AP PSYCHOLOGY MULTIPLE CHOICE EXAM
Questions and Answers
1.Which of the following is best defined as a relatively permanent change
in behavior due to experience?
A) acquisition
B) stimulus
C) learning
D) habituation
E) response
ANS C) learning
2.Lynn is teaching learning. Every time she claps her hands, Charlie turns
off the light. When Randy claps in approval of Lynn's presentation, Charlie
does not turn the light off. What concept has Charlie demonstrated?
A) habituation
B) discrimination
C) spontaneous recovery
D) extinction
E) habituation
ANS B) discrimination
3.Classical conditioning is the type of learning in which a person links two
or more stimuli and
1/
105
,A) forgets about them
B) lays them out in sequence
C) shuts down
D) anticipates events
E) receives a reward
ANS D) anticipates events
4.In classical conditioning, the unconditioned stimulus
A) naturally triggers a response
B) is a naturally occurring response
C) is initially irrelevant, and then comes to trigger a response
D) objectively studies psychology
E) is Pavlovian
ANS A) naturally triggers a response
5.Students are accustomed to a bell ringing to indicate the end of a class
pe- riod. The principal decides to substitute popular music for the bell to
indicate the end of each class period. Students quickly respond to the
music in the same way they did to the bell. What principle does this
illustrate?
A) acquisition
B) habituation
C) generalization
D) functional fixedness
E) stimulus
2/
105
, ANS C) generalization
6.The work of Ivan Pavlov and John Watson fits best into which of
psycholo- gy's perspectives?
A) humanism
B) gestalt psychology
C) trait theory
D) behaviorism
E) neuropsychology
ANS D) behaviorism
7.What do we call the kind of learning in which behavior is strengthened
if followed by a reinforcer?
A) operant condition
B) respondent behavior
C) classical condition
D) shaping
E) punishment
ANS A) operant condition
8.Which of the following best describes a discriminative stimulus?
A) something that elicits a response after association with a reinforcer
B) innately reinforcing stimulus
C) something that when removed increases the likelihood of the behavior
D) an event that decreases the behavior it follows
3/
105
, E) an amplified stimulus feeding back information to responses
ANS A) something that elicits a response after association with a
reinforcer
9.Thorndike's principle that behaviors followed by favorable
consequences become more likely is known as what?
A) law of effect
B) operant condition
C) shaping
D) respondent behavior
E) discrimination
ANS A) law of effect
10.All of the following are examples of primary reinforces except a
A) rat's food reward in Skinner box
B) cold drink on hot day
C) high score on exam for which student studied diligently
D) hug from loved one
E) large meal following fast
ANS C) high scores on exam for which student studied diligently
11.What do we call it when the CR decreases as the CS is repeatedly
present- ed alone?
A) generalization
B) discrimination
4/
105
Questions and Answers
1.Which of the following is best defined as a relatively permanent change
in behavior due to experience?
A) acquisition
B) stimulus
C) learning
D) habituation
E) response
ANS C) learning
2.Lynn is teaching learning. Every time she claps her hands, Charlie turns
off the light. When Randy claps in approval of Lynn's presentation, Charlie
does not turn the light off. What concept has Charlie demonstrated?
A) habituation
B) discrimination
C) spontaneous recovery
D) extinction
E) habituation
ANS B) discrimination
3.Classical conditioning is the type of learning in which a person links two
or more stimuli and
1/
105
,A) forgets about them
B) lays them out in sequence
C) shuts down
D) anticipates events
E) receives a reward
ANS D) anticipates events
4.In classical conditioning, the unconditioned stimulus
A) naturally triggers a response
B) is a naturally occurring response
C) is initially irrelevant, and then comes to trigger a response
D) objectively studies psychology
E) is Pavlovian
ANS A) naturally triggers a response
5.Students are accustomed to a bell ringing to indicate the end of a class
pe- riod. The principal decides to substitute popular music for the bell to
indicate the end of each class period. Students quickly respond to the
music in the same way they did to the bell. What principle does this
illustrate?
A) acquisition
B) habituation
C) generalization
D) functional fixedness
E) stimulus
2/
105
, ANS C) generalization
6.The work of Ivan Pavlov and John Watson fits best into which of
psycholo- gy's perspectives?
A) humanism
B) gestalt psychology
C) trait theory
D) behaviorism
E) neuropsychology
ANS D) behaviorism
7.What do we call the kind of learning in which behavior is strengthened
if followed by a reinforcer?
A) operant condition
B) respondent behavior
C) classical condition
D) shaping
E) punishment
ANS A) operant condition
8.Which of the following best describes a discriminative stimulus?
A) something that elicits a response after association with a reinforcer
B) innately reinforcing stimulus
C) something that when removed increases the likelihood of the behavior
D) an event that decreases the behavior it follows
3/
105
, E) an amplified stimulus feeding back information to responses
ANS A) something that elicits a response after association with a
reinforcer
9.Thorndike's principle that behaviors followed by favorable
consequences become more likely is known as what?
A) law of effect
B) operant condition
C) shaping
D) respondent behavior
E) discrimination
ANS A) law of effect
10.All of the following are examples of primary reinforces except a
A) rat's food reward in Skinner box
B) cold drink on hot day
C) high score on exam for which student studied diligently
D) hug from loved one
E) large meal following fast
ANS C) high scores on exam for which student studied diligently
11.What do we call it when the CR decreases as the CS is repeatedly
present- ed alone?
A) generalization
B) discrimination
4/
105
