Psych ch6 – Flashcards
Flashcard maker : Ember Wagner
learning is defined as
a relatively permanent change in behavior that occurs through experience
Psychologists who examine learning from a behavioral perspective define learning as _____.
relatively stable observable changes in behavior
Sally feels sick every time she travels by air. She associates flying with physical illness and, as a result, really hates air travel. She also finds it difficult to watch movies with airplanes or read books about airplanes because they make her feel sick. In this scenario, Sally is demonstrating learning through:
classical conditioning
Which of the following is true of learning through operant conditioning?
organisms learn the association between behaviors and their consequences
Which of the following is true of modeling or observational learning?
Observational learning is one way in which human infants acquire skills.
Which of the following statements best describes classical conditioning?
It is a learning process in which a neutral stimulus becomes associated with an innately meaningful stimulus and acquires the capacity to elicit a similar response.
_____ was the Russian physiologist who demonstrated that neutral aspects of the environment can attain the capacity to evoke responses through pairing with other stimuli and that bodily processes can be influenced by environmental cues.
Ivan Pavlov
Tina’s eyes water every time she chops onions. Her response is an example of a:
reflex
In Pavlov’s experiments on classical conditioning, prior to associating the sound of the bell with the food, the dog’s salivation in response to the food was the _____.
unconditioned response
Which of the following is true of acquisition in classical conditioning?
Subjects acquire a conditioned response when a conditioned stimulus is paired with an unconditioned stimulus.
Tyler’s grandmother has been receiving e-mails from Tyler every day for many years. Because she really looks forward to his e-mails, she checks her inbox more than once in a day. However, since Tyler has started college, the e-mails have stopped. As a result, his grandma checks her e-mail only every few days. If this pattern continues, Grandma will completely stop checking her e-mail. This proves that Tyler is a bad grandson, but in terms of classical conditioning, this is known as _____.
extinction
Ronald was the subject of an experiment for alcoholics. Every time Ronald had a drink, it was mixed with a nausea-inducing agent, which made him throw up. After experiencing this pattern for several weeks, Ronald started to dislike alcohol – a lot. He did not drink for seven months. However, one day as he was walking past a new bar, Ronald experienced an overwhelming desire to drink. In this scenario, Ronald’s sudden desire to drink best illustrates the concept of _____ in classical conditioning.
renewal
In John B. Watson and Rosalie Rayner’s demonstration of the role of classical conditioning in the development of fears, little Albert learned to fear a white rat. In this study, the white rat was the _____.
conditioned stimulus
Electric shocks and nausea-inducing substances are examples of noxious stimuli that are used in aversive conditioning. Which of the following is true with regard to experiments that pair alcohol with nausea-inducing agents to treat alcohol addiction?
In the experiments, nausea in response to alcohol becomes the conditioned response.
Jacob, a police officer, wants to train his new dog, Rover. Jacob buys a “zap collar” that delivers a low intensity shock to the neck of the dog whenever it pulls on the leash. After wearing the collar for a few days, Rover recognizes that the shock is an undesirable result of pulling on the leash. Consequently, Rover stops pulling on the leash. In this scenario, which of the following methods has most likely been used to discipline Rover?
Aversive conditioning
Mark has been unable to sleep for the past week. His wife gives him a regular vitamin pill, but she tells him that it will help him sleep at night. The next morning, Mark is thrilled because he has slept better than ever before. In this scenario, Manny’s response to the vitamin can be attributed to _____.
the placebo effect
Operant conditioning is a form of learning that _____.
focuses on the association between behaviors and the stimuli that follow them
Jenny received a lot of praise in class when she was the only one who did her homework on time. As a result, Jenny has never had to be reminded to do her homework; she always submits it on time. In this scenario, Jenny’s behavior illustrates _____.
Thorndike’s law of effect
Tom is an elementary-school teacher who rewards his students with extra playing time whenever they do well on a class assignment. In this scenario, which of the following techniques is Tom using to motivate his students to work harder?
Positive reinforcement
Grant, a high-school student with absolutely no interest in academics, has started to study for four hours every week to avoid getting failing grades in school. This scenario is an example of _____ in operant conditioning.
negative reinforcement
Negative reinforcement in operant conditioning is defined as:
an increase in the frequency of a behavior because it is followed by the removal of something undesirable.
While on her way to work, Martha was going 60 in a 30 and was consequently pulled over for the first time. She was required to pay a huge fine. Since then, she has maintained a consistent speed of 30 miles per hour while driving, whether or not there are posted speed limits in place. In this scenario, Martha is demonstrating _____ learning.
avoidance
Shirley repeatedly ends up receiving bad grades in Algebra no matter how hard she studies. Eventually, Shirley stops studying for Algebra tests and accepts that nothing she does will help her get good grades. In this scenario, Shirley’s behavior demonstrates _____ in operant conditioning.
learned helplessness
Which of the following is an example of a primary reinforcer in operant conditioning?
Getting good grades in class after studying hard
Joseph, a three-year-old boy, is afraid of the doctor who gave him a shot and made him cry. Consequently, whenever Joseph sees a person in a white lab coat, he starts crying. In this scenario, Joseph’s behavior best exemplifies _____.
generalization in operant conditioning
Henry, a five-year-old boy, knows that when he goes shopping with his mother and throws a fit, he will not get a treat. However, when he goes shopping with his father and throws a fit, he will get a treat. Henry’s learning in this scenario is an example of _____.
discrimination in operant conditioning
Which of the following is true of a variable-ratio schedule in operant conditioning?
It produces high, steady rates of behavior that are more resistant to extinction.
Carol is training her dog to sit on command. Each time he sits in response to her command, she gives him a treat. In the context of operant conditioning, Carol is using a _____ to train her dog.
a continuous reinforcement schedule
Mrs. Graham is the principal of a high school. She enforces the practice of pop quizzes in the school because she knows that students will be more likely to study if they cannot predict when they will be tested. In this scenario, Mrs. Graham relies on a _____ schedule in operant conditioning to enforce a desired behavior in her students.
variable interval
In operant conditioning, a consequence that decreases the likelihood that a behavior will occur is known as a _____.
punishment
Jenna receives a bonus for performing well. Instead of buying herself something nice, she saves her money with the intention of buying a house after a few years. In terms of reinforcement and punishment schedules, Jenna demonstrates _____ in this scenario.
delayed reinforcement
A process that makes an observer less likely to repeat a behavior on seeing a model get in trouble is called _____ in observational learning.
vicarious punishment
Andrea, an avid golfer, imitates a professional golfer’s swing after watching him play golf on television. Andrea’s act of imitation represents the _____ element of observational learning.
motor reproduction
Which of the following scenarios best demonstrates instinctive drift in biological constraints in learning?
A pig pushes an object on the ground instead of learning to carry it in its mouth.
Which of the following scenarios exemplifies a fixed mindset in psychological constraints in learning?
Alan does not think he has academic abilities, so he abandons the idea of going to college.