WGU C180 INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY | COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE, PRACTICE
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2026/2027
Learning to associate 2 stimuli together, which leads to an organism anticipating future events.
Example: Ivan Paplov studied salivation in dogs as a precursor to digestion. - ANS ✔✔Classical
conditioning
Stimulus that automatically triggers a response naturally. Unlearned. - ANS ✔✔Unconditioned
stimulus
Naturally occuring, unlearned response to an unconditioned stimulus. Unlearned. - ANS
✔✔Unconditioned response
Originally neutral stimulus that triggers a response after an association with an unconditioned
stimulus is formed. Learned. - ANS ✔✔Conditioned stimulus
Learned response to a stimulus that was originally neutral, but is now conditioned. - ANS
✔✔Conditioned response
Occurs when the unconditioned stimulus is no linger paired with the conditioned stimulus.
Make the behavior go away. - ANS ✔✔Extinction
Stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus will also elicit the conditioned response. Avoid things
that are similar to things that have hurt us. - ANS ✔✔Generalization
Controlling behavior through consequences. Behavior strengthened by reinforcement and
weakened by punishment. - ANS ✔✔Operant conditioning
Increases behavior by presenting a positive stimulus. Adding Example: giving dog a treat to roll
over - ANS ✔✔Positive reinforcement
,Increases behavior by stopping a negative stimulus. Subtracting Example: you buy your child a
toy in the store and he stops crying. This will increase your toy buying behavior. - ANS
✔✔Negative reinforcement
Does not have to be learned. Satisfies a biological need. Food. Water. Similar to unconditioned
stimuli. - ANS ✔✔Primary reinforcer
Has to be learned. These can get us the primary reinforcers. Good grades. Money. Similar to
conditioned stimuli. - ANS ✔✔Secondary reinforcer
Continuous and partial - ANS ✔✔Reinforcement schedules
A behavior is reinforced every time it occurs. For example if you give your child a candy bar
every time he cleans his room. - ANS ✔✔Continuous reinforcement
A behavior is reinforced only part of the time it occurs. Example: you gave your child a candy bar
every so often after he cleans his room. Note: this type of schedule is much more difficult to
extinguish - ANS ✔✔Partial reinforcement
Ratio and Interval - ANS ✔✔Partial reinforcement schedule types
Reinforcement that occurs after a number of responses occur - response - ANS ✔✔Ratio
Reinforcement occurs after an amount of time passes - time - ANS ✔✔Interval
A knowable pattern. You get your reinforcer after a specific number of responses. For example:
after purchasing five sandwiches, you get one free at your favorite deli - ANS ✔✔Fixed-ratio
, Random pattern. You get your reinforcer after an unpredictable number of responses occur. For
example: playing the lottery; playing a slot machine - ANS ✔✔Variable-ratio
After a specified amount of time has passed, you receive a reinforcer for your response.
Example: checking to see if your mail has come, a pay period. - ANS ✔✔Fixed-interval
A random amount of time has passed and you never know when you're going to receive a
reinforcer for your response. Example: checking your Facebook status for likes. Checking your
email. Note: variable schedules are much harder to stop once they have been put in place. -
ANS ✔✔Variable-interval
Adding something unpleasant to decrease or stop the behavior. Example: corporal punishment;
spraying water on the cat. - ANS ✔✔Positive punishment
Stop the behavior by the subtraction of something positive. For example: you come in late after
curfew and your parents take away your car keys. - ANS ✔✔Negative punishment
Learning by observing others who are modeling behaviors. - ANS ✔✔Observational learning
Watching others receive reinforcement for their behavior. Example: watching a movie in which a
criminal is rewarded with money for committing a crime. - ANS ✔✔Vicarious reinforcement
Watching someone receive a punishment for their behavior. Example: watching a movie in
which a criminal goes to jail for committing a crime. - ANS ✔✔Vicarious punishment
Social psychologists focus on how the situation contributes to our behavior. It is a blend of
sociology and psychology and focuses on how individuals change when they're in the presence
of others and certainly in the presence of groups. - ANS ✔✔Social psychology
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2026/2027
Learning to associate 2 stimuli together, which leads to an organism anticipating future events.
