PSYC 387 - UNIT 3 Exam Answered 2025 New Update
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1. A. Describe Thorndike's puzzle box apparatus and his use of it to study the
behaviour of cats (and
other animals).
B. Why did he study animal behaviour?
C. What were his findings? What conclusions did he draw from those findings?
(pp. 127-130): A. Thorndike would place a hungry cat in a "puzzle box" and put food in plain view but out of
reach. The cat would perform ineffective acts to get the food but eventually pull on a loop to open the door and get
access to the food. With each trial the cats made less ineffective acts and just made the correct act of pulling on the
loop. By recording the time it took to escape each trial, Thorndike created the first learning curves.
B. study animal intelligence by studying animal learning
C. Behaviour has one of two kinds of consequences. A satisfying state of affairs and an annoying state of affairs. Doing
the wrong action in pursuit of some desired goal like satiating hunger produces and annoying stat of affairs. Doing the
right action towards this same goal produces a satisfying state of affairs.
2. A. Define Thorndike's law of effect.
B. What did Thorndike speculate about reinforcement's neural
effect? What is this view called? (p. 130): A. The law of effect means that our environment is constantly
"talking" to us, constantly providing feedback about our behaviour. "Yes," it tells us, "do that again." "No," it says, "don't
do that."
Thorndikes law identifies four elements: the environment (situation or context) in which a behavior occurs, the behavior
that occurs, the change in the environment following the behavior, and the change in the behavior produced by this
consequence.
Summarized: behaviour is a function of its consequences. Consequences of behaviour are a major factor in what we
and other species do.
B. reinforcement strengthened bonds or connections between neurons. This became known as connectionism.
3. A. Describe how the capacity to benefit from the consequences of one's own
actions contributes to
survival. Illustrate by referring to Metzgar's (1967) experiment. (p. 131): Released
a screech owl into a cage of mice. The mice that had been there longer were more likely to survive. This is because they
had time to learn from their environment. "it pays to be able to learn from the consequences of our actions"
4. A. Describe the essential components of a Skinner box.
B. How did the Skinner box get its name? (p. 132): A. One wall cut away to show the inside of
the box. food magazine and other apparatus in the space outside the left panel. Rat presses lever to release the food
1/7
, PSYC 387 - UNIT 3 Exam Answered 2025 New Update
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magazine which drops food.
B. From the name of the man who invented it.
5. A. What is operant learning or operant conditioning?
B. What other name refers to operant conditioning? (pp. 131-133): A. Operant learning
indicates the individual operates on the environment.
Four types of operant learning: positive and negative reinforcement and positive and negative punishment. Positive
reinforcement = something added after behaviour. negative = something taken away after a behaviour.
consequences are reinforcing if the behaviour strengthens.
B. response learning, consequence learning, and R-S learning
6. A. Define reinforcement.
B. Name the three essential features of reinforcement. Be able to explain and
reproduce the contingency square (Figure 5-5). (pp. 133-134): A. reinforcement means
an increase in the strength of behaviour due to its consequence.
B.
1. a behaviour must have consequences
2. the behaviour must increase in strength (occurs more often)
3. the increase in strength must be a result of the consequences.
7. What are the two basic types of reinforcement? What are their similarities and
differences?
Be able to provide and recognize original examples of each type. (pp. 133-134)-
: positive reinforcement: a behaviour is followed by the appearance of, or an increase in intensity of a stimulus. Stimulus
is called a positive reinforcer. Saying please gets you a drink of water.
Negative reinforcer: a behaviour is strengthened by the removal of, or decrease in intensity of a stimulus. something
the organism tries to escape or avoid.
Note that both positive and negative reinforcement increase the strength of behavior. The difference is that in positive
reinforcement, something is added to the situation, while in
negative reinforcement something is removed
8. What is escape training?: what reinforces behaviour in negative reinforcement is escape from aversive
situations. Negative reinforcement can sometimes be called escape learning or escape avoidance learning.
9. Describe some of the potential problems in differentiating positive and neg-
ative reinforcement. Refer to the experiment of Hundt et al. (pp. 134-135): they
often occur together.
