PSY 331 final exam review - in-class

What is the function of dendrites in a neuron?

• release neurotransmitters into the synapse

• complete normal cellular functioning

• receive signals from previous neurons

• send signals to the next neuron

You go down the stairs to your basement to do laundry but you end up falling down the stairs and breaking your ankle. Now, you make your roommate do the laundry because you are too scared to go down to the basement.

What is the CS in this example?

• 
  going down the basement stairs

• 
  falling

• 
  fear

• feeling pain from your ankle

I am teaching my dog to sit on a box. Every time she moves toward the box, I reward her. I keep rewarding her for getting closer and closer to sitting on the box, and when she eventually sits on top of the box, I give her a big reward. This is an example of _______.

• classical conditioning

• shaping

• forward chaining

• backward chaining

Which of the following leads to the slowest extinction rates after a reinforcer is removed?

• fixed ratio

• variable interval

• continuous

• fixed interval

Jenkins and Harrison (1962) provided a group of pigeons with non-differential training - they received food for pecking a button when a 1000-hz tone and light turned on. Later, when tested with slightly different sounding tones (e.g., 670-hz; 1500-hz), how did the animals respond?

• The pigeons only provided responses to 1000-hz frequencies, but not during other sounds

• The pigeons responded equally often to all tones

• The pigeons showed a typical generalization gradient

• The pigeons did not provide any responses at all

Chimpanzees that learn ASL are still not considered to be demonstrating "language" because they:

• do not use consistent word order or grammar

• cannot verbally speak

• cannot learn more than about 20 signs

• learn symbols for verbs

In a two-choice situation for pigeons, the left key has a VI schedule that provides 3 times as many reinforcers than the right key's schedule. The matching law predicts the following for the pigeon's pecking behaviors:

• the pigeon will only peck the left key

• the pigeon will peck the left key 3 times as much as the right key

• the pigeon will split its pecking behavior equally between the two options

• the pigeon will peck the right key 3 times as much as the left key

What is the key difference between behaviorist and cognitive approaches to psychology?

• behavioral theories are only interested in observable behaviors whereas cognitive theories allow discussion of internal, mental processes

• behavioral theories must be based on experimental evidence whereas cognitive theories are mostly based on survey data

• behavioral theories can only apply to animal learning whereas cognitive theories only apply to humans

• behavioral theories are only interested in observable behaviors whereas cognitive theories are only interested in the neural mechanisms of learning

Which of the following is an example of operant conditioning in children?

• they learn that thunder will occur shortly after lightning

• they learn that they will get dessert if they pick up their toys before dinner

• they say a swear word because they heard their parents say a swear word

• they learn language by extracting general rules about syntax

My mother told me the other day: “My long-term memory is fine, I can remember things from when I was younger. But my short-term memory is terrible. I can’t even remember what I had for breakfast this morning!” What is wrong with her statement?

• what she had for breakfast would still be in long-term memory

• memories from years ago would still actually be in short-term memory

• what she had for breakfast is actually a sensory memory

• she is mistaking long-term/short-term memories for conscious/unconscious processes