GRE Psychology Subject Test questions with verified
answers
Learning Ans✓✓-The relatively permanent or stable change in behavior as the
result of experience
E.L. Thorndike Ans✓✓-This man suggested the law of effect, precursor of operant
conditioning.
Law of Effect Ans✓✓-E.L. Thorndike's idea that postulated a cause-and-effect
chain of behavior revolving around reinforcement. Any behavior that is followed
by reward is likely to be repeated. One followed by unpleasant consequences is
likely to be stopped.
Kurt Lewin Ans✓✓-This man developed the theory of association, forerunner of
behaviorism.
Theory of Association Ans✓✓-Organisms associate certain behaviors with certain
rewards and certain cues with certain situations. Precursor to Pavlov's Classical
Conditioning.
Ivan Pavlov Ans✓✓-He is famous for work on digestion. Developed Classical
Conditioning.
Classical/ Pavlovian Conditioning Ans✓✓-A concept that involves teaching an
organism to respond to a neutral stimulus by pairing the neutral stimulus with a
not-so-neutral stimulus.
,John B. Watson Ans✓✓-He founded the school of behaviorism. He believed that
everything can be explained by stimulus-response chains and that conditioning
was the key factor in developing these chains. ONLY OBJECTIVE and OBSERVABLE
elements were of importance to organisms and psychology.
B.F. Skinner Ans✓✓-This man developed operant conditioning.
Operant Conditioning/ Instrumental Conditioning Ans✓✓-This concept of
behavior being influenced primarily by reinforcement. The Skinner Box was used
to develop this idea: to condition rats to perform an unnatural behavior--pressing
the lever in the skinner box.
Neutral Stimulus Ans✓✓-A stimulus that does not produce a specific response on
its own.
Unconditioned Stimulus Ans✓✓-Without conditioning, this stimulus elicits a
response.
Conditioned Stimulus Ans✓✓-The neutral stimulus once it has been paired with
the UCS.
Unconditioned Response Ans✓✓-The naturally occurring response to the UCS.
Conditioned Response Ans✓✓-The response that the CS elicits after conditioning.
Often times, it is the same as the UCR.
Simultaneous Conditioning Ans✓✓-A conditioning technique where the UCS and
the CS are presented at the same time.
,Higher Order/ Second-Oder Conditioning Ans✓✓-A conditioning technique in
which a previous CS now acts as a UCS.
Forward Conditioning Ans✓✓-A conditioning technique in which the CS is
presented before the UCS
Delayed Conditioning Ans✓✓-The presentation of the CS begins before that of
the UCs and lasts until the UCS is presented.
Trace Conditioning Ans✓✓-The CS stimulus is presented and terminated before
the UCS is presented.
Backward Conditioning Ans✓✓-A conditioning technique in which the CS is
presented after the UCS is presented. It proves to be ineffective. Produces an
inhibitory conditioning effect.
Shaping/ Differential Reinforcement of Successive Approximations Ans✓✓-A
process where the experimenter gradually molds an organism by reinforcing any
responses similar to the desired response.
Primary Reinforcement Ans✓✓-Something that is reinforcing on its own without
the requirement of learning. Ex. Water and Food.
Secondary Reinforcement Ans✓✓-A learned reinforcer, often learned through
society. Ex. Money
, Positive Reinforcement Ans✓✓-A type of reward or positive event acting as a
stimulus that increases the likelihood of a particular response.
Negative Reinforcement Ans✓✓-Reinforcement through the removal of a
negative event.
Continuous Reinforcement Schedule Ans✓✓-A schedule where every correct
response is met with some form of reinforcement. This type of reinforcement
strategy facilitates the quickest learning but most fragile learning (as soon as the
rewards stop coming, the animal stops performing).
Partial Reinforcement Schedule Ans✓✓-In this schedule, not all correct responses
are met with reinforcement. This type of reinforcement strategy may require a
longer learning time, but once learned, these behaviors are more resistant to
extinction. There are four types of this schedule.
Fixed Ratio Schedule Ans✓✓-A partial reinforcement schedule where a
reinforcement is delivered after a consistent number of responses. The power of
drug addiction has been proven using this schedule. The behavior is vulnerable to
extinction.
Variable Ratio Schedule Ans✓✓-In this partial reinforcement schedule,
reinforcements are delivered after different numbers of correct responses. The
ratio cannot be predicted. Learning takes the most time to occur, but the learning
is least likely to become extinguished. Ex. Slot Machines
Fixed Interval Schedule Ans✓✓-A partial reinforcement schedule where rewards
come after the passage of a certain period of time rather than the number of
behaviors. This schedule does little to motivate an animal's behavior.
answers
Learning Ans✓✓-The relatively permanent or stable change in behavior as the
result of experience
E.L. Thorndike Ans✓✓-This man suggested the law of effect, precursor of operant
conditioning.
