EDF 6222 MIDTERM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
"__________ is more than the mere description of events as they occur. It is an attempt
to discover order, to show that certain events stand in _________ to other events
(Skinner, 1953, p.6)." - Answers -Science; lawful relations
Being scientifically skeptical means that until there is ____________ available,
assumptions should not be made. - Answers -evidence
In order to be excellent stewards of science, as behavior analysts, we can follow a few
guidelines when gathering and evaluating evidence. This includes reducing
__________ by ensuring interobserver agreement, examining for actual ___________
(as opposed to effects that could have produced changes without the intervention),
___________ , and self-correction. - Answers -observer bias; experimental control;
replication
With ___________, we look for the simplest explanation possible, not extensive
mentalistic explanations. - Answers -parsimony
"Behaviorism is not the science of human behavior; it is the ___________ of that
science" (Skinner, 1974. p.3). - Answers -philosophy
Structuralism relied on __________, which looked inward to describe sensations,
images, and feelings. - Answers -introspection
_____________ behaviorism might be thought of as a psychological version of logical
positivism or operationism. - Answers -Methodological
While some methodological behaviorists accept that there are mental states, they have
ruled them completely out of consideration. This is not a new concept and was once
referred to as ____________. - Answers -psychophysical parallelism
In Pavlov's early research, he did not jump to conclusions to suggest that the dog was
"thinking" of food, and therefore salivating. Instead, he carefully controlled conditions
that allowed him to show that particular stimuli can "acquire" the ability to elicit
secretion. His careful analysis of the scientific method allowed him to avoid both
__________ and _________ fictions. - Answers -mentalistic; explanatory
The evolutionary explanation for reflexes indicates that they are for the survival of the
organism. However, we know all too well that sometimes responses can be conditioned
that serve no purpose - even add a ____________ purpose - to our complex lives. -
Answers -debilitating
, Skinner (1953) informed us "Although the process of [conditioning] greatly extends the
scope of the eliciting stimulus, it does not bring all the behavior of the organism within
such ___________ "(p. 56). Conditioning can add numerous different eliciting stimuli,
but it will never fashion a _________ response. - Answers -stimulus control; novel
According to Skinner, contingencies of reinforcement have an edge over contingencies
of survival because contingencies of reinforcement "Have the edge with __________
and ________ and the conditions under which a species acquires behavior are
relatively ___________ and can often be manipulated". - Answers -prediction; control;
accessible
___________ is the learned behaviors of a particular animal during its lifetime. -
Answers -Ontongeny
_____________ is behaviors that have been passed down over the lifetime of the entire
species. - Answers -Phylogeny
It can be difficult to distinguish between ontogenetic and phylogenic established
behaviors. For a person viewing a complex _____________ for he first time, it may
seem mysterious. But each step of the chain can be traced back to the shaping
process. Just because the shaping process was not observed, it does not mean that it
was not _________. However, when we view a spider spin a web "no comparable
history can be invoked" to determine the phylogenic contingencies at work (Skinner,
1966, p.1208). - Answers -behavior chain; learned
Moore (2015) stated "_________ predispose an individual's susceptibility to influence
from the ___________(p. 27). We must be careful not to assert that genes "_________"
behavior; rather, they set up the physical basis for the processes and structures that
participate in behavior. Behavior still occurs in the context of the environment. -
Answers -genes; environment; cause
Imitative responses necessarily require the learner to orient toward the _________
rather than the topographical correspondence of their behavior with respect to the
model. - Answers -model
The use of the mirror provides the additional feedback required to receive
_______________ of the model. - Answers -discriminative control
The most substantial origins of our understanding of operant behavior derived from
Darwin's controversial idea that humans were not unique in their ability to _______. -
Answers -think
Thorndike's _____________ succinctly explained that organisms tend to learn new
things when behaviors are followed by __________ stimuli and that behaviors tend to
__________ when followed by negative stimuli. - Answers -law of effect; pleasant;
decrease
