Learning Psyc 387 - Unit 3 - Chapter 5 & 6
"How could something that didn't happen be a reinforcer?" Explain this statement on the basis
of Sidman's (1989) comments. (p. 159) - ANS -
\Define a problem using behavioural terms. Under what conditions do people say that a problem
has been solved by insight? (p. 176) - ANS -
\Define reinforcement. Name the three essential features of reinforcement. Be able to explain
and reproduce the contingency square (Figure 5-5). (pp. 133-134) - ANS -
\Define Thorndike's law of effect. What did Thorndike speculate about reinforcement's neural
effect? What is this view called? (p. 130) - ANS -
\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) - ANS -
\Describe Hull's drive-reduction theory. (pp. 154-155) - ANS -Comment: A basic problem with
Hull's drive-reduction theory is the notion of a drive. A drive is a conceptual entity that seems to
explain behaviour as drive reduction, but does it really explain anything? When we say, for
example, that eating reduces a food drive, or that social reinforcement reduces a social drive,
we are really saying that food and social reinforcement act as reinforcers, making the concept of
a drive an unnecessary explanatory variable. Throughout history, empty explanatory concepts,
like drives, have plagued psychology. They seem to provide causes of behaviour, but, upon
closer examination, explain nothing.
\Describe Kohler's (1927/1973) studies of problem solving. What did Peckstein and Brown
(1939) find when they performed experiments similar to those of Kohler? What do these results
indicate about problem solving? (pp. 176-179) - ANS -
\Describe Premack's relative value theory. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this
approach? (pp. 155-157) - ANS -
\Describe Pryor's (1991) work in training animals to respond creatively. Describe Glover and
Gary's (1976) study in encouraging student creativity. (pp. 181-182) - ANS -
\Describe Seligman's demonstration of learned helplessness in dogs. Who initially reported an
instance of learned helplessness (1967)? (pp. 187-188) - ANS -
\Describe Skinner's superstition experiment. Describe Wagner and Morris' (1987) study of
superstition in children as well as Ono's study of college students. According to these studies
(and others), what is the basic formula for producing superstitious behaviour? (p. 185) - ANS -
\Describe some of the potential problems in differentiating positive and negative reinforcement.
Refer to the experiment of Hundt et al. (pp. 134-135) - ANS -
\Describe the concept of contiguity in reinforcement. How and why does it influence
reinforcement? (pp. 144-146) - ANS -Comment: The author often discusses contiguity in terms
of delay of reinforcement. The general principle of contiguity is that immediate reinforcement is
more effective than delayed reinforcement.
\Describe the concept of contingency in reinforcement. How and why does it influence
reinforcement? (pp. 142-144) - ANS -
, \Describe the criticisms of the reinforcement explanation of superstitions. Can superstitions be
harmful? (p. 186) - ANS -
\Describe the essential components of a Skinner box. How did the Skinner box get its name? (p.
132) - ANS -
\Describe the one-process theory of avoidance and the evidence that supports this approach.
(p. 163) - ANS -
\Describe the role of dopamine in reinforcement. How does the research of Hollerman et al.
(1998) seem to support the Rescorla-Wagner model (see Unit 2)? (pp. 151-153) - ANS -
\Describe the two-process theory of avoidance and the evidence for and against this theory.
What is a Sidman avoidance procedure? (pp. 159-163) - ANS -
\Describe the work of Olds et al. (1954) and Talwar et al. (2002) on the electrical stimulation of
the brain (ESB). What are the reward centres of the brain? (pp. 150-151) - ANS -
\Describe Thorndike's puzzle box apparatus and his use of it to study the behaviour of cats (and
other animals). Why did he study animal behaviour? What were his findings? What conclusions
did he draw from those findings? (pp. 127-130) - ANS -
\Describe Thorndike's work in which he tried to separate the effects of reinforcement from those
of practice. (pp. 153-154) - ANS -
\Describe Timberlake and Allison's response-deprivation theory of reinforcement. What are the
advantages and disadvantages of this theory? (pp. 157-159) - ANS -
\Example of positive reinforcement of cooperative play: Martha is a five-year-old girl who attends
preschool. She seldom played with the other children. Workers at the preschool began praising
and admiring Martha when she engaged in cooperative play with other children. As a result of
this procedure, Martha's level of cooperative play with the other children increased.
Non-example of positive reinforcement of cooperative play: Martha is a five-year-old girl who
attends preschool. She seldom played with the other children. Workers at the preschool began
praising and admiring Martha more than they had before. As a result of this procedure, Martha's
level of cooperative play with the other children increased. - ANS -Analysis: The first item is an
example of positive reinforcement. First the praise and admiration were presented dependent
on cooperative play because there was an if-then relationship between cooperative play and
praise and admiration. Second, the level of cooperative play increased. Third, the increase in
cooperative play was due to the dependency between cooperative play and praise. The second
item is not an example of positive reinforcement because the presentation of the consequences,
praise and admiration, was not response-dependent. In order to say that an increase in
behaviour is due to reinforcement, the behaviour must have a response-dependent
consequence; there must be an if-then relationship between the behaviour and the
consequence. In this example, there is no mention of an if-then relationship between the
cooperative play and presentation of praise and admiration. When there is no consistent if-then
relationship between a response and a stimulus presentation, the stimulus presentation is said
to be response-independent. (Hart, Reynolds, Baer, Brawley, & Harris, 1968)
\Example of positive reinforcement of disruptive classroom behaviour: In an elementary school
classroom, research was conducted to study the effects of teacher behaviour on student
behaviour. During one phase of the study, the teacher began disapproving of the students'
disruptive behaviours when they occurred. This resulted in an increase in the level of disruptive
behaviours. Non-example of positive reinforcement of disruptive classroom behaviour: In an
"How could something that didn't happen be a reinforcer?" Explain this statement on the basis
of Sidman's (1989) comments. (p. 159) - ANS -
\Define a problem using behavioural terms. Under what conditions do people say that a problem
has been solved by insight? (p. 176) - ANS -
\Define reinforcement. Name the three essential features of reinforcement. Be able to explain
and reproduce the contingency square (Figure 5-5). (pp. 133-134) - ANS -
\Define Thorndike's law of effect. What did Thorndike speculate about reinforcement's neural
effect? What is this view called? (p. 130) - ANS -
\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) - ANS -
\Describe Hull's drive-reduction theory. (pp. 154-155) - ANS -Comment: A basic problem with
Hull's drive-reduction theory is the notion of a drive. A drive is a conceptual entity that seems to
explain behaviour as drive reduction, but does it really explain anything? When we say, for
example, that eating reduces a food drive, or that social reinforcement reduces a social drive,
we are really saying that food and social reinforcement act as reinforcers, making the concept of
a drive an unnecessary explanatory variable. Throughout history, empty explanatory concepts,
like drives, have plagued psychology. They seem to provide causes of behaviour, but, upon
closer examination, explain nothing.
