PRACTICE QUESTIONS

1. Just before something scary happens in a horror film, they often play scary-sounding music. When I hear the music, I tense up in anticipation of the scary event. In this situation, the music serves as a(n)

(A) US.

(B) CS.

(C) UR.

(D) CR.

(E) NR.

2. Try as you might, you are unable to teach your dog to do a somersault. He will roll around on the ground, but he refuses to execute the gymnastic move you desire because of

(A) equipotentiality.

(B) preparedness.

(C) instinctive drift.

(D) chaining.

(E) shaping.

3. Which of the following is an example of a generalized reinforcer?

(A) chocolate cake

(B) water

(C) money

(D) applause

(E) high grades

4. In teaching your cat to jump through a hoop, which reinforcement schedule would facilitate the most rapid learning?

(A) continuous

(B) fixed ratio

(C) variable ratio

(D) fixed interval

(E) variable interval

5. The classical conditioning training procedure in which the US is presented before the CS is known as

(A) backward conditioning.

(B) aversive conditioning.

(C) simultaneous conditioning.

(D) delayed conditioning.

(E) trace conditioning.

6. Tina likes to play with slugs, but she can find them by the shed only after it rains. On what kind of reinforcement schedule is Tina’s slug hunting?

(A) continuous

(B) fixed-interval

(C) fixed-ratio

(D) variable-interval

(E) variable-ratio

7. Just before the doors of the elevator close, Lola, a coworker you despise, enters the elevator. You immediately leave, mumbling about having forgotten something. Your behavior results in

(A) positive reinforcement.

(B) a secondary reinforcer.

(C) punishment.

(D) negative reinforcement.

(E) omission training.

8. Which of the following phenomena is illustrated by Tolman’s study in which rats suddenly evidenced that they had learned to get through a maze once a reward was presented?

(A) insight learning

(B) instrumental learning

(C) latent learning

(D) spontaneous recovery

(E) classical conditioning

9. Many psychologists believe that children of parents who beat them are likely to beat their own children. One common explanation for this phenomenon is

(A) modeling.

(B) latent learning.

(C) abstract learning.

(D) instrumental learning.

(E) classical conditioning.

10. When Tito was young, his parents decided to give him a quarter every day he made his bed. Tito started to make his siblings’ beds also and help with other chores. Behaviorists would say that Tito was experiencing

(A) internal motivation.

(B) spontaneous recovery.

(C) acquisition.

(D) generalization.

(E) discrimination.

11. A rat evidencing abstract learning might learn

(A) to clean and feed itself by watching its mother perform these activities.

(B) to associate its handler’s presence with feeding time.

(C) to press a bar when a light is on but not when its cage is dark.

(D) the layout of a maze without hurrying to get to the end.

(E) to press a lever when he sees pictures of dogs but not cats.

12. With which statement would B. F. Skinner most likely agree?

(A) Pavlov’s dog learned to expect that food would follow the bell.

(B) Baby Albert thought the white rat meant the loud noise would sound.

(C) All learning is observable.

(D) Pigeons peck disks knowing that they will receive food.

(E) Cognition plays an important role in learning.

13. Before his parents will read him a bedtime story, Charley has to brush his teeth, put on his pajamas, kiss his grandmother good night, and put away his toys. This example illustrates

(A) shaping.

(B) acquisition.

(C) generalization.

(D) chaining.

(E) a token economy.

14. Which of the following is an example of positive reinforcement?

(A) buying a child a video game after she throws a tantrum

(B) going inside to escape a thunderstorm

(C) assigning a student detention for fighting

(D) getting a cavity filled at the dentist to halt a toothache

(E) depriving a prison inmate of sleep

15. Lily keeps poking Jared in Mr. Clayton’s third-grade class. Mr. Clayton tells Jared to ignore Lily. Mr. Clayton is hoping that ignoring Lily’s behavior will

(A) punish her.

(B) extinguish the behavior.

(C) negatively reinforce the behavior.

(D) cause Lily to generalize.

(E) make the behavior latent.