Self Test # 10 - Operant & Cognitive Approaches to Learning
Note: These questions are part of a larger data base of questions on Module 10 & are
selected to represent the type of question you should expect on unit exam three.
You can, in fact, expect to see many of these very same questions on that exam.
Exam questions, however, may deal with topics not covered in the self tests or
in lectures but are disucssed in your textbook. You are responsible for the
content of your text book plus the content of lectures, interactive activities,
& material on the web site.
Use these sample questions to test yourself & to practice for the test.
1. Instrumental conditioning is a.k.a. :
operant conditioning
classical conditioning
instinctual conditioning
imprinting conditioning
2. Those who study cognitive learning claim that learning can take place
in an individual:
who has not received any noticeable rewards, but who simply observes & imitates.
only when the behavior is followed by an effect.
only if the learning is reflexive in nature.
who shows a change in behavior.
3. What is described as the idea that behaviors followed by positive consequences
are strengthened, while behaviors followed by negative consequences
are weakened?
principle of continuity
behavioral facilitation
cognitive learning
law of effect
4. Law of effect is to ______ as operant conditioning is to _______.
Skinner; Rescorla
Tolman; Bandura
Thorndike; Skinner
Skinner; Thorndike
5. The shaping procedure succeeds or fails depending on:
exactly which behaviors you reinforce
selecting the best one of several reinforcers
how many times you reinforce the target behavior
how long you are willing to wait for the target behavior to occur
6. What is the best explanation for a professional football player eating pork every
day that a game is scheduled?
discrimination
generalization
observational learning
superstitious behavior
7. Classical is to operant as:
learned is to innate
learned is to memorized
undesirable is to desirable
involuntary is to voluntary
8. Reinforcement is to _______, as punishment is to ______.
decrease; increase
decrease; decrease
increase; decrease
operant conditioning; classical conditioning
9. Reinforcers, whether they be positive or negative, have the same effect
on behavior, which is to:
decrease the probability that the behavior will be repeated
increase the probability that the behavior will be repeated
increase the probability that the behavior will be extinguished
decrease the probability that the behavior will be spontaneously recovered
10. Kurt and Kyle are out walking. Kurt says, “Hey, I’ve got a pebble in my shoe,”
& proceeds to take off his shoe and to remove the pebble. “That feels better,”
says Kurt. Kyle believes that Kurts’ behavior of removing the pebble is a ______
because it increases the chance that Kurt will repeat the behavior if another
pebble gets in his shoe.
positive punisher
positive reinforcer
negative reinforcer
unconditioned stimulus
11. The value of a secondary reinforcer is:
innate
learned
evident to all humans
its association with things like tokens & money
12. What refers to removing a reinforcing stimulus after a response that
decreases the odds that the response will recur?
Punishment
Latent punishment
Positive punishment
Negative punishment
13. When is continuous reinforcement most appropriate?
only after the conditioning has taken place
when the behavior is an involuntary reflex
when the behavior is a voluntary response
in the initial stages of operant conditioning
14. Partial reinforcement schedules:
do not follow patterns
are less expensive, but they tend to discourage the learner
are very effective in maintaining behavior over the long run
often confuse those who have grown used to a continuous pattern of reinforcement
15. A _______ refers to a reinforcer occurring only after an unchanging number
of responses take place.
fixed-ratio
variable-ratio
fixed-interval
variable-interval
16. After a period of extinction, a temporary recovery in rate of responding is called:
extinction
generalization
discrimination
spontaneous performance
17. Which of the following theorists argued that learning involves a mental
representation of the environment?
B. F. Skinner
Albert Bandura
Edward Tolman
Wolfgang Koehler
18. “I can see in my mind the layout of the town I visited last summer.” This person
is using her ______ of the town.
imprinting
cognitive map
latent schema
cognitive network
19. Which of the following theorists argued that learning can take place when
someone is watching another person and performs that behavior
even when not reinforced?
B. F. Skinner
Albert Bandura
Edward Tolman
Wolfgang Koehler
20. The most important conclusion from the Bandura Bobo doll study is that:
we create cognitive maps of dolls
behavior can be modified by simply watching a live model
behavior can be modified throughout negative punishment
behavior can be modified by providing secondary reinforcers
21. “I know and understand this material,” says Rick. His instructor would agree
with him. But when it comes time to prove his understanding on the exam,
he typically doesn’t do well. This exemplifies the idea of:
shaping
insight learning
a lack of preparedness
the learning-performance distinction
22. The four processes necessary for observational learning are
attention, memory, imitation, and ___________.
motivation
generalization
reinforcement
discrimination
23. ______ is a mental process marked by sudden and unexpected solution
of a problem.
Insight learning
Cognitive learning
Categorical learning
Operant conditioning
24. “Ah ha!” is to ______ as reinforcement is to _______.
preparedness; cognitive theory
imprinting; classical conditioning
insight learning; operant conditioning
spontaneous recovery; insight learning
25. A newsletter article has the headline, “Scientists find innate tendency that
helps learning.” You realize that the “innate tendency” refers to:
behavioral factors
biological factors
cognitive factors
environmental stimuli
26. Which of the following statements regarding imprinting is not true?
imprinting is irreversible
imprinting takes place during a critical or sensitive period
imprinting improves the chance that the animals will survive
imprinting is evident in mature animals as well as in newborn animals
27. A biological tendency found in animals to be able to recognize, attend to,
and store certain cues more easily than other cues is called:
prepared learning
imprinting
ethology
insight
28. Time-out is preferable to physical punishment because:
- time-out is easier to administer
- time-out is more likely to involve observational learning
- physical punishment is difficult to record on a cumulative record
- physical punishment may cause negative emotional reactions &
negative feelings toward the punisher
29. The treatment or therapy used to modify problem behavior based on the
principles of learning is called
covert rehearsal
self-reinforcement
behavior modification
observational learning
30. Spanking is an example of
negative reinforcement
negative punishment
positive punishment
time-out
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Topics in Psychology
Robert C. Gates