AP Psychology- Unit 6 Test Questions

The most crucial ingredient in all learning is

experience.

Learning that certain events occur together is called

associative learning.

By learning to associate a squirt of water with an electric shock, sea snails demonstrate the process
of

classical conditioning

Pets who learn that the sound of an electric can opener signals the arrival of their food illustrate

classical conditioning

Seals in an aquarium will repeat behaviors, such as slapping and barking, that prompt people to toss
them a herring. This best illustrates

operant conditioning

After one chimpanzee sees a second chimp open a box that contains a food reward, the first animal
opens a similar box with great speed. This best illustrates

observational learning

The last time you came home after your curfew, your parents grounded you for the next two
weekends. Ever since then you have been careful to come home on time. The change in your behavior
is best explained by

operant conditioning

The first experimental studies of associative learning were conducted by

Ivan Pavlov

Who introduced the term behaviorism?

John B. Watson

John B. Watson emphasized that

learning should be explained without any reference to mental processes

Last year, Dr. Moritano cleaned Natacha’s skin with rubbing alcohol prior to administering each of a
series of painful rabies vaccination shots. Which of the following processes accounts for the fact that
Natacha currently becomes fearful every time she smells rubbing alcohol?

classical conditioning

Which of the following is an unconditioned response?

sweating in hot weather

In Pavlov’s experiments, the dog’s salivation triggered by the sound of the tone was a(n)

unconditioned response

In Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, infants develop a fear of books after books are repeatedly
presented with a loud noise. In this fictional example, the loud noise is a(n)

unconditioned stimulus.

A child’s learned fear at the sight of a hypodermic needle is a(n)

conditioned response

A real estate agent showed Gavin several pictures of lakeshore property while they were eating a
delicious, mouth-watering meal. Later, when Gavin was given a tour of the property, he drooled with
delight. For Gavin, the lakeshore property was a

CS

Which of the following is an unconditioned response?

jerking your hand off a very hot stove

A dog’s salivation at the sight of a food dish is a(n)

unconditioned response

If the sound of an electric can opener causes a child to salivate because it has previously been
associated with the presentation of food, the child’s salivation to the sound of the can opener is a(n)

conditioned response

In Pavlov’s experiments on the salivary conditioning of dogs, the CS was

the sound of a tone

After he was spanked on several occasions for spilling his milk at a restaurant, Colin became afraid to
go to the restaurant. In this case, spanking was a(n) ________ for Colin’s fear.

unconditioned stimulus

Because his football coach frequently yells at him for swearing, Antonio now becomes anxious when
he’s near his coach. The coach is a(n) ________ for Antonio’s anxiety

conditioned stimulus

A patient who had long feared going into elevators was told by his therapist to force himself to enter
20 elevators a day. The therapist most likely wanted to encourage the ________ of the patient’s fear.

extinction

In classical conditioning, the ________ signals the impending occurrence of the ________.

CS; US

For the most rapid acquisition of a CR, the CS should be presented

shortly before the US

Associating a conditioned stimulus with a new neutral stimulus can create a second (often weaker)
conditioned stimulus. This best illustrates

higher-order conditioning

In classical conditioning, the

unconditioned stimulus elicits the conditioned response

After Pavlov had conditioned a dog to salivate to a tone, he repeatedly sounded the tone without
presenting the food. As a result, ________ occurred

extinction

Spontaneous recovery refers to the

reappearance, after a pause, of an extinguished conditioned response

Long after being bitten by a stray dog, Alonzo found that his fear of dogs seemed to have
disappeared. To his surprise, however, when he was recently confronted by a stray dog, he
experienced a sudden twinge of anxiety. This sudden anxiety best illustrates

spontaneous recovery

The tendency for a CR to be evoked by stimuli similar to the CS is called

generalization

Monica’s psychotherapist reminds her so much of her own father that she has many of the same
mixed emotional reactions to him that she has to her own dad. Her reactions to her therapist best
illustrate the importance of

generalization

Toddlers taught to fear moving cars may also begin to fear moving trucks and motorcycles. This best
illustrates

generalization

An allergy attack triggered by the sight of plastic flowers best illustrates the process of

generalization

Compared with nonabused children, those who have experienced a history of abuse show a stronger
brain-wave response to an unfamiliar but angry-looking face. This best illustrates

shaping

Jacqueline is sexually aroused by the sight of her handsome boyfriend but not by the sight of her
equally handsome brother. This best illustrates the value of

discrimination

After recovering from a serious motorcycle accident, Gina was afraid to ride a motorcycle but not a
bicycle. Gina’s pattern of fear best illustrates

discrimination

Pavlov’s research on classical conditioning was important because

so many different species of animals, including humans, can be classically conditioned

Which of the following describes one of Watson’s contributions to the study of learning?

