All AP Psychology Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #39 : Operant Conditioning
Which of the following statements is most accurate regarding the reinforcement-as-activity approach (i.e. the Premack principle)?
Higher-probability activities reinforce lower-probability activities
Children’s preferences for reinforcement activities tend to be consistent and universal
Lower-probability activities reinforce higher-probability activities
Reinforcement only occurs when existing activities and desired behaviors are relatively equal in probability
Higher-probability activities reinforce lower-probability activities
When using the Premack principle, it is important to consider activities that are highly preferred by the individual. What is the child’s favorite thing to do? Play video games, or play basketball? Whichever behavior is preferred tends to have a higher probability of occurring naturally and that activity would be used as reinforcement for a less-preferred (i.e. lower-probability) activity like cleaning up one’s bedroom.
Example Question #40 : Operant Conditioning
An annoying beeping noise is playing in a rat's cage. When it presses a lever, the noise goes away. Eventually, the rat begins pressing the lever often, even when the beeping is not playing. This is an example of which of the following aspects of operant conditioning?
Positive reinforcement
Punishment
Extinction
Chaining
Negative reinforcement
Negative reinforcement
Negative reinforcement increases the likelihood of a behavior, such as pressing a lever, by removing an aversive—unpleasant—stimulus (e.g. the annoying beep) when that behavior occurs. Using the current example, positive reinforcement would be a food pellet appearing when the lever was pressed. Negative reinforcement is often confused with punishment, but punishment decreases the likelihood of some behavior. It is important to note that both positive and negative reinforcement increase the likelihood of that behavior.
Example Question #41 : Operant Conditioning
Whereas operant conditioning primarily involves voluntary, spontaneous responses, ______________ involves mostly involuntary reflexes and visceral responses.
None of the above
Modeling
Classical conditioning
Observational learning
Classical conditioning
Classical conditioning usually involves involuntary reflexes or visceral responses (think about the salivation of Pavlov's dogs). Observational learning such as modeling involves voluntary responses (e.g., a child mimicking a parent's gestures).
Example Question #41 : Operant Conditioning
You get in your car and start backing out of the driveway. Upon moving, the car starts to beep, signaling that you have not buckled your seat belt. The sound is so annoying that you quickly buckle your seat belt in an attempt to make the beeping stop. The beeping is an example of which of the following?
Continuous reinforcement
Negative punishment
Positive punishment
Positive reinforcement
Negative reinforcement
Negative reinforcement
The beeping is considered to be negative reinforcement. Negative reinforcement is the type of reinforcement that occurs when an unpleasant stimuli is removed upon performing a behavior. Reinforcement always increases a behavior. In this case, the unpleasant stimulus is the car beeping and the behavior is buckling the seat belt. Positive reinforcement, on the other hand, is the application of a reward upon performing a behavior. Again, reinforcement (either positive or negative) always increases behavior. Both negative and positive punishments decrease behavior. Negative punishment is taking away something good upon performing a behavior (e.g. getting TV taken away due to a bad test grade). Positive punishment is the application of an unpleasant punishment upon performing a behavior (e.g. speeding on the freeway will result in a ticket).
Example Question #42 : Operant Conditioning
Sandy is an aspiring singer. Even though she loves to sing, she also experiences severe stage fright before and during a performance. Sometimes when she is feeling so overwhelmed or nervous before a performance, she will decide to cancel the show because of her anxiety. Lately, even when she sees a stage or a microphone, she begins to feel panicked and notices her breathing and heart rate increase.
Sandy's actions (i.e. canceling a show when she is feeling anxious) relieve an uncomfortable feeling; therefore, they are considered to be which of the following types of behaviors.
Positively punished
Positively reinforced
Negatively reinforced
Negatively punished
Negatively reinforced
Behavior can be shaped through operant conditioning through the use of rewards and punishments. "Negative reinforcement "occurs when you remove or relieve a negative feeling. In this case, Sandy's behavior of canceling the show is being negatively reinforced because it removes the feelings of anxiety.
Example Question #41 : Operant Conditioning
A researcher is testing learning on rats. He decided to reward rats with a piece of food for pressing a lever. Once the rats learned the association between the lever and reward, the researcher decided that he wants to maximize the number of lever presses and give out the least number of food pieces. In order to achieve this, what type of reinforcement schedule should the researcher use?
Ratio reinforcement
Negative reinforcement
Positive reinforcement
Interval reinforcement
Ratio reinforcement
Reinforcement schedules can be fixed or variable and ratio or interval. In general, "ratio reinforcement" schedules are most resistant to extinction compared to interval schedules. On the other hand, "negative reinforcement" and "positive reinforcement" are not reinforcement schedules.
Example Question #692 : Ap Psychology
A slot machine uses which type of reinforcement schedule?
Fixed-ratio
Variable-interval
Variable-ratio
Fixed-interval
Variable-ratio
A "variable-ratio" reinforcement schedule delivers a reinforcer after a variable number of non-reinforced responses. In the same way, slot machines give a reinforcement (i.e. winning) after a variable number of losses. This type of reinforcement schedule elicits a higher resistance to extinction with high steady rates of responding making it very lucrative for the casino industry.
Example Question #691 : Ap Psychology
During an operant conditioning experiment, a researcher provides a rat with a shock every time that the rat demonstrates a particular behavior. This type of operant conditioning is referred to as which of the following?
Negative reinforcement
Negative punishment
Positive punishment
Positive reinforcement
Positive punishment
"Positive punishment" occurs when a stimulus (e.g. shock) is provided and weakens a response. "Negative punishment" occurs when a stimulus (often a pleasant one) is removed and this weakens a response. "Positive reinforcement" is when a stimulus (often a pleasant one) is provided and strengthens a response. Last, "negative reinforcement" occurs when a stimulus (often an unpleasant one) is removed and this strengthens a response.
Example Question #42 : Operant Conditioning
During an operant conditioning experiment, a researcher provides a rat with a sugar pellet every time that the rat demonstrates a particular behavior. This type of operant conditioning is referred to as which of the following?
Positive punishment
Negative punishment
Negative reinforcement
Positive reinforcement
Positive reinforcement
"Positive reinforcement" is when a stimulus (e.g. sugar pellet) is provided that strengthens a response. "Negative reinforcement" occurs when a stimulus (often an unpleasant one) is removed and this strengthens a response. "Positive punishment occurs" when a stimulus (often an unpleasant one) is provided and this weakens a response. Last, "negative punishment" occurs when a stimulus (often a pleasant one) is removed and this weakens a response.
Example Question #44 : Operant Conditioning
Marc goes to his job and performs his duties assigned to him. He receives his paycheck every two weeks. In terms of his paycheck, which of the following schedules describes the reinforcement schedule of Marc's job experience?
Variable-ratio
Variable-shaping
Fixed-ratio
Fixed-interval
Variable-interval
Fixed-interval
Marc is on a "fixed-interval" reinforcement schedule. This is because he is reinforced after a certain fixed amount of time has gone by. It is not "fixed-ratio," because it does not depend on his behaviors emitted. It also is not "variable-interval," because there is no varying time in between his reinforcement: it's every two weeks. It is not "variable-ratio" because he is not being reinforced for a certain amount of behaviors and the time does not vary in between reinforcement (i.e. paycheck delivery). Last,"variable-shaping" is not a real reinforcement schedule.
Certified Tutor