8th Edition Ormrod, CHAPTER 1 - 15
, CHAPTER 1
PERSPECTIVES ON LEARNING
Multiple Choice Questions
Human beings undoubtedly learn more during the course of a lifetime than
any other species on earth. The major result of this capacity to learn is that:
New instincts begin to emerge.
Human thought becomes less logical with each generation.
Humans can benefit from their experiences.
Humans are the only species whose behavior cannot be analyzed in
terms of stimuli and responses.
Three of the following are examples of learning. Which one is not?
Abigail cries when she steps on a sharp pebble.
After many hours of heated debate, Brian begins to advocate
political practices he has previously opposed.
Cara suddenly recognizes how the division fact ―24 ’ 4 = 6‖ is related
to the multiplication fact ―6 x 4 = 24.‖
David has been running away from German shepherds ever since he
was bitten by a German shepherd two years ago.
Reynelda has trouble tracing a complex shape with a pencil when she is in
kindergarten, but she can do it quite well by the time she is in second grade. Is
this an instance of learning?
Yes, because her behavior has changed.
No, because the circumstances are too dissimilar.
Maybe, although the change may simply be due to
physiological maturation.
Maybe, but only if she is being reinforced for tracing accurately.
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, Chapter 1 – Perspectives on Learning
Three of the following illustrate various ways that learning might be
reflected in a person‘s behavior. Which one of the following changes does not
necessarily reflect learning?
Although it‘s a school night, Dean plays video games until well past his
usual bedtime. As he becomes more tired, he finds it increasingly
difficult to concentrate on what he‘s doing.
Even as a young child, Jerry could tell you that his grandparents
immigrated to the United States from Ireland. But after a
conversation with his grandmother, he can now describe the
circumstances of the family‘s immigration in considerable detail.
Day after day, Martin practices his basketball skills (shooting,
dribbling, etc.) on a basketball court at a local park. With each practice
session, his movements become faster and smoother.
Lewis occasionally asks for help when he has difficulty with his
classwork, but most of the time he just struggles quietly on his own.
After his teacher assures him that asking for help is not a sign of
weakness or inability, he begins asking for help much more frequently.
research examines learning in tightly controlled settings and
research examines learning in real-world settings.
Applied; Basic
Basic; Qualitative
Qualitative; Applied
Basic; Applied
A principle of learning can best be characterized as:
A description of the results of a particular research study
A statement that describes how a particular factor affects learning
The measurement of how much learning has occurred in a
particular situation
An explanation of the underlying processes through which learning occurs
A theory of learning can best be characterized as:
A description of the results of a particular research study
A statement that describes how a particular factor affects learning
The measurement of how much learning has occurred in a
particular situation
An explanation of the underlying processes through which learning occurs
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, Chapter 1 – Perspectives on Learning
Three of the following are principles of learning. Which one is a theory
of learning rather than a principle?
A behavior that is followed by punishment decreases in frequency.
People learn by making mental associations between new information
and their existing knowledge.
A response that is rewarded every time it occurs increases more
rapidly than a response that is only occasionally rewarded.
Students tend to remember more of a lecture if they take notes on
the lecture‘s content.
Which one of the following common sayings best reflects the concept
of introspection?
―Where there‘s a will, there‘s a way.‖
―Nothing ventured, nothing gained.‖
―A penny for your thoughts.‖
―Old habits die hard.‖
Which one of the following common sayings best reflects the basic
premise underlying social learning theory?
―Monkey see, monkey do.‖
―Spare the rod and spoil the child.‖
―A friend in need is a friend indeed.‖
―A rolling stone gathers no moss.‖
Which one of the following statements provides the most credible
explanation for the fact that human beings seem to surpass all other animal
species in their thinking and learning capacities?
Only human beings have the capability to make tools.
Humans communicate regularly with one another and, in doing so,
pass along what they‘ve learned to future generations.
Human beings have a huge repertoire of instinctual behaviors from
which they can draw when they encounter new experiences.
Human brains are smaller than those of other intelligent species (e.g.,
elephants, dolphins) and therefore can transmit messages more quickly
and efficiently.
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