Chapter 3 Basic Principles Of Classical Conditioning
1. In classical conditioning, the stimulus that initially elicits no response is the
a. CS
b. CR
c. US
d. UR
Answer: a
Rationale:
In classical conditioning, the neutral stimulus that initially does not produce any response but
becomes associated with the unconditioned stimulus (US) to elicit a conditioned response
(CR) is termed the conditioned stimulus (CS). Therefore, option (a) is correct.
2. In salivary conditioning, salivation is
a. the unconditioned response
b. the conditioned response
c. both a and b
d. neither a nor b
Answer: c
Rationale:
In salivary conditioning, salivation naturally occurs in response to the presentation of food
(unconditioned stimulus, US), making it the unconditioned response (UR). However, through
conditioning, salivation can also occur in response to a neutral stimulus (conditioned
stimulus, CS). Hence, salivation can be both the unconditioned response (a) and the
conditioned response (b), making option (c) correct.
3. In a conditioned suppression procedure, the indication that a subject has associated CS and
US is
a. an increase in responding when the CS comes on
b. a decrease in responding when the CS comes on
c. an increase in responding when the US comes on
d. a decrease in responding when the US comes on
Answer: b
Rationale:
In conditioned suppression, the indication of association between the conditioned stimulus
(CS) and unconditioned stimulus (US) is a decrease in responding when the CS is presented.
This decrease reflects the suppression of the ongoing behavior due to the anticipation of the
aversive US, demonstrating the learned association between CS and US.
4. To measure the amount of conditioning in the conditioned suppression procedure, the rat's
response rate in the presence of the CS is compared to
a. the rat's response rate just before the CS is presented
b. the rat's response rate in the presence of the US
c. the rat's response rate just after the CS is presented
d. the response rate of a control subject that is not presented with the CS
Answer: a
Rationale:
In conditioned suppression, the amount of conditioning is typically measured by comparing
the subject's response rate in the presence of the conditioned stimulus (CS) to its response
rate just before the CS is presented. This allows researchers to assess the degree to which the
behavior is suppressed upon presentation of the CS.
5. In eyeblink conditioning, a puff of air to the eye is the
a. CS
b. CR
c. US
d. UR
Answer: c
Rationale:
In eyeblink conditioning, a puff of air to the eye serves as the unconditioned stimulus (US)
because it naturally elicits the unconditioned response (UR) of blinking. Therefore, option (c)
is correct.
6. In taste-aversion learning, a novel taste is often used as the
a. CS
b. CR
c. US
d. UR
Answer: a
Rationale:
In taste-aversion learning, a novel taste serves as the neutral stimulus initially and becomes
associated with the unconditioned stimulus (e.g., illness) to elicit a conditioned response.
Thus, the novel taste is the conditioned stimulus (CS), as indicated in option (a).
7. Classical conditioning using the skin conductance response is usually done with
a. rabbits
b. rats
c. monkeys
d. humans
Answer: d
Rationale:
Classical conditioning using the skin conductance response is typically conducted with
human participants. Skin conductance is a physiological measure of arousal and emotional
response commonly used in human studies, making option (d) correct.
8. A problem with stimulus substitution theory is that
a. the CR sometimes has components that the UR does not
b. the UR sometimes has components that the CR does not
c. both a and b
d. neither a nor b
Answer: c
Rationale:
Stimulus substitution theory suggests that the conditioned response (CR) is essentially a
substitute for the unconditioned response (UR), implying that they should be identical.
However, empirical evidence shows that the CR sometimes includes components that the UR
does not (option a) and vice versa (option b), indicating limitations to the theory.
9. In salivary conditioning, dogs will often orient toward the CS. This phenomenon is
a. evidence against a strict interpretation of stimulus substitution theory
b. evidence supporting a strict interpretation of stimulus substitution theory
c. only observed after many conditioning trials
d. evidence for S-S associations
Answer: a
Rationale:
The tendency of dogs to orient toward the conditioned stimulus (CS) in salivary conditioning
suggests that the association between CS and US is not merely a substitution of stimuli. This
behavior provides evidence against a strict interpretation of stimulus substitution theory
(option a).
10. Experiments on US devaluation and US revaluation suggest that _____ associations are
formed in typical classical conditioning with a CS and US.
a. context-US
b. context-CS
c. S-S
d. S-R
Answer: c
Rationale:
Experiments involving US devaluation and revaluation demonstrate that classical
conditioning typically involves associations between the conditioned stimulus (CS) and
unconditioned stimulus (US) (option c), rather than associations with contextual cues or
direct stimulus-response mappings. Therefore, option c is correct.
