Unit 3B: Learning

Which of the following best defines "operant conditioning"?

• Learning that occurs through association between two stimuli

• Learning in which behavior is strengthened or weakened by consequences

• Learning that occurs without reinforcement

• Learning that is based on observation

Answer explanation

Operant conditioning is defined as learning where behavior is modified by its consequences, such as rewards or punishments. This distinguishes it from other types of learning, like classical conditioning, which involves associations between stimuli.

What is the "Law of Effect" as proposed by Edward Thorndike?

• Behaviors followed by satisfying consequences are more likely to recur

• Behaviors are learned through observation

• Behaviors are only learned through punishment

• Behaviors are innate and not learned

Answer explanation

The "Law of Effect" states that behaviors followed by satisfying consequences are more likely to recur, highlighting the role of rewards in learning. This makes the first answer choice correct.

Which of the following is an example of positive reinforcement?

• Taking away chores after a child gets good grades

• Giving a child candy for completing homework

• Scolding a child for misbehaving

• Removing a toy after bad behavior

Answer explanation

Positive reinforcement involves adding a pleasant stimulus to encourage a behavior. Giving a child candy for completing homework rewards their effort, promoting the behavior, making it the correct example of positive reinforcement.

Negative reinforcement involves:

• Adding a pleasant stimulus to increase behavior

• Removing an unpleasant stimulus to increase behavior

• Adding an unpleasant stimulus to decrease behavior

• Removing a pleasant stimulus to decrease behavior

Answer explanation

Negative reinforcement involves removing an unpleasant stimulus to increase behavior. This means that by eliminating something negative, the likelihood of the desired behavior occurring increases.

Which of the following is an example of negative punishment?

• Giving a student extra homework for being late

• Taking away a teenager's phone for breaking curfew

• Praising a child for sharing toys

• Allowing a student to skip a test for good behavior

Answer explanation

Negative punishment involves removing a desirable stimulus to decrease a behavior. Taking away a teenager's phone for breaking curfew is a clear example, as it removes a privilege to discourage the unwanted behavior.

A primary reinforcer is best described as:

• A stimulus that gains its reinforcing power through association

• A stimulus that is naturally reinforcing, such as food or water

• A learned response to a neutral stimulus

• A punishment that decreases behavior

Answer explanation

A primary reinforcer is a stimulus that is naturally reinforcing, such as food or water, which satisfies basic biological needs. This distinguishes it from secondary reinforcers that gain power through association.

Which of the following is a secondary reinforcer?

• Water

• Food

• Money

• Sleep

Answer explanation

Money is a secondary reinforcer because it gains value through association with primary reinforcers like food and water. Unlike water, food, and sleep, which are inherently satisfying, money's value is learned.

What is "shaping" in operant conditioning?

• Punishing unwanted behaviors

• Reinforcing successive approximations of a desired behavior

• Ignoring all behaviors except the target behavior

• Using only primary reinforcers

Answer explanation

Shaping in operant conditioning involves reinforcing successive approximations of a desired behavior. This means rewarding behaviors that are closer and closer to the target behavior, rather than punishing or ignoring other behaviors.

Instinctive drift refers to:

• The tendency for learned behavior to revert to biologically predisposed patterns

• The gradual weakening of a conditioned response

• The process of learning through observation

• The use of reinforcement schedules

Answer explanation

Instinctive drift describes how learned behaviors can revert to instinctual patterns due to biological predispositions, making the first choice the correct answer.

Which scenario best illustrates superstitious behavior in operant conditioning?

• A rat presses a lever for food

• A student wears a "lucky" shirt to every exam after doing well once

• A dog salivates at the sound of a bell

• A child learns to tie shoes by watching a parent

Answer explanation

The scenario of a student wearing a 'lucky' shirt illustrates superstitious behavior, as the student associates the shirt with past success, despite no causal link between the shirt and exam performance.