Chapter 14 Theories of Personality Lesson 3: Learning Theories

What do behaviorists hope to find out by studying a person's environment?

• what is reinforcing the person's behavior

• what the person is suppressing

• what traits the person possesses

• what archetypes the person follows

Instead of understanding behavior, B.F. Skinner was more concerned with

• the unconscious

• human emotions

• predicting and controlling behavior

• human traits

If he wanted to help a woman who is sad all the time, what would B.F. Skinner first seek to find out?

• what happened in her childhood

• how she behaves

• what she dreams about

• the nature of her relationship with her parents

When trying to uncover the contingencies of reinforcement, a psychologist asks which of the following questions?

• Did the behaviors begin in childhood?

• How are the id, ego, and superego interacting?

• What conditions are reinforcing the behaviors?

• Which unconscious memories trigger the behaviors?

Which of the following is an example of a behavior reinforcer?

• a gambler accusing a friend of having a gambling problem

• an unconscious fear of horses

• recurring dreams about owning a champion racehorse

• winning money betting on horse races

An example of a phobia would be

• a man so afraid of spiders that he can't go down to his basement.

• a woman who accuses her sister of being afraid of heights.

• a girl who often dreams about ghosts.

• a boy who conquered his fear of performing on stage.

A person with an obsessive-compulsive disorder might

• deny the need for personal hygiene.

• wash his hands several times each hour.

• reminisce about childhood memories.

• jump when he sees a snake.

Which of the following would most likely result in the acquisition of a new behavior through observational learning?

• a girl practices shooting free throws after school

• a man listens to his brother describe how much fun he had skydiving

• a boy watches his mother bowling

• a woman dreams about entering politics

Which of the following is an example of an outcome expectation?

• learning how to play chess

• believing that you will win a chess tournament

• teaching your sister how to play chess

• tapping unconscious memories of playing chess

Which of the following is true about learning theories?

• They emphasize childhood experiences.

• They stress the importance of unconscious forces.

• They emphasize the influence of genetic factors and emotions.

• They focus on concrete actions.