Download Unit 6 Study Guide

AP Psychology
Dr. J. Dishowitz
Unit 6 Study Guide
UNIT 6 LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Define classical conditioning, unconditioned stimulus, unconditioned response, conditioned stimulus, and
conditioned response. Describe how classical conditioning works by using the stimuli and responses in an
example.
2. Describe the processes of extinction, reconditioning, and spontaneous recovery.
3. Define and give an example of stimulus generalization and stimulus discrimination.
4. Describe the role that timing, predictability, and strength of signals play in the speed and strength of
conditioned response development. Indicate which type of conditioning produces the strongest type of
conditioned response.
5. Discuss how attention influences which stimulus is linked to the unconditioned stimulus. Define and give
an example of second-order conditioning.
6. Explain how bio-preparedness influences taste-aversion learning. Explain why it is a special case of
classical conditioning.
7. Describe the relationship between classical conditioning and learned immune responses, phobias, and
predator control.
8. Define habituation and give an example.
9. Define the law of effect.
10. Define the components of operant conditioning: operants and reinforcers.
11. Define positive reinforcers and negative reinforcers and give examples of each.
12. Define escape conditioning and avoidance conditioning.
13. Define discriminative stimulus and stimulus control. Give an example of stimulus control. Explain how
stimulus discrimination and stimulus generalization can work together.
14. Define shaping. Explain when it is used in instrumental conditioning.
15. Discuss the differences between primary and secondary reinforcers.
16. Define continuous and partial reinforcement schedules. Compare and contrast the fixed-ratio, variable-ratio, fixed-interval, and variable-interval reinforcement schedules; include a description of their effect on
the intensity of operant responses and the partial reinforcement extinction effect.
17. Define punishment and describe its role in operant conditioning. Discuss the disadvantages of and
guidelines for using punishment.
18. Discuss how operant conditioning can be used to treat problematic behavior and improve education.
19. Define learned helplessness and give an example of it. Describe the experiments used to study learned
helplessness and the results.
20. Define observational learning and vicarious conditioning. Discuss their similarities and differences.
1. The most crucial ingredient in all learning is
A) shaping.
B) modeling.
C) experience.
D) intrinsic motivation.
E) maturation.
2. If a sea slug on repeated occasions receives an electric shock just after being squirted with water, its
protective withdrawal response to a squirt of water grows stronger. This best illustrates
A) spontaneous recovery.
B) associative learning.
C) observational learning.
D) operant conditioning.
E) habituation.
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3. Conditioning is the process of
A) discrimination.
B) spontaneous recovery.
C) learning associations.
D) observational learning.
E) generalization.
4. Pets who learn that the sound of an electric can opener signals the arrival of their food illustrate
A) shaping.
B) extrinsic motivation.
C) classical conditioning.
D) observational learning.
E) negative reinforcement.
5. Who would most likely agree with the following statement concerning the field of psychology? “Its
theoretical goal is the prediction and control of behavior. Introspection forms no essential part of its
methods.”
A) Albert Bandura
B) John Garcia
C) John B. Watson
D) Carl Rogers
E) Sigmund Freud
6. The first experimental studies of associative learning were conducted by
A) John B. Watson.
B) B. F. Skinner.
C) Albert Bandura.
D) Ivan Pavlov.
E) Edward Deci.
7. John B. Watson emphasized that
A) learning depends on how predictably rather than how frequently events are associated.
B) unlike lower animals, humans learn through a process of cognition.
C) both humans and lower animals learn to expect that a CS will be followed by a US.
D) learning should be explained without any reference to mental processes.
E) cognition plays a role in conditioning through the power of prediction.
8. Which of the following is an unconditioned response?
A) playing jump rope
B) running through a maze to get a food reward
C) sweating in hot weather
D) clapping after a thrilling concert performance
E) getting money as a reward
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9. In Pavlov's experiments on the salivary conditioning of dogs, the US was
A) a tone.
B) salivation to the sound of a tone.
