Chapter 5: Reinforcement, PSYC 387
Learning: Unit 3 (Chapters 5-6), Psych
387 With Correct Answer
1. E. L. Thorndike's studies of learning started as an attempt to understand
_______.
a. operant conditioning
b. the psychic reflex
c. animal intelligence
d. maze learning - Ans--animal intelligence
Thorndike complained that _______ evidence provided a "supernormal
psychology of animals."
a. anecdotal
b. case study
c. informal experimental
d. intuitive - Ans--Anecdotal
In one of Thorndike's puzzle boxes, a door would fall open when a cat
stepped on a treadle, thus allowing the cat to reach food outside the box.
Eventually the cat would step on the treadle as soon as it was put into the
box. Thorndike concluded that ________.
a. the reasoning ability of cats is quite remarkable
b. treadle stepping increased because it had a "satisfying effect"
c. the treadle is a CS for stepping
d. learning meant connecting the treadle with freedom and food - Ans--
treadle stepping increased because it had a "satisfying effect"
Thorndike plotted the results of his puzzle box experiments as graphs. The
resulting curves show a _____ with succeeding trials.
a. decrease in time
b. decrease in errors
c. change in topography
d. increase in the rate of behavior - Ans--decrease in time
,The law of effect says that _______.
a. satisfying consequences are more powerful than annoying
consequences
b. behavior is a function of its consequences
c. how an organism perceives events is more important than the events
themselves
d. effective behavior drives out ineffective behavior - Ans--Behavior is a
function of its consequences
Thorndike made important contributions to all of the following fields except
_____.
a. educational psychology
b. animal learning
c. social psychology
d. psychological testing - Ans--Social psychology
Thorndike emphasized that we learn mainly from _______.
a. errors
b. repeated trials
c. success
d. social experiences - Ans--Success
Operant learning is sometimes called ________ learning.
a. free
b. higher-order
c. instrumental
d. reward - Ans--Instrumental
________ gave Skinner's experimental chamber the name, "Skinner box."
a. Fred Keller
b. E. L. Thorndike
c. John Watson
d. Clark Hull - Ans--Clark Hull
Operant learning may also be referred to as _______.
a. trial-and-error learning
b. effects learning
, c. non-Pavlovian conditioning
d. instrumental learning - Ans--Instrumental learning
Mary's grandmother, Pearl, is from the Old Country. Although she knows
some English, she continues to speak her native tongue. Pearl can't go
anywhere without a member of the family because she can't communicate
with people about prices, directions, bus routes, etc. Pearl's resistance to
learning English is most likely the result of ______.
a. a lack of intelligence
b. age. Studies show that after the age of 60 learning a second language is
nearly impossible.
c. the length of time she has spent speaking her native language
d. the benefits she receives for not speaking English - Ans--the benefits she
receives for not speaking English
Mary decides to try to modify Pearl's behavior (see above item). She and
the rest of the family refuse to respond to any comment or request by Pearl
that they know she is capable of expressing in English. For example, if
during dinner she says, "Pass the potatoes" in English, she gets potatoes; if
she says it in her native language she gets ignored. The procedure being
used to change Pearl's behavior is ______.
a. positive reinforcement
b. negative reinforcement
c. adventitious reinforcement
d. punishment - Ans--positive reinforcement
Charles Catania identified three characteristics that define reinforcement.
These include all of the
following except _______.
a. a behavior must have a consequence
b. the consequence of the behavior must be positive
c. a behavior must increase in strength
d. the increase in strength must be the result of the behavior's consequence
- Ans--the consequence of the behavior must be positive
Learning: Unit 3 (Chapters 5-6), Psych
387 With Correct Answer
1. E. L. Thorndike's studies of learning started as an attempt to understand
_______.
a. operant conditioning
b. the psychic reflex
c. animal intelligence
d. maze learning - Ans--animal intelligence
Thorndike complained that _______ evidence provided a "supernormal
psychology of animals."
a. anecdotal
b. case study
c. informal experimental
d. intuitive - Ans--Anecdotal
In one of Thorndike's puzzle boxes, a door would fall open when a cat
stepped on a treadle, thus allowing the cat to reach food outside the box.
Eventually the cat would step on the treadle as soon as it was put into the
box. Thorndike concluded that ________.
a. the reasoning ability of cats is quite remarkable
b. treadle stepping increased because it had a "satisfying effect"
c. the treadle is a CS for stepping
d. learning meant connecting the treadle with freedom and food - Ans--
treadle stepping increased because it had a "satisfying effect"
Thorndike plotted the results of his puzzle box experiments as graphs. The
resulting curves show a _____ with succeeding trials.
a. decrease in time
b. decrease in errors
c. change in topography
d. increase in the rate of behavior - Ans--decrease in time
,The law of effect says that _______.
a. satisfying consequences are more powerful than annoying
consequences
b. behavior is a function of its consequences
c. how an organism perceives events is more important than the events
themselves
d. effective behavior drives out ineffective behavior - Ans--Behavior is a
function of its consequences
Thorndike made important contributions to all of the following fields except
_____.
a. educational psychology
b. animal learning
c. social psychology
d. psychological testing - Ans--Social psychology
Thorndike emphasized that we learn mainly from _______.
a. errors
b. repeated trials
c. success
d. social experiences - Ans--Success
Operant learning is sometimes called ________ learning.
a. free
b. higher-order
c. instrumental
d. reward - Ans--Instrumental
________ gave Skinner's experimental chamber the name, "Skinner box."
a. Fred Keller
b. E. L. Thorndike
c. John Watson
d. Clark Hull - Ans--Clark Hull
Operant learning may also be referred to as _______.
a. trial-and-error learning
b. effects learning
, c. non-Pavlovian conditioning
d. instrumental learning - Ans--Instrumental learning
Mary's grandmother, Pearl, is from the Old Country. Although she knows
some English, she continues to speak her native tongue. Pearl can't go
anywhere without a member of the family because she can't communicate
with people about prices, directions, bus routes, etc. Pearl's resistance to
learning English is most likely the result of ______.
a. a lack of intelligence
b. age. Studies show that after the age of 60 learning a second language is
nearly impossible.
c. the length of time she has spent speaking her native language
d. the benefits she receives for not speaking English - Ans--the benefits she
receives for not speaking English
Mary decides to try to modify Pearl's behavior (see above item). She and
the rest of the family refuse to respond to any comment or request by Pearl
that they know she is capable of expressing in English. For example, if
during dinner she says, "Pass the potatoes" in English, she gets potatoes; if
she says it in her native language she gets ignored. The procedure being
used to change Pearl's behavior is ______.
a. positive reinforcement
b. negative reinforcement
c. adventitious reinforcement
d. punishment - Ans--positive reinforcement
Charles Catania identified three characteristics that define reinforcement.
These include all of the
following except _______.
a. a behavior must have a consequence
b. the consequence of the behavior must be positive
c. a behavior must increase in strength
d. the increase in strength must be the result of the behavior's consequence
- Ans--the consequence of the behavior must be positive