Example: Ivan Paplov studied salivation in dogs as a precursor to digestion. - ANS ✔✔Classical
conditioning
Stimulus that automatically triggers a response naturally. Unlearned. - ANS ✔✔Unconditioned
stimulus
Naturally occuring, unlearned response to an unconditioned stimulus. Unlearned. - ANS
✔✔Unconditioned response
Originally neutral stimulus that triggers a response after an association with an unconditioned
stimulus is formed. Learned. - ANS ✔✔Conditioned stimulus
Learned response to a stimulus that was originally neutral, but is now conditioned. - ANS
✔✔Conditioned response
Occurs when the unconditioned stimulus is no linger paired with the conditioned stimulus.
Make the behavior go away. - ANS ✔✔Extinction
Stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus will also elicit the conditioned response. Avoid things
that are similar to things that have hurt us. - ANS ✔✔Generalization
Controlling behavior through consequences. Behavior strengthened by reinforcement and
weakened by punishment. - ANS ✔✔Operant conditioning
Increases behavior by presenting a positive stimulus. Adding Example: giving dog a treat to roll
over - ANS ✔✔Positive reinforcement
,Increases behavior by stopping a negative stimulus. Subtracting Example: you buy your child a
toy in the store and he stops crying. This will increase your toy buying behavior. - ANS
✔✔Negative reinforcement
Does not have to be learned. Satisfies a biological need. Food. Water. Similar to unconditioned
stimuli. - ANS ✔✔Primary reinforcer
Has to be learned. These can get us the primary reinforcers. Good grades. Money. Similar to
conditioned stimuli. - ANS ✔✔Secondary reinforcer
Continuous and partial - ANS ✔✔Reinforcement schedules
A behavior is reinforced every time it occurs. For example if you give your child a candy bar
every time he cleans his room. - ANS ✔✔Continuous reinforcement
A behavior is reinforced only part of the time it occurs. Example: you gave your child a candy bar
every so often after he cleans his room. Note: this type of schedule is much more difficult to
extinguish - ANS ✔✔Partial reinforcement
Ratio and Interval - ANS ✔✔Partial reinforcement schedule types
Reinforcement that occurs after a number of responses occur - response - ANS ✔✔Ratio
Reinforcement occurs after an amount of time passes - time - ANS ✔✔Interval
A knowable pattern. You get your reinforcer after a specific number of responses. For example:
after purchasing five sandwiches, you get one free at your favorite deli - ANS ✔✔Fixed-ratio
, Random pattern. You get your reinforcer after an unpredictable number of responses occur. For
example: playing the lottery; playing a slot machine - ANS ✔✔Variable-ratio
After a specified amount of time has passed, you receive a reinforcer for your response.
Example: checking to see if your mail has come, a pay period. - ANS ✔✔Fixed-interval
A random amount of time has passed and you never know when you're going to receive a
reinforcer for your response. Example: checking your Facebook status for likes. Checking your
email. Note: variable schedules are much harder to stop once they have been put in place. -
ANS ✔✔Variable-interval
Adding something unpleasant to decrease or stop the behavior. Example: corporal punishment;
spraying water on the cat. - ANS ✔✔Positive punishment
Stop the behavior by the subtraction of something positive. For example: you come in late after
curfew and your parents take away your car keys. - ANS ✔✔Negative punishment
Learning by observing others who are modeling behaviors. - ANS ✔✔Observational learning
Watching others receive reinforcement for their behavior. Example: watching a movie in which a
criminal is rewarded with money for committing a crime. - ANS ✔✔Vicarious reinforcement
Watching someone receive a punishment for their behavior. Example: watching a movie in
which a criminal goes to jail for committing a crime. - ANS ✔✔Vicarious punishment
Social psychologists focus on how the situation contributes to our behavior. It is a blend of
sociology and psychology and focuses on how individuals change when they're in the presence
of others and certainly in the presence of groups. - ANS ✔✔Social psychology