C) the presentation of food in the dog's mouth.
D) salivation to the food in the mouth.
E) not used in the conditioning trials.
10. In Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, infants develop a fear of roses after roses are presented with
electric shock. In this fictional example, the presentation of the roses is the
A) conditioned stimulus.
B) unconditioned stimulus.
C) unconditioned response.
D) conditioned response.
E) fear response.
11. The infant Albert developed a fear of rats after a white rat was associated with a loud noise. In this
example, fear of the white rat was the
A) US.
B) UR.
C) CS.
D) CR.
E) SA.
12. In Pavlov's experiments on the salivary conditioning of dogs, the CS was
A) the taste of food.
B) salivation to the taste of food.
C) the sound of a tone.
D) salivation to the sound of a tone.
E) the anticipation of food.
13. Spontaneous recovery refers to the
A) expression of learning that had occurred earlier but had not been expressed because of lack of
incentive.
B) organism's tendency to respond spontaneously to stimuli similar to the CS as though they were the
CS.
C) return of a response after punishment has been terminated.
D) reappearance, after a pause, of an extinguished conditioned response.
E) tendency of organisms to generalize conditioned responses.
14. Extinction occurs when a ________ is no longer paired with a ________.
A) UR; CR
B) CS; UR
C) US; UR
D) CS; US
E) NS; NR
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15. Dogs conditioned to salivate to stimulation of the thigh also begin to salivate when stimulated on other
body parts. This BEST illustrates
A) spontaneous recovery.
B) continuous reinforcement.
C) latent learning.
D) generalization.
E) habituation.
16. Little Albert was conditioned by John B. Watson to fear furry white rats. After conditioning, Albert also
showed fear to rabbits, dogs, and fur coats. This best illustrates
A) discrimination.
B) generalization.
C) acquisition.
D) shaping.
E) extinction.
17. Some of Pavlov's dogs learned to salivate to the sound of one particular tone and not to other tones. This
illustrates the process of
A) shaping.
B) latent learning.
C) secondary reinforcement.
D) discrimination.
E) extinction.
18. The cognitive perspective would be likely to emphasize that classical conditioning depends on
A) an organism's active behavioral responses to environmental stimulation.
B) the amount of time between the presentation of the CS and the US.
C) how frequently an organism is exposed to an association of a CS and a US.
D) an organism's expectation that a US will follow a CS.
E) the expectation of a reward being fulfilled after the organism has responded appropriately.
19. Animals most readily learn the specific associations that promote
A) shaping.
B) survival.
C) extrinsic motivation.
D) prosocial behavior.
E) social interaction.
20. Children learn to fear spiders more easily than they learn to fear flowers. This best illustrates the impact
of ________ on learning.
A) spontaneous recovery
B) conditioned reinforcers
C) shaping
D) cognitive processes
E) biological predispositions
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21. Little Albert developed a fear of rats after a white rat was paired with a loud noise. In this case, the loud
noise was the
A) unconditioned stimulus.
B) conditioned stimulus.
C) conditioned reinforcer.
D) delayed reinforcer.
E) primary reinforcer.
22. Because his football coach frequently yells at him for swearing, Antonio now becomes anxious when he's
near his coach. The coach is a(n) ________ for Antonio's anxiety.
A) negative reinforcer
B) conditioned stimulus
C) secondary reinforcer
D) unconditioned stimulus
E) primary reinforcer.
23. An organism learns associations between events it does not control during the process of
A) negative reinforcement.
B) extrinsic motivation.
C) classical conditioning.
D) shaping.
E) operant conditioning.
24. In which form of learning is behavior said to be influenced by its consequences?
A) observational learning
B) classical conditioning
C) operant conditioning
D) latent learning
E) insight
25. Laurie's thumbsucking has become habitual because she begins to feel less anxious whenever she sucks
her thumb. This best illustrates the process of
A) generalization.
B) extinction.
C) classical conditioning.
D) latent learning.
E) operant conditioning.
