PSYC 1301: Conditioning

Extinction occurs when:

• the conditioned stimulus is presented repeatedly without being paired with an unconditioned stimulus

• the unconditioned stimulus is presented repeatedly without being paired with a conditioned stimulus

• the neutral stimulus is presented repeatedly without being paired with an unconditioned stimulus

• the neutral stimulus is presented repeatedly without being paired with a conditioned stimulus

Emily used to feel calm when she heard rain falling outside. However, after experiencing a stressful power outage during a thunderstorm, she now feels anxious whenever it rains, even without thunder or lightning. In this case, what is the conditioned response?

• The sound of the rain

• The power outage

• Emily's anxiety when it rains

• Emily's sense of calm during rain

Learning is best defined as a relatively permanent change in behavior that ________.

• is innate

• occurs as a result of experience

• is found only in humans

• occurs by observing others

Two forms of associative learning are ____ and _____.

• classical conditioning; operant conditioning

• classical conditioning; Pavlovian conditioning

• operant conditioning; observational learning

• operant conditioning; learning conditioning

A stimulus that does not initially elicit a response in an organism is a(n)

• unconditioned stimulus

• neutral stimulus

• conditioned stimulus

• unconditioned response

After being bitten by a dog, Mark developed a fear of dogs. Later, Mark began to feel anxious every time he walked past a particular park where he often saw dogs, even when no dogs were present. What psychological process explains why Mark now feels anxious in the park?

• Generalization

• Spontaneous recovery

• Higher-order conditioning

• Stimulus discrimination

Which of the following best describes observational learning?

• Learning by associating a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus

• Learning through the consequences of one's actions, such as rewards or punishments

• Learning that occurs without any direct experience or observation

• Learning by watching and imitating the actions of others

Sarah’s cat, Bob, didn’t react to the sound of her phone’s ringtone at first. However, after Sarah repeatedly played the ringtone right before feeding him, Bob began to come into the kitchen every time the ringtone played. The process during which Bob learned to associate the ringtone with being fed is known as:

• Extinction

• Spontaneous recovery

• Acquisition

• Generalization

In Watson and Rayner’s experiments, Little Albert was conditioned to fear a white rat, and then he began to fear other furry white objects. This demonstrates ________.

• higher order conditioning

• acquisition

• stimulus discrimination

• stimulus generalization

John trained his dog, Winstonian, to sit whenever he heard a bell by repeatedly pairing the sound of the bell with a treat. After a while, John stopped giving Winstonian treats when the bell rang, and the dog eventually stopped sitting in response to the bell. However, a few weeks later, John rang the bell again, and Winstonian suddenly sat down. What is this phenomenon called?

• Extinction

• Spontaneous recovery

• Generalization

• Higher-order conditioning