Journal Entry #2 - Classical Conditioning

The pupils of the human eye dilate when exposed to bright light. This dilation is an example of which of the following?

• Unconditioned response

• Conditioned stimulus

• Conditioned response

• Unconditioned stimulus

In classical conditioning, the process by which an organism learns to associate a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus so that, by degrees, the presence of the unconditioned stimulus to evoke a response is no longer required is called __________.

• generalization

• conditioned response

• acquisition

• unconditioned response

• operant conditioning

From an early age, guard dogs can learn to tell the difference between the approaching footsteps of their handler (which provokes no response or a positive response) from other footsteps (which provoke a negative response). What ability would a behaviorist say this demonstrates?

• Observational learning

• Discrimination

• Generalization

• Acquisition

• Prosocial behavior

Sandy is an aspiring singer. Even though she loves to sing, she also experiences severe stage fright before and during a performance. Sometimes when she is feeling so overwhelmed or nervous before a performance, she will decide to cancel the show because of her anxiety. Lately, even when she sees a stage or a microphone, she begins to feel panicked and notices her breathing and heart rate increase.

In the situation, Sandy's physiological reaction to a stage or microphone is an example of which of the following?

• Operant conditioning

• Shaping

• Classical conditioning

• Modeling

• Insight Learning

A researcher decides to do a classical conditioning experiment on a child. In the experiment, she pairs an unpleasant stimulus (e.g. loud upsetting noise) with a puppy covered in white fur. Over time, the child sees the puppy and begins to cry because of the paired association with the unpleasant stimulus. According to classical conditioning research, which of the following would most likely induce crying in the child?

• A white stuffed animal

• A toaster oven

• The child's mother

• A parakeet

Heather is afraid of heights. Heather's therapist exposes her a little bit at a time through a virtual computer software. Afterwards, she takes Heather in an elevator and over several sessions, slowly works her way up to the top. This is done over and over until Heather is no longer afraid of heights. This application of classical conditioning is an example of which of the following?

• Systematic desensitization

• Gradual progression

• Counter conditioning

• Flooding

• Extinction

Patty notices that her baby sister Megan is happy and giggles whenever she sees her favorite toy. When Megan sees Patty, she just sits there and frowns. Patty starts to play with Megan, but now she brings Megan's favorite toy. Megan giggles and is happy with both Patty and her toy. Eventually, Megan giggles and is happy when she sees Patty.

Based on this example of classical conditioning, what is the unconditioned response (UCR)?

• Patty

• Megan's crying

• Baby Megan's favorite toy

• Baby Megan's giggling at her favorite toy

• Baby Megan's giggling at her sister Patty

If Ted starts salivating at the sight of any silver pot, not just the particular pot his mother uses to make chili, then he would be demonstrating which of the following?

• Discrimination

• Generalization

• Habituation

• Sensitization