11. In classical conditioning, the intensity of the US affects
a. the rate of acquisition
b. the asymptote of conditioning
c. both a and b
d. neither a nor b
Answer: c
Rationale:
The intensity of the Unconditioned Stimulus (US) affects both the rate at which the
Conditioned Response (CR) is acquired and the asymptote or maximum level of conditioning
that can be reached. Higher intensity USs typically lead to faster acquisition and higher
asymptotes.
12. The phenomenon of disinhibition provides one type of evidence that
a. the intensity of the US affects the rate of conditioning
b. extinction does not result in the complete elimination of a conditioned response
c. conditioned responses often generalize to similar stimuli
d. the temporal relationship between CS and US is important
Answer: b
Rationale:
Disinhibition refers to the sudden recovery of a previously extinguished response if a novel
stimulus is presented shortly before the conditioned stimulus (CS). This phenomenon
suggests that extinction does not completely eliminate the conditioned response, supporting
option b.
13. Pavlov's theory of spontaneous recovery includes the assumption that newly learned
associations
a. are more durable than older associations
b. are more fragile than older associations
c. replace older associations
d. none of the above
Answer: b
Rationale:
Pavlov's theory of spontaneous recovery suggests that newly learned associations are more
fragile than older associations. This fragility implies that the extinguished response can
reappear temporarily with the presentation of the conditioned stimulus after a period of rest.
14. If a novel stimulus is presented shortly before the occurrence of a CS that has just
undergone extinction, the CR is likely to reappear. This phenomenon is known as
a. spontaneous recovery
b. external inhibition
c. disinhibition
d. summation
Answer: c
Rationale:
Disinhibition is the reappearance of an extinguished response when a novel stimulus is
presented shortly before the conditioned stimulus (CS). This phenomenon suggests that the
inhibitory effects of extinction are temporarily disrupted by the novel stimulus.
15. If a person develops a taste aversion to shellfish because she got ill after eating some. If
she also shows an aversion to other seafood, this is
a. generalization
b. discrimination
c. spontaneous recovery
d. conditioned inhibition
Answer: a
Rationale:
Generalization occurs when a conditioned response (CR) spreads to stimuli similar to the
conditioned stimulus (CS). In this case, the person's aversion to other seafood demonstrates
generalization from shellfish to similar food items.
16. The retardation test is one method for demonstrating that a stimulus
a. is a CS+
b. is a CS-
c. is a US
d. is a compound CS
Answer: b
Rationale:
The retardation test involves assessing whether a stimulus that was previously paired with the
absence of an unconditioned stimulus (US) becomes a conditioned inhibitor. If the stimulus
shows a retardation in acquiring excitatory properties, it indicates that it has become a
conditioned inhibitor, supporting option b.
17. The amount of excitatory conditioning is greatest in
a. simultaneous conditioning
b. short delay conditioning
c. long delay conditioning
d. backward conditioning
Answer: b
Rationale:
Short delay conditioning involves presenting the conditioned stimulus (CS) just before or at
the same time as the unconditioned stimulus (US). This timing allows for the strongest
association between the CS and the US, leading to the greatest amount of excitatory
conditioning.
18. Inhibitory conditioning is most likely to result from
a. simultaneous conditioning
b. short delay conditioning
c. long delay conditioning
d. backward conditioning
Answer: d
Rationale:
Inhibitory conditioning is most likely to result from backward conditioning, where the
conditioned stimulus (CS) is presented after the unconditioned stimulus (US). This temporal
relationship often leads to the formation of inhibitory associations between the CS and the
absence of the US.
19. The Associationists' principle of contiguity has trouble explaining the comparison
between
a. short delay conditioning and long delay conditioning
b. short delay conditioning and simultaneous conditioning
c. both a and b
d. neither a nor b
Answer: b
Rationale:
The principle of contiguity suggests that the strength of association between stimuli depends
on their temporal contiguity. However, it is challenging to explain why short delay
conditioning, where the CS precedes the US by a short interval, often leads to stronger
conditioning than simultaneous conditioning, where the CS and US are presented together.
20. If the probability of a shock in a conditioned suppression procedure is 20% in the
presence of a tone and 40% in the absence of the tone, the tone will probably
a. remain neutral
b. undergo habituation
c. become a CS+
d. become a CSAnswer: d
Rationale:
In conditioned suppression procedures, stimuli associated with the absence of an aversive
event (US) become conditioned inhibitors. Since the probability of the aversive event is
higher in the absence of the tone, the tone is likely to become a conditioned inhibitor (CS-)
that signals safety.
