interviewing a a. teacher who has her first grade students solve problems in groups b. taxi driver who can give directions to a location he's never been to c. homeless woman who believes she has no control over the outcomes of her life d. street performer who learned to play guitar by watching other

b. taxi driver who can give directions to a location he's never been to

Every time Bert slices onions, the onions burn his eyes and tears run down his face. One day he opened the silverware drawer and pulled out the knife he uses only to peel onions and immediately started to shed tears from the sight of the knife. In this situation, the onion is the _________, and the knife is the _________. a. conditioned stimulus; unconditioned stimulus b. unconditioned stimulus; conditioned stimulus c. conditioned response; unconditioned response d. unconditioned response; conditioned response

b. unconditioned stimulus; conditioned stimulus

Russell's mom wants him to study for two hours each night, so she gives him treats during the evening. Sometimes, she gives him the treats after ten minutes, sometimes after thirty minutes. On the average, Russell is given a treat every twenty minutes. Which reinforcement schedule is Russell's mom utilizing? a. fixed-ratio b. variable-interval c. variable-ratio d. fixed-interval

b. variable-interval

Which of the following is true about the relationship about violence and watching violent TV? a. watching violent TV leads to violent behavior b. watching violent TV and violence are positively correlated c. violent behaviors lead to increased time spent watching violent TV d. all of the above

b. watching violent TV and violence are positively correlated

Which of the following is a primary reinforcer? a. praise b. water c. cigarettes d. pain

b. water

Continued gambling behavior is best explained in terms of which process of learning? a. classical conditioning b. observational learning c. social learning d. partial reinforcement

d. partial reinforcement

In her kindergarten class, Tanesha gives the children star stickers for good behavior in class (e.g. raising her hands before speaking, being polite to other children, walking in line through the hallways). Tanesha gives a star sticker every time a good behavior occurs. Tanesha is using a(n) _________ reinforcement schedule. a. fixed-ratio b. variable-ratio c. continuous d. interval

c. continuous

Teaching assistants are paid a meager sum of money once a month, whether they work hard or not. This type of payment plan demonstrates a _________ reinforcement schedule. a. variable-ratio b. fixed-ratio c. fixed-interval d. variable-interval

c. fixed-interval

Brandon is trying to get out of his crib. He tries sticking his legs through the bars, hitting the bars with his arms, and butting them with his head. He realizes that he is getting nowhere. Then suddenly Brandon tries climbing over the top of the bars, and he breaks free. This illustrates a. use of cognitive maps b. vicarious experience c. insight d. escape conditioning

c. insight

Stephanie is studying her vocabulary words for German class. Each time she reads the German word and thinks of the English equivalent, she finds it easier to recall the meaning. Stephanie's experience is best explained by the role of a. latent learning b. operant learning c. neural networks d. classical conditioning

c. neural networks

Marat had a terrible toothache and decided to go to the dentist. The dentist made the problem worse, and Marat was in a lot of pain. Now, he no longer trusts dentists and is unlikely to go to one in the future if he has a toothache. This is an example of a. negative reinforcement b. positive reinforcement c. punishment d. penalty

c. punishment

The most critical component of skill learning is a. acquisition b. imagination c. guidance d. practice

d. practice

Bertha became conditioned to cry every time she saw an onion chopper because she associated it with cutting onions, which always made her eyes water. For weeks, the onion cutter sat on the counter with no onions. Eventually she never cried when she saw the cutter. Then the onion cutter disappeared for two months, and when Bertha saw it again for the first time, she began to cry. This response is known as a. positive reinforcement b. negative reinforcement c. spontaneous recovery d. reconditioning

c. spontaneous recovery

Learned helplessness involves learning that a. some habits are difficult to change b. one has inferior mental abilities c. there is no relationship between one's behaviors and their consequences d. punishment will follow certain behaviors