He showed how the law of effect can be used to teach new behaviors

After learning to fear a white rat, Little Albert responded with fear to the sight of a rabbit. This best
illustrates the process of

generalization

An organism learns associations between events it does not control during the process of

classical conditioning

An automatic response to some stimulus is called

respondent behavior

In which form of learning is behavior said to be influenced by its consequences?

operant conditioning

Learning associations between one’s own personal actions and resulting events is most relevant to the
process of

operant conditioning

Ever since his mother began to give Julio gold stars for keeping his bed dry all night, Julio
discontinued his habit of bed-wetting. His change in behavior best illustrates the value of

operant conditioning

Which of the following terms best describes a respondent behavior?

reflexive

B. F. Skinner’s work elaborated what E. L. Thorndike had called

the law of effect

The law of effect refers to the tendency to

repeat behaviors that are rewarded

A Skinner box is a(n)

chamber containing a bar or key that an animal can manipulate to obtain a reward

Shaping is a(n) ________ procedure.

operant conditioning

To teach an animal to perform a complex sequence of behaviors, animal trainers are most likely to use
a procedure known as

shaping

An animal trainer is teaching a miniature poodle to balance on a ball. Initially, he gives the poodle a
treat for approaching the ball, then only for placing its front paws on the ball, and finally only for
climbing on the ball. The trainer is using the method of

successive approximations

Because Mr. Baron demonstrates appreciation only for very good classroom answers, his students
have stopped participating in class. Mr. Baron most clearly needs to be informed of the value of

shaping

In shaping a dog to "shake," the command "shake" would be the ________. When the dog slightly
moves its paw, this would be a(n) ________.

discriminative stimulus; operant behavior

A psychologist would be most likely to use ________ to determine whether nonverbal organisms can
perceive different colors.

shaping

An event that increases the frequency of the behavior that it follows is a(n)

reinforcer

Any stimulus that, when presented after a response, strengthens the response is called a(n)

positive reinforcer

Because Mandisa always picked up her newborn daughter when she cried, her daughter is now a real
crybaby. In this case, picking up the infant served as a(n) ________ for crying.

positive reinforcer

Any stimulus that, when removed after a response, strengthens the response is called a(n)

negative reinforcer

Mason, a stockbroker, runs two miles every day after work because it reduces his level of stress.
Mason’s running habit is maintained by a(n) ________ reinforcer.

negative

Receiving delicious food is to escaping electric shock as ________ is to ________.

positive reinforcer; negative reinforcer

What is the difference between a primary and a conditioned reinforcer?

Primary reinforcers are introduced every time the behavior occurs; conditioned reinforcers are introduced only sometimes

Innately satisfying stimuli that fulfill biological needs are called ________ reinforcers.

primary

Which of the following is the best example of a conditioned reinforcer?

applause for an excellent piano recital

Most animals are best conditioned through reinforcers delivered immediately after the desired
behavior is performed. What are these reinforcers called?

immediate

Humans, unlike many other animals, can be conditioned with reinforcers not delivered until a long
time after the desired behavior. What are these reinforcers called?

delayed

A trainer wants to train a chicken to peck a key to obtain food. If she wants the chicken to learn this
trick quickly and the behavior to be resistant to extinction, she should use ________ reinforcement
until the response is mastered and then follow with a period of ________ reinforcement.

continuous; partial

The way slot machines reward gamblers with money best illustrates

partial reinforcement

Coffee shops that reward customers with one free cup of coffee after every ten coffee purchases are
using a ________ reinforcement schedule.

fixed-ratio

Blake is a carpet installer who wants to be paid for each square foot of carpet he lays rather than
with an hourly wage. Blake prefers working on a ________ schedule of reinforcement.

fixed-ratio

Which of the following behaviors is typically reinforced on a variable-ratio schedule?

inserting coins into a slot machine

Asking for dates is most likely to be reinforced on a ________ schedule

variable-ratio

A small-town radio disc jockey frequently announces how much money is currently in a jackpot.
Every day several randomly selected residents are called and asked to identify the amount, and
thereby win it. Those who keep track of the jackpot amount are most likely to be reinforced on a
________ schedule.

variable-interval

An executive in a computer software firm works with his office door closed. At the same time every
hour he opens the door to see what his employees are doing. The employees have learned to work
especially hard during the five minutes before and while the door is open. Their work pattern is
typical of responses that are reinforced on a ________ schedule.

fixed-interval

On the first day of class, Professor Wallace tells her geography students that pop quizzes will be
given at unpredictable times throughout the semester. Clearly, studying for Professor Wallace’s
surprise quizzes will be reinforced on a ________ schedule.

variable-interval

A choppy stop-start pattern of operant responding is associated with the ________ schedule of
reinforcement

fixed-interval

An event that decreases the behavior that precedes it is a

punishment.