Law of Effect Ans✓✓-E.L. Thorndike's idea that postulated a cause-and-effect
chain of behavior revolving around reinforcement. Any behavior that is followed
by reward is likely to be repeated. One followed by unpleasant consequences is
likely to be stopped.
Kurt Lewin Ans✓✓-This man developed the theory of association, forerunner of
behaviorism.
Theory of Association Ans✓✓-Organisms associate certain behaviors with certain
rewards and certain cues with certain situations. Precursor to Pavlov's Classical
Conditioning.
Ivan Pavlov Ans✓✓-He is famous for work on digestion. Developed Classical
Conditioning.
Classical/ Pavlovian Conditioning Ans✓✓-A concept that involves teaching an
organism to respond to a neutral stimulus by pairing the neutral stimulus with a
not-so-neutral stimulus.
,John B. Watson Ans✓✓-He founded the school of behaviorism. He believed that
everything can be explained by stimulus-response chains and that conditioning
was the key factor in developing these chains. ONLY OBJECTIVE and OBSERVABLE
elements were of importance to organisms and psychology.
B.F. Skinner Ans✓✓-This man developed operant conditioning.
Operant Conditioning/ Instrumental Conditioning Ans✓✓-This concept of
behavior being influenced primarily by reinforcement. The Skinner Box was used
to develop this idea: to condition rats to perform an unnatural behavior--pressing
the lever in the skinner box.
Neutral Stimulus Ans✓✓-A stimulus that does not produce a specific response on
its own.
Unconditioned Stimulus Ans✓✓-Without conditioning, this stimulus elicits a
response.
Conditioned Stimulus Ans✓✓-The neutral stimulus once it has been paired with
the UCS.
Unconditioned Response Ans✓✓-The naturally occurring response to the UCS.
Conditioned Response Ans✓✓-The response that the CS elicits after conditioning.
Often times, it is the same as the UCR.
Simultaneous Conditioning Ans✓✓-A conditioning technique where the UCS and
the CS are presented at the same time.
,Higher Order/ Second-Oder Conditioning Ans✓✓-A conditioning technique in
which a previous CS now acts as a UCS.
Forward Conditioning Ans✓✓-A conditioning technique in which the CS is
presented before the UCS
Delayed Conditioning Ans✓✓-The presentation of the CS begins before that of
the UCs and lasts until the UCS is presented.
Trace Conditioning Ans✓✓-The CS stimulus is presented and terminated before
the UCS is presented.
Backward Conditioning Ans✓✓-A conditioning technique in which the CS is
presented after the UCS is presented. It proves to be ineffective. Produces an
inhibitory conditioning effect.
Shaping/ Differential Reinforcement of Successive Approximations Ans✓✓-A
process where the experimenter gradually molds an organism by reinforcing any
responses similar to the desired response.
Primary Reinforcement Ans✓✓-Something that is reinforcing on its own without
the requirement of learning. Ex. Water and Food.
Secondary Reinforcement Ans✓✓-A learned reinforcer, often learned through
society. Ex. Money
, Positive Reinforcement Ans✓✓-A type of reward or positive event acting as a
stimulus that increases the likelihood of a particular response.
Negative Reinforcement Ans✓✓-Reinforcement through the removal of a
negative event.
Continuous Reinforcement Schedule Ans✓✓-A schedule where every correct
response is met with some form of reinforcement. This type of reinforcement
strategy facilitates the quickest learning but most fragile learning (as soon as the
rewards stop coming, the animal stops performing).
Partial Reinforcement Schedule Ans✓✓-In this schedule, not all correct responses
are met with reinforcement. This type of reinforcement strategy may require a
longer learning time, but once learned, these behaviors are more resistant to
extinction. There are four types of this schedule.
Fixed Ratio Schedule Ans✓✓-A partial reinforcement schedule where a
reinforcement is delivered after a consistent number of responses. The power of
drug addiction has been proven using this schedule. The behavior is vulnerable to
extinction.
Variable Ratio Schedule Ans✓✓-In this partial reinforcement schedule,
reinforcements are delivered after different numbers of correct responses. The
ratio cannot be predicted. Learning takes the most time to occur, but the learning
is least likely to become extinguished. Ex. Slot Machines
Fixed Interval Schedule Ans✓✓-A partial reinforcement schedule where rewards
come after the passage of a certain period of time rather than the number of
behaviors. This schedule does little to motivate an animal's behavior.