c. there is no relationship between one's behaviors and their consequences

Every time Brandy drops a cricket into the cage of her pet tarantula, Chompers. he begins to salivate. Brandy has gotten in the habit of playing her favorite CD when she feeds Chompers. After several pairings of the cricket and her favorite CD, all Brandy has to do is play the CD and Chompers begins to salivate. In this example, Chompers salivating to the cricket is a(n) a. unconditioned stimulus b. conditioned response c. unconditioned response d. conditioned stimulus

c. unconditioned reponse

The first time Elizabeth went to her local mall, she had a difficult time finding her way around, but after several visits she finds it very easy to get where she needs to go. Elizabeth has a. experienced observational learning b. insight into the layout of the mall c experienced social learning d. developed a cognitive map of the mall

d. developed a cognitive map of the mall

Baby Abbey was playing with her favorite toy rattle when her mom dropped an armful of pots and pans behind her. The loud noise made her startle and cry. Subsequently, on seeing her rattle, she cries. However, Mom continues to give Baby Abbey her favorite rattle and doesn't drop any more pots and pans. We would expect that Baby Abbey's crying when seeing the rattle would now a. generalize b. decrease because of spontaneous recovery c. continue through intermittent reinforcement d. extinguish

d. extinguish

It has been rumored that campus parking enforcement officers receive a $10 bonus for every twenty tickets they write. An unnamed parking administrator has remarked off the record, "This _________ schedule of reinforcement keeps our officers diligent and busy." a. variable-ratio b. fixed-interval c. variable-interval d. fixed-ratio

d. fixed-ratio

Theresa discovers that reading her textbook the night before a sociology test is an effective study strategy. She decides to try the same thing in studying her psychology quizzes. Her study behavior has a. been punished b. been classically conditioned c. discriminated d. generalized

d. generalized

If you want a strong reinforcer, you should mildly stimulate the a. striatum b. cerebellum c. substantia nigra d. hypothalamus

d. hypothalamus

When she was young, Nadia's father would always travel in a straight line through a forest if they became lost. Since she was always with her father when hiking, she never had to think much about this tactic. Many years later, while hiking alone, she did become lost but was able to escape the forest using her father's technique. This demonstrates a. insight b. avoidance conditioning c. a cognitive map d. latent learning

d. latent learning

Sarah wants to learn to play the piano. Research on skill learning suggests that _________ will be the most critical component in Sarah's learning process. a. writing music b. continual guidance c. immediate feedback d. repeated practice

d. repeated practice

In token economy programs, therapists give mental patients tokens such as a poker chips for desired behaviors. The tokens reinforce desired behaviors because they can be exchanged for TV time, desserts, and other desired commodities. The tokens are thus _________ reinforcers. a. negative b. partial c. primary d. secondary

d. secondary

Gabe is trying to get his dog, Trixie, to "sit up." He starts rewarding her first when she lies down. Then he rewards her when she is sitting on her backside. And finally he rewards her only when she sits up with her paws off the ground. Gabe got Trixie to "sit up" by using a. secondary reinforcement b. backward conditioning c. stimulus discrimination d. shaping

d. shaping

Veronica is deathly afraid of pink highlighters. To overcome her highlighter phobia, Veronica saw a therapist who extinguished her fear of highlighters and conditioned her to learn a new relaxing response to highlighters. The therapist's technique is known as a. instrumental conditioning b. reconditioning c. operant conditioning d. systematic desensitization

d. systematic desensitization

Psychologists have defined learning as a. the adaptation of instinctual responses to new environments b. the systematic organization of information that facilitates later recall and use c. a temporary change in behavior that results from past experience d. the modification through experience of preexisting behavior and understanding

d. the modification through experience of preexisting behavior and understanding

Kong is scared to death of bananas and banana peels. However, he watches others eat bananas and receive a rewarding piece of candy every time they throw their banana peel away. Eventually, Kong began to eat bananas and throw the peels away. Kong learned through a. higher-order conditioning b. insight learning c. classical conditioning d. vicarious experience

d. vicarious experience