Which of the following is true of negative reinforcement and punishment?

Negative reinforcers decrease the rate of operant responding; punishments increase the rate of operant responding

Myron quit gambling after he lost more than a thousand dollars betting on horse races. This best
illustrates the effects of

punishment

Punishment is a potentially hazardous way for teachers to control young children’s behaviors
because

the use of punishment could condition children to fear and avoid school.

Robert was late for school, so he parked in a space reserved for teachers. Later, when he went to get
his car, he noticed a yellow parking ticket under the windshield wiper. The parking ticket would be
considered

positive reinforcement

Revoking the driver’s license of a reckless driver is intended to serve as a

negative punishment

According to B. F. Skinner, human behavior is controlled primarily by

external influences

B. F. Skinner’s critics have claimed that he neglected the importance of the individual’s

personal freedom

B. F. Skinner believed that teaching machines could promote effective learning because they allow for
both

shaping and immediate reinforcement

Alex learned how to make 3-point basketball shots by successfully making very short shots before
shooting from increasingly longer distances from the hoop. This learning strategy best illustrates the
process of

shaping

Mr. Schlenker has improved worker productivity at his furniture manufacturing plant by
occasionally sending notes of appreciation to his hard-working employees. Mr. Schlenker has
improved productivity by means of

operant conditioning

Compared with apartment dwellers whose landlords pay their electricity costs, those apartment
dwellers who pay their own electric bills use less electricity. This most clearly illustrates that
consumer electricity usage is influenced by

operant conditioning

Marvin happens to wear a red shirt when he takes a test he expects to fail. Surprisingly, he does well
on the test, so he wears the red shirt every time he takes a test. Which of the following explains
Marvin’s superstitious behavior?

Any behavior that is accidentally reinforced is more likely to be repeated

To modify your own behavior using operant conditioning principles, you should

monitor and record the actual frequency of the operant behavior you wish to promote

Which of the following is an example of biofeedback?

Milos learns to relax by being provided with information on changes in his heart rate.

The most important benefit of biofeedback is its capacity to?

facilitate the relaxation response.

Electronically recording, amplifying, and displaying information regarding subtle physiological
responses is called

biofeedback

Both classical and operant conditioning are forms of

associative learning

A learned association between two stimuli is central to

classical conditioning

A learned association between a response and a consequence is central to

operant conditioning

After being classically conditioned to salivate to a tone, a dog continues to hear a tone but does not
receive food; as a result, salivation will decrease, then disappear. A dog owner may use operant
conditioning to train a dog to "sit" by presenting a treat each time the dog sits. However, the
behavior may diminish if the treats are discontinued. Both examples illustrate

extinction

It is easier to train a dog to bark for food than to train it to stand on its hind legs for food. This best
illustrates the importance of ________ in learning.

biological predispositions

After pigs learned to pick up and deposit wooden coins in a piggy bank, the pigs subsequently
dropped the coins repeatedly and pushed them with their snouts. This best illustrates the
importance of ________ in operant conditioning.

biological predispositions

Animals most readily learn the specific associations that promote

survival

Rats easily learn to associate nausea-producing radiation treatments with

novel tastes

The idea that any perceivable neutral stimulus can serve as a CS was challenged by

Garcia and Koelling’s findings on taste aversion in rats

In a series of experiments, men found women more attractive and sexually desirable when their
photos were framed in

red

Dr. Kingston emphasizes that learned fears reflect the interacting influences of a person’s inborn
emotional reactivity, family life history, and capacity to generalize from previous experiences. Dr.
Kingston’s emphasis best illustrates

a biopsychosocial approach

If rats are allowed to wander through a complicated maze, they will subsequently run the maze with
few errors when a food reward is placed at the end. Their good performance demonstrates

latent learning

The best evidence that animals develop cognitive maps comes from studies of

latent learning

Elijah has learned to expect that whenever he studies diligently for tests, he will receive good grades.
This suggests that associative learning involves

cognitive processes

Professor Kohler observed chimpanzees discover a novel way to reach a banana hung out of their
reach. This scenario is most likely an example of which type of learning?

insight learning

The desire to engage in an activity for the sake of its own enjoyment involves

intrinsic motivation

Promising people monetary rewards for doing what they already enjoy doing is most likely to
undermine

intrinsic motivation

The desire to perform a behavior due to promised rewards or threats of punishment involves

extrinsic motivation

The predictability rather than the frequency of CS-US associations appears to be crucial for classical
conditioning. This highlights the importance of ________ in conditioning.

cognitive processes

After repeatedly taking alcohol spiked with a nausea-producing drug, people with alcohol
dependence may fail to develop an aversive reaction to alcohol because they blame their nausea on
the drug. This illustrates the importance of ________ in classical conditioning.

cognitive processes

How does Robert Rescorla’s model for classical conditioning differ from Ivan Pavlov’s?

