Learning Activity 1 Review questions

Transcription

1 465 Learning Activity 1 1 In your own words, explain trial and error learning. Describe a personal example of the use of trial and error learning in everyday life. 2 a Explain the meaning of the term instrumental learning. b Draw a diagram (for example, a flow chart) that represents the process of instrumental learning. 3 What is the law of effect? 4 Explain the relationship between instrumental learning and the law of effect. 5 What role does trial and error learning play in instrumental learning?

2 6 In Thorndike s puzzle box experiments, what role did the reward (the fish outside the box) serve in the process of learning? 7 What does the graph in figure 13.3 indicate about the way the cats learned to escape from the puzzle-box? 470 Learning Activity 2 1 Explain the meaning of the term operant conditioning. 2 Why did Skinner adopt the term operant conditioning rather than instrumental learning? In your answer, include a definition and an example of an operant, with reference to an example not used in the text. 3 Briefly outline a procedure for an experiment using a Skinner box to a operantly condition a rat to elict a particular response, and b operantly condition a rat not to elicit a particular response.

3 4 In Skinner s opinion, what were the main driving forces behind behaviour? 5 a Identify the independent and dependent variables in Skinner s (1938) experiment with the hungry rat outlined on page 467. b Identify the condition when the IV is present and the condition when it is not present. Can these conditions be called experimental and control conditions respectively? Explain your answer. c Identify the operant responses observed in the rat in this experiment. 474 Learning Activity 3 1 Define the term reinforcement, with reference to an example. 2 Define the terms positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement.

4 3 In what way are positive reinforcers and rewards similar and in what way are they different? 4 a What do positive and negative reinforcers have in common in terms of their consequences? b List some of the positive and negative reinforcers that you have observed in everyday life. c How are positive and negative reinforcers different? 5 What does the term schedule of reinforcement refer to? 6 a Distinguish between continuous and partial reinforcement with reference to a relevant example in a laboratory setting. b Give two examples of continunous and partial reinforcement in everyday life. c Which is more effective in strengthening a response once it has been acquired continuous or partial reinforcement? Explain your answer with reference to research findings.

5 d During which phase of operant conditioning is it most advantageous to use continuous reinforcement? 7 What are some possible effects of a long delay in the presentation of a reinforcer? 8 At what stage of the learning process should a reinforcer be presented to be most effective? Explain your answer. 9 How might the use of an inappropriate reinforcer affect the learning process? 477 Learning Activity 5 1 What is punishment and how is it intended to change behaviour? 2 Distinguish between punishment and negative reinforcement, with reference to: a a relevant example in a laboratory setting.

6 b a relevant example in everyday life. 3 At what stage of the learning process should a reinforcer or punisher be presented to be most effective? 4 What are some possible effects of a long delay in the presentation of a reinforcer or punisher? 5 How might the use of an inappropriate reinforcer or punisher affect the learning process? 486 Learning Activity 10 1 Define each of the following terms in relation to operant conditioning and give an example of their occurrence in (a) a laboratory experiment, and (b) everyday life: acquisition, extinction, spontaneous recovery, stimulus generalisation and stimulus discrimination.

7 2 a Define the term shaping. b Under what circumstances would shaping be used in a learning situation? 3 Which of the following scenarios involve stimulus generalisation? Which involve stimulus discrimination? a Lauren asks Gino out on a date but he declines. Lauren decides that she won t ask another boy out again. b Koula is paid for doing chores around the home and expects to be paid for doing chores at her auntie s place when she stays there. c Jackson is scared of the sound of a lawn-mower but not the sound of an electric toothbrush. d Sam is scared of the sound of his dad s electric drill. When his dad stops using the drill he relaxes. Sam s dad then reaches for the electric saw. As soon as Sam sees this, he is scared and runs inside.

8 4 Mr Ying is a young, handsome Psychology teacher who has just been appointed to a girls college. Unfortunately, his Unit 2 Psychology class are so distracted by his appearance that they find it difficult to focus on their work and on his instructions. There is a lot of giggling, whispering and a general lack of attention. Mr Ying is determined to make a good impression with his classroom control and with his teaching methods. He decides to use detention as a means of pulling the girls behaviour into line. He runs a lunchtime detention session for six girls whose behaviour has been the worst. In the next class, not only do these six girls misbehave, but they are joined at the next detention by four others. This trend continues until it s not long before almost the entire class is on detention. a Which element of operant conditioning is Mr Ying trying to use to change the girls behaviour? b Provide a description of its effectiveness and an explanation as to why this is so. c How could Mr Ying change his strategy with the girls and still use operant conditioning? 5 Maria had enjoyed attending the same P-12 college for 10 years. Quite suddenly this year, her friendship group had drifted away from her and she is now being bullied by some other girls because she has become a loner. After an unsuccessful attempt to solve her problems by speaking with her year-level coordinator, Maria started to take days off school, telling her mother she wasn t feeling well. Her absenteeism increased. Although she was concerned about missing school, she couldn t face the unpleasant actions of those girls. a Which element of operant conditioning explains the increase in Maria s behaviour of deceiving her mother and staying home from school? Explain how this principle worked in Maria s situation. b Which element of operant conditioning describes the consequence of the bullying behaviour for Maria? Explain its effect on Maria s attendance behaviour.