Chapter 6- Practice Questions
PART I – CHOOSE THE BEST ANSWER POSSIBLE.
1.
Kim had a bad habit of picking other people’s flowers. One day she sneaked into a yard where some big beautiful flowers
were growing. As she was going to pick the flowers, a bee got in the palm of her hand and stung her. Never again did she
steal flowers. Why not?
A. positive reinforcement
B. negative reinforcement
C. punishment type 1
D. punishment type 2
E. extinction
2.
Ann’s son would spin around in the swivel rocker every time he sat in it. She set up a rule that any time he spun around in
the rocker, he was not allowed to sit on any furniture for a day. After a few weeks he rarely spun around in the chair. Why
not?
A. positive reinforcement
B. negative reinforcement
C. punishment type 1
D. punishment type 2
E. extinction
3.
Sue hates it if her hair is dry with split ends. So she conditions her hair every day to avoid getting dry hair. Why does she
condition daily?
A. positive reinforcement
B. negative reinforcement
C. punishment type 1
D. punishment type 2
E. extinction
4.
David a waiter, reports that when he gets a good tip for providing good service, he increases his level of service for the test of
the tables for that shift. What accounts for David’s increase in service?
A. positive reinforcement
B. negative reinforcement
C. punishment type 1
D. punishment type 2
E. extinction
5.
When Myra’s daughter started crawling, Myra started popping her hand softly when she would touch any antique or ceramic
around the house. Eventually she stopped touching the valuables. Why?
A. positive reinforcement
B. negative reinforcement
C. punishment type 1
D. punishment type 2
E. extinction
Angie hates noise. When she sits down to study, her whole family cooperates in keeping down the noise. They turn off the
T.V. and radios and they play quietly outside. Angie has found herself studying more and more. Why?
A. positive reinforcement
B. negative reinforcement
C. punishment type 1
D. punishment type 2
E. extinction
6.
7.
Sue’s daughter takes her little green blanket with her everywhere. If she misbehaves at the mall or anywhere outside the
house, Sue takes her blanket away from her for awhile. Sue’s daughter now rarely misbehaves. Why?
A. positive reinforcement
B. negative reinforcement
C. punishment type 1
D. punishment type 2
E. extinction
8.
Davy (5 year old) often was so anxious to get out and play that he often would not go to the restroom before going to play
even though his mother reminded him to go. One day when he went out to play without using the restroom first, he wet his
pants while he was out playing and he was so embarrassed as the other children teased him and called him a baby. After that
he would always go to the restroom before going out to play.
A. positive reinforcement
B. negative reinforcement
C. punishment type 1
D. punishment type 2
E. extinction
9.
Tim (16 years old) had a habit of talking back to his parents. Whenever he did this, his parents took his car keys away for a
day. Now Tim rarely talks back to his parents. Why?
A. positive reinforcement
B. negative reinforcement
C. punishment type 1
D. punishment type 2
E. extinction
10. At Lisa’s cousin’s school, children are given fun coupons at the end of the six weeks if they made the honor roll. Since they
started this, Lisa cousin works very hard to make the honor roll each time. What contingency explains Lisa’s cousin’s hard
work?
A. positive reinforcement
B. negative reinforcement
C. punishment type 1
D. punishment type 2
E. extinction
11. When Sara was in high school, her coach would make anyone who was late run up and down the bleachers. Sara was always
very careful to arrive on time. What contingency explains why Sara arrives on time so much?
A. positive reinforcement
B. negative reinforcement
C. punishment type 1
D. punishment type 2
E. extinction
12. One day while driving Margaret had her window rolled down and a swarm of bees got in her car. After that she always
would keep her windows rolled up. Why?
A. positive reinforcement
B. negative reinforcement
C. punishment type 1
D. punishment type 2
E. extinction
13. When Cathy’s cat would run through the house knocking things over. Cathy would yell at the cat, but the cat kept running
through the house more and more. So Cathy decided that she would not yell or respond at all when the cat ran through the
house. After awhile, the cat stopped running through the house. Why?