26. Which of the following terms best describes an operant behavior?
A) automatic
B) reflexive
C) voluntary
D) instinctive
E) unlearned
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27. B. F. Skinner's work elaborated what E. L. Thorndike had called
A) shaping.
B) behaviorism.
C) observational learning.
D) the law of effect.
E) latent learning.
28. A Skinner box is a(n)
A) soundproofed cubicle in which organisms are classically conditioned in the absence of distracting
noise.
B) aversive or punishing event that decreases the occurrence of certain undesirable behaviors.
C) “slot machine” used to study the effects of partial reinforcement on human gambling practices.
D) chamber containing a bar or key that an animal can manipulate to obtain a reward.
E) television projection device designed for use in laboratory studies of observational learning.
29. Five-year-old Trevor is emotionally disturbed and refuses to communicate with anyone. To get him to
speak, his teacher initially gives him candy for any utterance, then only for a clearly spoken word, and
finally only for a complete sentence. The teacher is using the method of
A) secondary reinforcement.
B) delayed reinforcement.
C) spontaneous recovery.
D) shaping.
E) latent learning.
30. A psychologist would be most likely to use ________ to determine whether nonverbal organisms can
perceive different colors.
A) mirror neurons
B) modeling
C) a cognitive map
D) shaping
E) extinction
31. Escape from an aversive stimulus is a ________ reinforcer.
A) positive
B) negative
C) secondary
D) partial
E) delayed
32. What is the difference between a primary and a conditioned reinforcer?
A) Primary reinforcers are presented immediately after the behavior; conditioned reinforcers are
presented after a delay.
B) Primary reinforcers are introduced every time the behavior occurs; conditioned reinforcers are
introduced only sometimes.
C) Primary reinforcers lead to rapid learning of the behavior; conditioned reinforcers produce greater
resistance to extinction.
D) Primary reinforcers increase the rate of operant responding; conditioned reinforcers decrease the rate
of operant responding.
E) Primary reinforcers are unlearned and innately satisfying; conditioned reinforcers are learned.
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33. Most animals are best conditioned through reinforcers delivered immediately after the desired behavior is
performed. What are these reinforcers called?
A) unconditioned
B) conditioned
C) partial
D) immediate
E) primary
34. A fixed-ratio schedule of reinforcement is one in which a response is reinforced only after a(n)
A) specified time period has elapsed.
B) unpredictable time period has elapsed.
C) specified number of responses have been made.
D) unpredictable number of responses have been made.
E) specific number of rewards and punishments are applied.
35. A variable-interval schedule of reinforcement is one in which a response is reinforced only after a(n)
A) specified time period has elapsed.
B) unpredictable number of responses has been made.
C) specified number of responses has been made.
D) unpredictable time period has elapsed.
E) number of responses is performed in a specific time period.
36. An event that decreases the behavior that precedes it is a
A) negative reinforcer.
B) punishment.
C) conditioned stimulus.
D) delayed reinforcer.
E) secondary reinforcer.
37. If rats are allowed to wander through a complicated maze, they will subsequently run the maze with few
errors when a food reward is placed at the end. Their good performance demonstrates
A) shaping.
B) latent learning.
C) delayed reinforcement.
D) spontaneous recovery.
E) modeling.
38. Professor Kohler observed chimpanzees discover a novel way to reach a banana hung out of their reach.
This scenario is most likely an example of which type of learning?
A) operant learning
B) classical conditioning
C) observational learning
D) insight learning
E) latent learning
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39. According to B. F. Skinner, human behavior is controlled primarily by
A) biological predispositions.
B) external influences.
C) emotions.
D) unconscious motives.
E) conscious thoughts.
40. B. F. Skinner believed that teaching machines could promote effective learning because they allow for
both
A) continuous reinforcement and latent learning.
B) positive reinforcement and punishment.
C) classical and operant conditioning.
D) shaping and immediate reinforcement.
E) observational learning and spontaneous recovery.
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