21. If some pictures are paired with positive adjectives and other pictures of faces with
negative adjectives, a person may start to like the first set of faces and dislike the second.
This is an example of
a. generalization
b. rapid reacquisition
c. evaluative conditioning
d. disinhibition
Answer: c
Rationale:
Evaluative conditioning refers to the process by which the pairing of a neutral stimulus (in
this case, pictures of faces) with a positive or negative stimulus (positive or negative
adjectives) leads to a change in the person's evaluation or attitude toward the neutral stimulus.
In this scenario, the positive adjectives paired with one set of pictures lead to liking, while
negative adjectives paired with another set of pictures lead to disliking, demonstrating
evaluative conditioning.
22. Taste aversions are
a. not long lasting
b. formed only after many CS-US pairings
c. not limited to poisonous foods
d. both b and c but not a
Answer: c
Rationale:
Taste aversions are learned associations between the taste of a food and illness. They are
evolutionary adaptations meant to protect organisms from consuming potentially harmful
substances. Taste aversions can form after just one pairing of a taste (CS) with illness (US),
and they are not limited to foods that are inherently poisonous but can also include foods that
cause illness due to contamination or other factors.
23. Suppose a child is knocked down by a large dog and develops a fear of the dog. Later the
child frequently sees this dog in front of a neighbor’s house, and develops a fear of the
neighbor’s house. This example illustrates
a. second-order conditioning
b. generalization
c. discrimination
d. spontaneous recovery
Answer: d
Rationale:
Spontaneous recovery refers to the reappearance of a conditioned response (in this case, fear)
after a period of extinction (the fear diminishes due to repeated exposure to the conditioned
stimulus without the unconditioned stimulus). In the scenario described, the fear of the dog
diminishes but then reappears when the child sees the neighbor's house, indicating
spontaneous recovery.
24. Studies on classical conditioning of the immune system have shown that
a. a neutral stimulus can become a CS that weakens immune system activity
b. a neutral stimulus can become a CS that strengthens immune system activity
c. presentation of a CS can increase the activity of natural killer cells
d. all of the above
Answer: d
Rationale:
Classical conditioning of the immune system involves pairing a neutral stimulus (such as a
drug or an injection) with the activation or suppression of the immune response. Studies have
demonstrated that neutral stimuli can become conditioned stimuli that either weaken or
strengthen immune system activity, and presentation of a conditioned stimulus can indeed
influence immune responses, including the activity of natural killer cells.
25. Of the following, which is usually not involved when systematic desensitization is used to
treat a phobia?
a. an emetic
b. progressive relaxation
c. fear hierarchy
d. imagination
Answer: a
Rationale:
Systematic desensitization is a therapy technique used to treat phobias and anxiety disorders.
It involves creating a fear hierarchy, teaching progressive relaxation techniques, and
engaging in imaginal exposure to feared stimuli. An emetic, which induces vomiting, is not
typically involved in systematic desensitization therapy.
26. In aversive counterconditioning treatment for alcoholism, the taste of alcohol is
a. the US
b. the CS
c. both a and b
d. neither a nor b
Answer: b
Rationale:
In aversive counterconditioning, the goal is to associate the undesirable behavior (such as
drinking alcohol) with an aversive stimulus to decrease the likelihood of the behavior
occurring. In this case, the taste of alcohol serves as the conditioned stimulus (CS) that is
paired with an aversive stimulus (e.g., nausea-inducing medication), making the taste of
alcohol aversive and reducing the desire to drink.
27. Aversive counterconditioning has been used to treat all of the following except
a. smoking
b. nocturnal enuresis
c. sexual deviations
d. alcoholism
Answer: b
Rationale:
Aversive counterconditioning involves pairing an undesirable behavior with an aversive
stimulus to reduce the occurrence of that behavior. It has been used effectively to treat
various behaviors, including smoking, alcoholism, and sexual deviations. However, it is not
typically used to treat nocturnal enuresis (bedwetting), which is more commonly addressed
through other behavioral interventions.
28. In the classical conditioning treatment of nocturnal enuresis, the sound of the buzzer or
alarm is
a. the US
b. the CS
c. the UR
d. the CR
Answer: a
Rationale:
In the classical conditioning treatment of nocturnal enuresis (bedwetting), a conditioning
procedure known as the bell-and-pad method is often used. In this method, a buzzer or alarm
serves as the unconditioned stimulus (US) that is paired with the sensation of a full bladder
during sleep. Over time, the child learns to associate the sensation of a full bladder
(conditioned stimulus, CS) with waking up to use the bathroom, leading to a reduction in
bedwetting.
Test Bank for Learning and Behavior
James E. Mazur
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