A. positive reinforcement
B. negative reinforcement
C. punishment type 1
D. punishment type 2
E. extinction
14. Bob’s wife used to leave her shoes wherever she took them off in the house. On the few times that she took her into the
bedroom after taking them off, Bob made a comment thanking her for picking up the shoes. Soon she started putting the
shoes in her room more and more when she removed them. Why?
A. positive reinforcement
B. negative reinforcement
C. punishment type 1
D. punishment type 2
E. extinction
15. Allen takes medicine for a heart disorder on a daily basis. If he doesn’t take the medicine he has coronary spasms which are
very painful and life threatening. Why does Allen take his medicine regularly?
A. positive reinforcement
B. negative reinforcement
C. punishment type 1
D. punishment type 2
E. extinction
16. Mary’s twin girls, Chris and Caitlin, often play together. Chris was constantly taking toys away from Caitlin. Soon Caitlin
started pulling her sister’s hair every time Chris took something away from her. Eventually Chris stopped taking toys away
from Caitlin. Why?
A. positive reinforcement
B. negative reinforcement
C. punishment type 1
D. punishment type 2
E. extinction
17. Kay found that she wasn’t keeping her house as clean as she wanted to. She noticed that she looked forward each day to
getting the mail when it came around 11am because exciting things came in the mail like letters from friends, refund checks
for her coupons, and catalogs and magazines that she liked to read. So she set up a rule that she couldn’t go get the mail until
the kitchen was cleaned up. Soon she was cleaning the kitchen first thing in the morning, quickly and easily. Why?
A. positive reinforcement
B. negative reinforcement
C. punishment type 1
D. punishment type 2
E. extinction
18. When Kay’s husband retired he decided to reorganize the housekeeping chores. He suggested that whoever cooks the meal
should also clean the kitchen, thinking that this would cause Kay to be less messy when she cooked. But what happened was
that Kay cooked fewer and fewer meals. Why?
A. positive reinforcement
B. negative reinforcement
C. punishment type 1
D. punishment type 2
E. extinction
19. When Nancy’s son started crawling, she would boldly say “NO” every time he would go near an electrical outlet.
Eventually, her son stopped going near electrical outlets at all. Why?
A. positive reinforcement
B. negative reinforcement
C. punishment type 1
D. punishment type 2
E. extinction
20. One early spring morning, Mary left her front door wide open to get fresh air into the house. Incidentally, a stray dog
wandered into Mary’s house and bit her. Now, Mary always keeps her front door closed. Why?
A. positive reinforcement
B. negative reinforcement
C. punishment type 1
D. punishment type 2
E. extinction
21. In the past, Sarah’s husband would throw his overcoat on the back of the couch each time he took it off. Sarah found this to
be extremely annoying. On the few occasions that her husband would hang his overcoat in the closet, Sarah would make him
his favorite dinner. Soon Sarah’s husband started hanging his coat in the closet more and more. Why?
A. positive reinforcement
B. negative reinforcement
C. punishment type 1
D. punishment type 2
E. extinction
22. Jane always wakes up late in the mornings. She usually rushes and forgets to make her bed. When she does find the time to
make her bed, she treats herself by watching her favorite television show that evening. Jane makes her bed more often these
days. Why?
A. positive reinforcement
B. negative reinforcement
C. punishment type 1
D. punishment type 2
E. extinction
23. Lynn’s husband Kyle watches sports on the television continually. Lynn is disgusted with the amount of sports that Kyle
watches. Every time she catches Kyle watching a sports program, she does not cook dinner that night. Kyle has not been
watching as many sports. Why?
A. positive reinforcement
B. negative reinforcement
C. punishment type 1
D. punishment type 2
E. extinction
PART 2 – CHOOSE THE BEST ANSWER POSSIBLE.
