Psychology Test 2 MC

Questions and Answers

Psychologists define learning as the process of?

Responding to external stimuli

Acquiring new information or relatively enduring behaviors (correct)

Adapting to the environment

Reinforcing behavioral response

If a sea slug on repeated occasions receives an electric shock just after being squirted with water, its protective withdrawal response to a squirt of water grows stronger. This best illustrates?

Observational learning

Spontaneous recovery

Operant conditioning

Associative learning (correct)

In classical conditioning a stimulus is any event or situation that?

Evokes a response (correct)

Triggers imitation

Elicits operant behavior

Signals a reinforcer

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 Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following processes accounts for the fact that Natacha currently becomes fearful every time she smells rubbing alcohol?

Classical conditioning Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an unconditioned response?

Sweating in hot weather Signup and view all the answers

In Pavlov's experiments on the salivary conditioning of dogs, the unconditioned stimulus (US) was?

The presentation of food in the dog's mouth Signup and view all the answers

In Pavlov's experiments, the taste of food triggered the dog's salivation. Salivation to the taste of food was a(n)?

Unconditioned response Signup and view all the answers

In classical conditioning, the NS becomes a after it reliably signals the impending occurrence of the .

CS; US Signup and view all the answers

Extinction occurs when a _ is no longer paired with a __.

CS; US Signup and view all the answers

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

Positive reinforcer Signup and view all the answers

Receiving delicious food is to escaping electric shock as _ is to ___.

Positive reinforcer; negative reinforcer Signup and view all the answers

Positive reinforcers ___ the rate of operant responding, and negative reinforcers _ the rate of operant responding.

Increase; decrease Signup and view all the answers

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 __________ reinforcer.

Negative Signup and view all the answers

A fixed-ratio schedule of reinforcement is one in which a response is reinforced only after a(n)?

Specified number of responses have been made Signup and view all the answers

A partial schedule that reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses is a __________ schedule.

Variable-ratio Signup and view all the answers

A partial reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response that occurs after an unpredictable period of time is a ______ schedule.

Variable-interval Signup and view all the answers

Learning that some responses, but not others, will be reinforced is called?

Discrimination Signup and view all the answers

After a week at college, Su-Chuan has formed a mental representation of the layout of the campus and no longer gets lost. Su-Chuan has developed a?

Cognitive map Signup and view all the answers

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

Modeling Signup and view all the answers

Mirror neurons are believed by some scientists to provide a biological basis for?

Observational learning Signup and view all the answers

The persistence of learning over time most clearly depends on?

Memory Signup and view all the answers

When an eyewitness to an auto accident is asked to describe what happened, which measure of memory is being used?

Recall Signup and view all the answers

Which measure of memory is used on a test that requires matching glossary terms with their correct definitions?

Recognition Signup and view all the answers

Storage is to encoding as __ is to .

Retention; acquisition Signup and view all the answers

Conscious rehearsal of what you just heard a friend tell you requires?

Working memory Signup and view all the answers

Explicit memory is also known as?

Declarative memory Signup and view all the answers

A momentary sensory memory of visual stimuli is called ____________ memory.

Iconic Signup and view all the answers

George Miller proposed that about seven information bits constitutes the capacity of ___________ memory.

Short-term Signup and view all the answers

Chunking refers to?

The organization of information into meaningful units Signup and view all the answers

A mnemonic is a?

Memory aid Signup and view all the answers

Damage to the hippocampus would most likely interfere with a person's ability to learn?

The names of newly introduced people Signup and view all the answers

Recall of what you have learned is often improved when your physical surroundings at the time of retrieval and encoding are the same. This best illustrates?

Context-dependent memory Signup and view all the answers

After his last drinking spree, Fakim hid a half-empty liquor bottle. He couldn't remember where he hid it until he started drinking again. Fakim's pattern of recall best illustrates?

State-dependent memory Signup and view all the answers

The tendency to recall the first and last items in a list better than the middle items is known as the _________ effect.

Serial position Signup and view all the answers

An inability to retrieve information learned in the past is called?

