Q: Which of the following equations best represents the probability of a behavior being repeated according to operant conditioning?

$$P(B) = P(B|R) \u003e P(B|\neg R)$$

Question 1

Which of the following best describes operant conditioning as defined by B.F. Skinner?

Accepted Answer

A method of learning that occurs through rewards and punishments for behavior.

Question 2

A student receives praise from their teacher for raising their hand before speaking. According to operant conditioning, this praise acts as:

Accepted Answer

Positive reinforcement

Question 3

Which of the following scenarios is an example of negative reinforcement?

Accepted Answer

A student completes their homework to avoid being assigned extra work.

Question 4

In Skinner’s experiment with rats, pressing a blue button delivers food while pressing a red button delivers a mild shock. Over time, the rat presses the blue button more often. What type of learning is this?

Accepted Answer

Operant conditioning

Question 5

Which of the following best defines positive punishment?

Accepted Answer

Adding an undesirable stimulus to decrease a behavior

Question 6

A child loses access to their video games for a week after misbehaving. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Negative punishment

Question 7

Which reinforcement schedule produces the highest and most consistent response rate, as well as resistance to extinction?

Accepted Answer

Variable-ratio schedule

Question 8

A worker receives a paycheck every two weeks, regardless of how much work is completed. This is an example of which reinforcement schedule?

Accepted Answer

Fixed-interval

Question 9

Which of the following is NOT a criticism of operant conditioning as a theory of learning?

Accepted Answer

It ignores the role of environmental consequences.

Question 10

A teacher gives a student a gold star every time they complete their homework. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Continuous reinforcement

Question 11

Which of the following best describes a fixed-ratio reinforcement schedule?

Accepted Answer

Reinforcement is given after a fixed number of responses.

Question 12

A child is praised every time they clean their room, but the praise stops and the child eventually stops cleaning. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Extinction

Question 13

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

Accepted Answer

Pulling your hand back from a hot stove

Question 14

Which of the following best illustrates the Law of Effect as described by Thorndike?

Accepted Answer

Behaviors followed by satisfying consequences are more likely to be repeated.

Question 15

A student is scolded for shouting out answers in class and becomes less likely to do so in the future. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Positive punishment

Question 16

Which of the following is a real-world application of operant conditioning?

Accepted Answer

Token economy systems in psychiatric hospitals

Question 17

A rat in a Skinner box receives a food pellet after every 5th lever press. This is an example of which reinforcement schedule?

Accepted Answer

Fixed-ratio

Question 18

Which of the following equations best represents the probability of a behavior being repeated according to operant conditioning?

Accepted Answer

$$P(B) = P(B|R) \u003e P(B|
eg R)$$

Question 19

Which of the following is NOT a type of response identified by Skinner?

Accepted Answer

Conditioned stimuli

Question 20

A manager removes an unpleasant task from an employee’s workload after they meet a sales target. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Negative reinforcement

Operant Conditioning: Principles, Applications, and Critical Evaluation

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