24. When you smell the aroma of ham cooking, the odor is a(n)
a. response
b. organismic variable
c. stimulus
d. dependent variable
e. independent variable
25. In classical conditioning, responses are said to be _____ by the stimulus.
a. elicited
b. initiated by
c. emitted by
d. voluntarily elicited from
26. In order for classical conditioning to be demonstrated, it must be shown that
a. food presentations are involved
b. a previously neutral stimulus is now eliciting a response
c. the unconditioned stimulus elicits more responding
d. the conditioned response is different from the unconditioned response
27. Babies who are fed will start sucking as soon as they see the bottle, but only after experience with the bottle. Before the baby
has been bottle fed, the bottle is the
a. US
b. UR
c. CR
d. CS
e. NS
28. In the above example, salivating and sucking in response to the bottle is the
a. US
b. UR
c. CR
d. CS
e. NS
29. In the above example, after the baby has been bottle fed for a while, the bottle is the
a. UR
b. US
c. CR
d. CS
e. NS
30. In order to cry during a particular scene, an actress originally held a handkerchief soaked in onion juice close to her nose.
Now just the sight of the handkerchief brings tears to the eyes of the actress. The onion juice is a(n)_____ for crying.
a. CR
b. UR
c. US
d. CS
e. NS
31. In the above example, crying in response to the onion is the
a. CR
b. UR
c. US
d. CS
e. NS
32. Two months ago you were shopping in your local Stop ‘N’ Go when it was robbed at gunpoint. Now just the sight of the
store makes you feel afraid and you will no longer shop at any Stop ‘N” Go. The events of the robbery were the
a. CR
b. UR
c. US
d. CS
e. NS
33. In the above example, the sight of the Stop ‘N’ Go before the robbery took place, is the
a. CR
b. UR
c. US
d. CS
e. NS
34. In the above example, the fear you felt when the store was being robbed is the
a. CR
b. UR
c. US
d. CS
e. NS
35. Johnny is tormented in the schoolyard every day by a bully with bright red frizzy hair. One day, Johnny’s father brought his
boss, Mr. Dale, home. The boss had bright red frizzy hair, and Johnny ran to his room, crying. Mr. Dale’s hair functioned as
a ___and Johnny’s fear was a ______.
a. US; CR
b. US; UR
c. CS; CR
d. CR; CS
36. You are walking along and suddenly startled by the loud sound of a truck backfiring. Your startle response is the ______,
and the sound of the backfire is the______.
a. UR; US
b. CS; US
c. CR; CS
d. CR; UR
37. Little Tammy is frightened by thunder and cries when she hears it. During a season of frequent electrical storms, thunder is
always preceded by lightning. Now Tammy cries as soon as she sees lightning. In the example, the conditioned response is:
a. thunder
b. lightning
c. crying at the sound of thunder
d. crying at the sight of lightning
38. Betty’s mother always puts special napkins on the table when she serves fried chicken, Betty’s favorite food. Now Betty
begins to salivate as soon as she sees the special napkins on the table. The unconditioned stimulus in this situation is:
a. the special napkins
b. Betty’s mother
c. The fried chicken
d. Salivation
39. Two-year-old Rick was playing with a balloon when it burst and made an extremely loud noise, causing him to cry. Now,
whenever Rick sees a balloon, he becomes frightened. In this situation, crying at the loud noise is the:
a. CR
b. UR
c. CS
d. US
e. NS
40. John B. Watson conducted a famous experiment where he took an 11-month-old baby who liked playing with white, fuzzy
mice. And through the process of classical conditioning, caused the baby to become afraid of all white, fuzzy objects. What
is the CS in the original experiment?
a.
the loud clanging sound
b.
the sight of the white rat after being paired with the loud noise
c.
fear in response to the loud clanging sound
d.
fear in response to the sight of the rat
e.
the sight of the white rat before being paired with the loud noise
ANSWER KEY
PART 1
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
C
D
B
A
C
B
D
B
D
A
B
B
E
A
B
C
A
C
C
B
A
A
D
PART 2
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
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32.
33.
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35.
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40.
C
A
B
E
C
D
C
B
C
E
B
C
A
D
C
B
B