Chapter Six Learning. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.6 | 2 Question Classical conditioning is a form of learning which is based

Chapter Six

Learning

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 6 | 2

Question

Classical conditioning is a form of learning which is based on the association between

a) two stimuli.

b) one stimulus and one response.

c) two responses.

d) rewards and punishments.


Answer

Choice a is correct.

Classical conditioning involves repeatedly pairing a neutral stimulus with a stimulus that already triggers a reflexive response, until the previously neutral stimulus alone provokes a similar response. (Chapter 6, Classical Conditioning: Learning Signals and Associations section)


Question

Your dog, Pavlov, runs quickly into the kitchen any time you take out the can opener. In this example, the can opener is the ____________.

a) unconditioned stimulus

b) unconditioned response

c) conditioned stimulus

d) conditioned response


Answer

Choice c is correct.

The conditioned stimulus is originally a neutral stimulus that, via repeated pairings with an unconditioned stimulus (in this example, presumably, food), now elicits a conditioned response (in this example, running into the kitchen). (Chapter 6, Pavlov’s Discovery section)


Question

If you wanted to put Little Albert’s fear response to the white rat through the process of extinction, which of the following should you do?

a) Give him candy whenever he encounters the white rat.

b) Take away the loud noise whenever he approaches the white rat.

c) Repeatedly present the white rat without the loud noise.

d) Pair the white rat with the sound of the voice of Little Albert’s mother.


Answer


Extinction involves the gradual disappearance of a conditioned response (in this example, Little Albert’s fear of the white rat). Extinction of the conditioned response happens via the repeated presentation of the conditioned stimulus alone (white rat), without the unconditioned stimulus (loud noise). (Chapter 6, Conditioned Responses over Time: Extinction and Spontaneous Recovery section)


Question

While driving along, you hear the final song from your senior prom. You immediately experience a strong, positive emotional response, despite not having heard that song or having thought of your senior prom for several years. This emotional reaction is similar to which of the following classical conditioning concepts?

a) Extinctionb) Spontaneous recoveryc) Stimulus generalizationd) Stimulus discrimination


Answer

Choice b is correct.

Spontaneous recovery involves the temporary reappearance of a conditioned response after extinction. Through its association with that event (and the person with whom you attended that event), the song has become a conditioned stimulus that can evoke emotional responses years later. (Chapter 6, Conditioned Responses over Time: Extinction and Spontaneous Recovery section)


Question

Which of the following is a good example of stimulus discrimination?

a) Your dog runs into the kitchen when you take out the can opener, but not when you take out the blender.

b) Your nephew squeals excitedly at the sound of any song by the Wiggles.

c) You no longer wake up when your alarm clock goes off each morning.

d) After being bitten by your neighbor’s dachshund, you are now afraid of every dog that you encounter.


Answer


Stimulus discrimination is a process through which an organism learns to differentiate among similar stimuli (the sounds of your actions in the kitchen) and respond to each stimulus appropriately (run into the kitchen when you take out the can opener, but not when you take out the blender). (Chapter 6, Stimulus Generalization and Discrimination section)


Question

The extra credit points that your instructor gives you when you get this question correct is an example of a(n) ____________.

a) positive reinforcer

b) negative reinforcer

c) operant response

d) discriminative stimulus


Answer


A positive reinforcer is any stimulus that strengthens a response, if it follows that response. Positive reinforcers can include food, smiles, money, and other desirable outcomes. (Chapter 6, Basic Components of Operant Conditioning section)


Question

When a person drinks a significant amount of alcohol in order to forget about his or her problems, we can say that this drinking behavior is being maintained via ____________.

a) classical conditioning

b) stimulus discrimination

c) positive reinforcement

d) negative reinforcement


Answer

Choice d is correct.

Negative reinforcement occurs when a response is strengthened due to the fact that that response terminates an aversive stimulus (in this example, thinking about his or her problems). (Chapter 6, Basic Components of Operant Conditioning section)


Question

Shaping best explains which of the following phenomena?

a) Your fear response when you hear the sound of a dentist’s drill

b) Your putting on your seat belt in order to make the light on your dashboard go out

c) Your dog’s cowering in fear whenever you pick up a newspaper

d) The complex behaviors demonstrated by the animals at Sea World


Answer


Shaping involves the reinforcement of successive approximations of some final desired response. Animal trainers use shaping procedures to help animals learn to engage in relatively complex behaviors, such as those demonstrated by the animals at Sea World. (Chapter 6, Forming and Strengthening Operant Behavior section)


Question

The points that you are given for responding correctly to this question are good examples of which of the following?

a) Primary reinforcers

b) Secondary reinforcers

c) Tertiary reinforcers

d) Discriminative stimuli


Answer


Secondary reinforcers are rewards that organisms learn to like, typically via their association with biologically important needs. They are contrasted with primary reinforcers, such as food and water, which satisfy basic biological needs. (Chapter 6, Forming and Strengthening Operant Behavior section)


Question

If you are paid by your employer on the first day of each month, then your behavior of showing up for work and completing your tasks is being reinforced via which of the following schedules of reinforcement?

a) Fixed-ratiob) Variable-ratioc) Fixed-intervald) Variable-interval


Answer


Fixed-interval schedules provide reinforcement (in this example, a paycheck) after some fixed time has passed since the last reward (in this example, one month). (Chapter 6, Forming and Strengthening Operant Behavior section)


Question

Reinforcement always leads to a(n) ____________ in responding, whereas punishment always leads to a(n) ____________ in responding.

a) increase; decrease

b) decrease; increase

c) decrease; decrease

d) increase; increase


Answer


Reinforcement, whether it is positive reinforcement or negative reinforcement, results in the strengthening of a response. Punishment, in contrast, results in the weakening of a response. (Chapter 6, Punishment section)


Question

Which of the following is NOT an example of punishment?

a) Your parents take away your telephone privileges because you failed your math test.

b) Your coach makes you run extra sprints after practice because you showed up late for practice.

c) The referee of your soccer match presents you with a yellow card when you slide tackle an opponent from behind.

d) You take medication to get rid of a migraine headache.


Answer


Punishment results in the weakening of a response. The first three examples would all result in the decrease of the behavior’s frequency. The final example depicts negative reinforcement. In this instance, taking the medication would increase in frequency because it effectively removes an aversive stimulus, namely, the headache. (Chapter 6, Punishment section)


Question

Training programs in certain occupations that involve matching an apprentice with a skilled or expert employee are most closely connected to which of the following types of learning?

a) Latent learning

b) Observational learning

c) Classical conditioning

d) Operant conditioning


Answer


Observational learning involves learning by watching the behavior of others, such as a skilled or expert employee. Individuals learn to imitate the behavior of models for appropriate behavior. (Chapter 6, Observational Learning: Learning by Imitation section)

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Chapter Six Learning. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.6 | 2 Question Classical conditioning is a form of learning which is based