Rescorla showed that cognition is important in an animal learning that one stimulus reliably predicts another stimulus.

After experiencing inescapable brutalities as a prisoner in a Nazi concentration camp, Mr. Sternberg
became apathetic, stopped eating, and gave up all efforts to physically survive the ordeal. Mr.
Sternberg’s reaction most clearly illustrates

learned helplessness.

Sasha believes that the questions on her biology tests are so unrelated to course work that studying is
useless. Sasha’s belief most clearly illustrates

an external locus of control

Emma believes that she will succeed in business if she works hard and carefully manages her time.
Her belief most clearly illustrates

an internal locus of control

Corbett refuses to take reasonable precautions to protect his health because he believes good health is
just a matter of luck anyway. Corbett’s attitude best illustrates

an external locus of control

Paula expects that diligent study will enable her to earn good grades on her tests. Paula’s belief best
illustrates

an internal locus of control

Learned helplessness is MOST likely to be associated with

self-serving bias

Resisting the temptation to eat chocolate chip cookies led research participants to subsequently give
up sooner than normal on efforts to complete a tedious task. This illustrated that self-control
weakens following

an exertion of energy

In the long run, people who practice self-regulation through physical exercise and time-managed
programs experience an increase in

self-control

The perception that one’s fate is determined by luck reflects

an external locus of control

Laura fails to recognize any connection between her unsafe sexual practices and the likelihood of
contracting a sexually transmitted infection. Laura’s lack of perceptiveness best illustrates the dangers
of

an external locus of control

Julio believes that no matter how hard he works, the "system" is so biased against his ethnic group
that he will be unable to achieve economic success. Julio’s thinking most clearly demonstrates

an external locus of control

The perception that one can strongly influence the outcome and destiny of one’s own life exemplifies

an internal locus of control

Which of the following will most likely occur in people who have developed learned helplessness?

lower morale

Compared with those who made a purchase choice from among 30 different brands of jam or
chocolate, those who chose from among just 6 brands expressed

more satisfaction with their choice

Jeremy wears his baseball cap backward because he noticed his older brother does so. This illustrates
the importance of

modeling

The tendency for children to imitate behaviors seen on television best illustrates the importance of

modeling

Without any explicit training from adults, many 8-year-old children know how to turn the ignition
key to start their parents’ cars. This best illustrates the importance of

observational learning

Rhesus macaque monkeys are more likely to reconcile after a fight if they grow up with forgiving
older macaque monkeys. This best illustrates the impact of

observational learning

Which of the following factors most influences whether we will imitate a model?

if the model is seen on television or in person

Mirror neurons provide a biological basis for

observational learning

Which of the following are most clearly activated both by picking up a spoon and by simply
watching another person pick up a spoon?

mirror neurons

Mirror neurons most clearly provide us with the capacity for

imitation

The reduced imitative yawning displayed by people with autism is most directly related to their
reduced levels of

mirror neuron activity

In a well-known experiment, preschool children pounded and kicked a large inflated Bobo doll that an
adult had just beaten on. This experiment served to illustrate the importance of

observational learning

Bandura’s experiments indicate that ________ is important in the process of learning

modeling

In his classic study, Albert Bandura found that children exposed to an adult model who behaved
aggressively by beating up a Bobo doll

imitated the adult’s actions.

Like European Christians who risked their lives to rescue Jews from the Nazis, civil rights activists
of the 1960s had parents who

modeled a strong moral or humanitarian concern

Mr. Schneider frequently tells his children that it is important to wash their hands before meals, but
he rarely does so himself. Experiments suggest that his children will learn to

preach the virtues of cleanliness but not practice cleanliness

Children of abusive parents often learn to be aggressive by imitating their parents. This illustrates the
importance of

observational learning

The violence-viewing effect is especially pronounced when the observed violence

is committed by children.

A dramatic increase in children’s violent play immediately after they viewed a video of the Power
Rangers illustrates the role of television as a source of

observational learning

. After prolonged exposure to television violence, viewers became more indifferent to violence when
later viewing a brawl, whether on TV or in real life. This finding best illustrates

desensitization