2/7
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1. A. Describe Thorndike's puzzle box apparatus and his use of it to study the
behaviour of cats (and
other animals).
B. Why did he study animal behaviour?
C. What were his findings? What conclusions did he draw from those findings?
(pp. 127-130): A. Thorndike would place a hungry cat in a "puzzle box" and put food in plain view but out of
reach. The cat would perform ineffective acts to get the food but eventually pull on a loop to open the door and get
access to the food. With each trial the cats made less ineffective acts and just made the correct act of pulling on the
loop. By recording the time it took to escape each trial, Thorndike created the first learning curves.
B. study animal intelligence by studying animal learning
C. Behaviour has one of two kinds of consequences. A satisfying state of affairs and an annoying state of affairs. Doing
the wrong action in pursuit of some desired goal like satiating hunger produces and annoying stat of affairs. Doing the
right action towards this same goal produces a satisfying state of affairs.
2. A. Define Thorndike's law of effect.
B. What did Thorndike speculate about reinforcement's neural
effect? What is this view called? (p. 130): A. The law of effect means that our environment is constantly
"talking" to us, constantly providing feedback about our behaviour. "Yes," it tells us, "do that again." "No," it says, "don't
do that."
Thorndikes law identifies four elements: the environment (situation or context) in which a behavior occurs, the behavior
that occurs, the change in the environment following the behavior, and the change in the behavior produced by this
consequence.
Summarized: behaviour is a function of its consequences. Consequences of behaviour are a major factor in what we
and other species do.
B. reinforcement strengthened bonds or connections between neurons. This became known as connectionism.
3. A. Describe how the capacity to benefit from the consequences of one's own
actions contributes to
survival. Illustrate by referring to Metzgar's (1967) experiment. (p. 131): Released
a screech owl into a cage of mice. The mice that had been there longer were more likely to survive. This is because they
had time to learn from their environment. "it pays to be able to learn from the consequences of our actions"
4. A. Describe the essential components of a Skinner box.
B. How did the Skinner box get its name? (p. 132): A. One wall cut away to show the inside of
the box. food magazine and other apparatus in the space outside the left panel. Rat presses lever to release the food
1/7
, PSYC 387 - UNIT 3 Exam Answered 2025 New Update
Study online at https://quizlet.com/_i24dc1
magazine which drops food.
B. From the name of the man who invented it.
5. A. What is operant learning or operant conditioning?
B. What other name refers to operant conditioning? (pp. 131-133): A. Operant learning
indicates the individual operates on the environment.
Four types of operant learning: positive and negative reinforcement and positive and negative punishment. Positive
reinforcement = something added after behaviour. negative = something taken away after a behaviour.
consequences are reinforcing if the behaviour strengthens.
B. response learning, consequence learning, and R-S learning
6. A. Define reinforcement.
B. Name the three essential features of reinforcement. Be able to explain and
reproduce the contingency square (Figure 5-5). (pp. 133-134): A. reinforcement means
an increase in the strength of behaviour due to its consequence.
B.
1. a behaviour must have consequences
2. the behaviour must increase in strength (occurs more often)
3. the increase in strength must be a result of the consequences.
7. What are the two basic types of reinforcement? What are their similarities and
differences?
Be able to provide and recognize original examples of each type. (pp. 133-134)-
: positive reinforcement: a behaviour is followed by the appearance of, or an increase in intensity of a stimulus. Stimulus
is called a positive reinforcer. Saying please gets you a drink of water.
Negative reinforcer: a behaviour is strengthened by the removal of, or decrease in intensity of a stimulus. something
the organism tries to escape or avoid.
Note that both positive and negative reinforcement increase the strength of behavior. The difference is that in positive
reinforcement, something is added to the situation, while in
negative reinforcement something is removed
8. What is escape training?: what reinforces behaviour in negative reinforcement is escape from aversive
situations. Negative reinforcement can sometimes be called escape learning or escape avoidance learning.
9. Describe some of the potential problems in differentiating positive and neg-
ative reinforcement. Refer to the experiment of Hundt et al. (pp. 134-135): they
often occur together.
2/7
