Question 1

Which of the following best describes the difference between a primary reinforcer and a conditioned reinforcer in operant conditioning?

Accepted Answer

A primary reinforcer is innately reinforcing due to biological needs, while a conditioned reinforcer gains its power through association with a primary reinforcer.

Question 2

A teacher gives a student a gold star every time they complete their homework. Over time, the student becomes more likely to do their homework. In this scenario, the gold star is an example of:

Accepted Answer

A conditioned reinforcer

Question 3

Which of the following scenarios best illustrates negative reinforcement?

Accepted Answer

A student turns off a loud alarm by getting out of bed, increasing the likelihood they will get up when the alarm rings in the future.

Question 4

A researcher wants to teach a rat to press a lever. At first, the rat is rewarded for moving near the lever, then for touching it, and finally only for pressing it. This process is known as:

Accepted Answer

Shaping

Question 5

Which reinforcement schedule is most resistant to extinction?

Accepted Answer

Variable-ratio schedule

Question 6

A slot machine pays out after an unpredictable number of lever pulls. This is an example of which reinforcement schedule?

Accepted Answer

Variable-ratio

Question 7

Which of the following best describes positive reinforcement?

Accepted Answer

An instrumental response increases because a stimulus is presented following the response.

Question 8

A child watches their older sibling tie their shoes and then successfully imitates the behavior. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Observational learning

Question 9

Bandura’s Bobo clown experiment demonstrated that:

Accepted Answer

Children can learn aggressive behaviors by observing others, even without direct reinforcement.

Question 10

A student receives a detention every time they are late to class, which leads to a decrease in tardiness. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Punishment

Question 11

Which of the following best illustrates the concept of shaping in animal training?

Accepted Answer

Gradually rewarding a dog for each step it takes toward rolling over, until it completes the full behavior.

Question 12

Which of the following is an example of a fixed-interval reinforcement schedule?

Accepted Answer

A worker receives a paycheck every two weeks.

Question 13

After watching a violent TV show, children are observed to engage in more aggressive play. This phenomenon is best explained by:

Accepted Answer

Observational learning

Question 14

Which of the following statements about partial reinforcement schedules is TRUE?

Accepted Answer

Variable schedules are generally harder to extinguish than fixed schedules.

Question 15

A parent removes a child’s chores for a week after the child gets good grades. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Negative reinforcement

Question 16

Which of the following best describes the process of modeling?

Accepted Answer

Observing and imitating a specific behavior performed by another.

Question 17

A rat receives a food pellet every time it presses a lever. This is an example of which reinforcement schedule?

Accepted Answer

Continuous reinforcement

Question 18

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

Accepted Answer

A child loses TV privileges for hitting a sibling, resulting in less hitting.

Question 19

A student studies regularly because each time they do, they avoid the anxiety of being unprepared for class. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Negative reinforcement

Question 20

Which of the following best explains why variable-ratio schedules are highly resistant to extinction?

Accepted Answer

The unpredictability of reinforcement makes it difficult for the subject to detect when reinforcement has stopped.

Operant Conditioning and Observational Learning: Key Concepts in Learning

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