Retrograde amnesia Signup and view all the answers

Proactive interference refers to the?

Disruptive effect of prior learning on the recall of new information Signup and view all the answers

The disruptive effect of new learning on the recall of previously learned information is called?

Retroactive interference Signup and view all the answers

When working on an occasional night shift, people often feel groggiest in the middle of the night but experience new energy around the time they normally would wake up. This best illustrates the impact of?

The circadian rhythm Signup and view all the answers

Fast and jerky movements of the eyes are especially likely to be associated with?

REM sleep Signup and view all the answers

The rhythmic bursts of brain activity that occur during NREM-2 sleep are called?

Sleep spindles Signup and view all the answers

The occasional experience of sleep paralysis is most likely as you awaken from?

REM sleep Signup and view all the answers

Forty year old Lance insists that he never dreams. Research suggests that he probably?

Would report a vivid dream if he were awakened during REM sleep Signup and view all the answers

The circadian rhythm is influenced by light-sensitive retinal proteins that trigger signals to the?

Suprachiasmatic nucleus Signup and view all the answers

People who regularly sleep less than normal experience a(n) _ risk of depression and a(n) _ risk of obesity.

Increased; increased Signup and view all the answers

Narcolepsy is a disorder in which a person?

Experiences uncontrollable attacks of overwhelming sleepiness Signup and view all the answers

In which of the following disorders does the person repeatedly stop breathing while asleep?

Sleep apnea Signup and view all the answers

The need to take larger and larger doses of a drug in order to experience its effects is an indication of?

Tolerance Signup and view all the answers

Compulsive craving for and use of a drug is an indication of?

Addiction Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Learning and Conditioning

Learning is defined as acquiring new information or relatively enduring behaviors.
Associative learning occurs when an organism connects certain events in their environment, exemplified by the sea slug's strengthened withdrawal response after receiving electric shocks post-water squirts.
In classical conditioning, neutral stimuli can evoke a response when paired reliably with unconditional stimuli, triggering learned behaviors.

Memory and Recall

Unconditioned responses are automatic responses to stimuli, such as sweating in hot weather.
Explicit memory is often called declarative memory and is accessed through conscious recall.
Memory recall is enhanced when environmental context matches the conditions during encoding.
The serial position effect illustrates that individuals recall the first and last items in a list better than those in the middle.

Reinforcement Schedules

Positive reinforcers increase the likelihood of a behavior, while negative reinforcers do so by removing adverse stimuli.
Fixed-ratio schedules reinforce behaviors after a specified number of responses, while variable-ratio schedules provide reinforcement after unpredictable responses.

Sleep and Circadian Rhythms

Circadian rhythms regulate sleep patterns, influenced by light-sensitive retinal proteins signaling the suprachiasmatic nucleus.
REM sleep is characterized by fast, jerky eye movements and vivid dreaming, crucial for emotional regulation.
Disorders such as narcolepsy involve uncontrollable sleep attacks, while sleep apnea involves repeated cessation of breathing during sleep.

Drug Dependency

Tolerance develops when increasing doses of a drug are required to achieve the same effects, indicating physiological adaptations.
Addiction is characterized by a compulsive craving for and use of a substance, deeply impacting behavior and bodily functions.

Neural Mechanisms of Learning

Mirror neurons are linked to observational learning; they configure understanding by mimicking observed behaviors.
Cognitive mapping allows individuals to visualize spatial relationships, aiding navigation through environments, like a college campus layout.

Memory Processing

Chunking organizes information into meaningful units, improving short-term memory retention.
The hippocampus plays a vital role in forming new memories; damage to this area can hinder the recollection of newly acquired information.

Interference in Memory

Proactive interference occurs when prior learning disrupts recall of new information, while retroactive interference affects memory of previously learned information due to new learning.
State-dependent memory suggests that retrieval is easier when a person is in the same state as when the memory was formed.

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Test your knowledge with these flashcards focusing on key concepts in psychology related to learning and behavior. Understand how learning can be defined and its implications through various examples, including classical conditioning. Perfect for psychology students looking to review essential terms and definitions.