\Describe Kohler's (1927/1973) studies of problem solving. What did Peckstein and Brown
(1939) find when they performed experiments similar to those of Kohler? What do these results
indicate about problem solving? (pp. 176-179) - ANS -
\Describe Premack's relative value theory. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this
approach? (pp. 155-157) - ANS -
\Describe Pryor's (1991) work in training animals to respond creatively. Describe Glover and
Gary's (1976) study in encouraging student creativity. (pp. 181-182) - ANS -
\Describe Seligman's demonstration of learned helplessness in dogs. Who initially reported an
instance of learned helplessness (1967)? (pp. 187-188) - ANS -
\Describe Skinner's superstition experiment. Describe Wagner and Morris' (1987) study of
superstition in children as well as Ono's study of college students. According to these studies
(and others), what is the basic formula for producing superstitious behaviour? (p. 185) - ANS -
\Describe some of the potential problems in differentiating positive and negative reinforcement.
Refer to the experiment of Hundt et al. (pp. 134-135) - ANS -
\Describe the concept of contiguity in reinforcement. How and why does it influence
reinforcement? (pp. 144-146) - ANS -Comment: The author often discusses contiguity in terms
of delay of reinforcement. The general principle of contiguity is that immediate reinforcement is
more effective than delayed reinforcement.
\Describe the concept of contingency in reinforcement. How and why does it influence
reinforcement? (pp. 142-144) - ANS -
, \Describe the criticisms of the reinforcement explanation of superstitions. Can superstitions be
harmful? (p. 186) - ANS -
\Describe the essential components of a Skinner box. How did the Skinner box get its name? (p.
132) - ANS -
\Describe the one-process theory of avoidance and the evidence that supports this approach.
(p. 163) - ANS -
\Describe the role of dopamine in reinforcement. How does the research of Hollerman et al.
(1998) seem to support the Rescorla-Wagner model (see Unit 2)? (pp. 151-153) - ANS -
\Describe the two-process theory of avoidance and the evidence for and against this theory.
What is a Sidman avoidance procedure? (pp. 159-163) - ANS -
\Describe the work of Olds et al. (1954) and Talwar et al. (2002) on the electrical stimulation of
the brain (ESB). What are the reward centres of the brain? (pp. 150-151) - ANS -
\Describe Thorndike's puzzle box apparatus and his use of it to study the behaviour of cats (and
other animals). Why did he study animal behaviour? What were his findings? What conclusions
did he draw from those findings? (pp. 127-130) - ANS -
\Describe Thorndike's work in which he tried to separate the effects of reinforcement from those
of practice. (pp. 153-154) - ANS -
\Describe Timberlake and Allison's response-deprivation theory of reinforcement. What are the
advantages and disadvantages of this theory? (pp. 157-159) - ANS -
\Example of positive reinforcement of cooperative play: Martha is a five-year-old girl who attends
preschool. She seldom played with the other children. Workers at the preschool began praising
and admiring Martha when she engaged in cooperative play with other children. As a result of
this procedure, Martha's level of cooperative play with the other children increased.
Non-example of positive reinforcement of cooperative play: Martha is a five-year-old girl who
attends preschool. She seldom played with the other children. Workers at the preschool began
praising and admiring Martha more than they had before. As a result of this procedure, Martha's
level of cooperative play with the other children increased. - ANS -Analysis: The first item is an
example of positive reinforcement. First the praise and admiration were presented dependent
on cooperative play because there was an if-then relationship between cooperative play and
praise and admiration. Second, the level of cooperative play increased. Third, the increase in
cooperative play was due to the dependency between cooperative play and praise. The second
item is not an example of positive reinforcement because the presentation of the consequences,
praise and admiration, was not response-dependent. In order to say that an increase in
behaviour is due to reinforcement, the behaviour must have a response-dependent
consequence; there must be an if-then relationship between the behaviour and the
consequence. In this example, there is no mention of an if-then relationship between the
cooperative play and presentation of praise and admiration. When there is no consistent if-then
relationship between a response and a stimulus presentation, the stimulus presentation is said
to be response-independent. (Hart, Reynolds, Baer, Brawley, & Harris, 1968)
\Example of positive reinforcement of disruptive classroom behaviour: In an elementary school
classroom, research was conducted to study the effects of teacher behaviour on student
behaviour. During one phase of the study, the teacher began disapproving of the students'
disruptive behaviours when they occurred. This resulted in an increase in the level of disruptive
behaviours. Non-example of positive reinforcement of disruptive classroom behaviour: In an