"__________ is more than the mere description of events as they occur. It is an attempt
to discover order, to show that certain events stand in _________ to other events
(Skinner, 1953, p.6)." - Answers -Science; lawful relations
Being scientifically skeptical means that until there is ____________ available,
assumptions should not be made. - Answers -evidence
In order to be excellent stewards of science, as behavior analysts, we can follow a few
guidelines when gathering and evaluating evidence. This includes reducing
__________ by ensuring interobserver agreement, examining for actual ___________
(as opposed to effects that could have produced changes without the intervention),
___________ , and self-correction. - Answers -observer bias; experimental control;
replication
With ___________, we look for the simplest explanation possible, not extensive
mentalistic explanations. - Answers -parsimony
"Behaviorism is not the science of human behavior; it is the ___________ of that
science" (Skinner, 1974. p.3). - Answers -philosophy
Structuralism relied on __________, which looked inward to describe sensations,
images, and feelings. - Answers -introspection
_____________ behaviorism might be thought of as a psychological version of logical
positivism or operationism. - Answers -Methodological
While some methodological behaviorists accept that there are mental states, they have
ruled them completely out of consideration. This is not a new concept and was once
referred to as ____________. - Answers -psychophysical parallelism
In Pavlov's early research, he did not jump to conclusions to suggest that the dog was
"thinking" of food, and therefore salivating. Instead, he carefully controlled conditions
that allowed him to show that particular stimuli can "acquire" the ability to elicit
secretion. His careful analysis of the scientific method allowed him to avoid both
__________ and _________ fictions. - Answers -mentalistic; explanatory
The evolutionary explanation for reflexes indicates that they are for the survival of the
organism. However, we know all too well that sometimes responses can be conditioned
that serve no purpose - even add a ____________ purpose - to our complex lives. -
Answers -debilitating
, Skinner (1953) informed us "Although the process of [conditioning] greatly extends the
scope of the eliciting stimulus, it does not bring all the behavior of the organism within
such ___________ "(p. 56). Conditioning can add numerous different eliciting stimuli,
but it will never fashion a _________ response. - Answers -stimulus control; novel
According to Skinner, contingencies of reinforcement have an edge over contingencies
of survival because contingencies of reinforcement "Have the edge with __________
and ________ and the conditions under which a species acquires behavior are
relatively ___________ and can often be manipulated". - Answers -prediction; control;
accessible
___________ is the learned behaviors of a particular animal during its lifetime. -
Answers -Ontongeny
_____________ is behaviors that have been passed down over the lifetime of the entire
species. - Answers -Phylogeny
It can be difficult to distinguish between ontogenetic and phylogenic established
behaviors. For a person viewing a complex _____________ for he first time, it may
seem mysterious. But each step of the chain can be traced back to the shaping
process. Just because the shaping process was not observed, it does not mean that it
was not _________. However, when we view a spider spin a web "no comparable
history can be invoked" to determine the phylogenic contingencies at work (Skinner,
1966, p.1208). - Answers -behavior chain; learned
Moore (2015) stated "_________ predispose an individual's susceptibility to influence
from the ___________(p. 27). We must be careful not to assert that genes "_________"
behavior; rather, they set up the physical basis for the processes and structures that
participate in behavior. Behavior still occurs in the context of the environment. -
Answers -genes; environment; cause
Imitative responses necessarily require the learner to orient toward the _________
rather than the topographical correspondence of their behavior with respect to the
model. - Answers -model
The use of the mirror provides the additional feedback required to receive
_______________ of the model. - Answers -discriminative control
The most substantial origins of our understanding of operant behavior derived from
Darwin's controversial idea that humans were not unique in their ability to _______. -
Answers -think
Thorndike's _____________ succinctly explained that organisms tend to learn new
things when behaviors are followed by __________ stimuli and that behaviors tend to
__________ when followed by negative stimuli. - Answers -law of effect; pleasant;
decrease
