AP Psychology : Learning

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Psychology

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Example Questions

Example Question #31 : Classical Conditioning

A bell is rung each time a dog is given a steak. Soon, the dog salivates at the sound of the bell even when the steak is not presented. What is the unconditioned stimulus in this scenario?

Possible Answers:

The bell

The dog salivating in response to the steak

The dog

The steak

The dog salivating at the sound of the bell

Correct answer:

The steak

Explanation:

In classical conditioning, the steak is the unconditioned stimulus in this scenario. The unconditioned stimulus is the object that naturally provokes the unconditioned response (e.g. salivation to steak) without any sort of training or pairing. The unconditioned stimulus (e.g. steak) is then paired with the conditioned stimulus (e.g. the bell), which is what the experimenter wants the subject to associate the unconditioned stimulus with. Once the subject associates the conditioned stimulus with the unconditioned stimulus enough, they start to have a conditioned response (e.g. salivation to bell alone).

Example Question #32 : Classical Conditioning

A bell is rung each time a dog is given a steak. Soon, the dog salivates at the sound of the bell even when the steak is not presented. What is the conditioned stimulus in this scenario?

Possible Answers:

The bell

The steak

The dog

The dog salivating at the sound of the bell

The dog salivating in response to the steak

Correct answer:

The bell

Explanation:

In classical conditioning, the steak is the unconditioned stimulus in this scenario. The unconditioned stimulus is the object that naturally provokes the unconditioned response (e.g. salivation to steak) without any sort of training or pairing. The unconditioned stimulus (e.g. steak) is then paired with the conditioned stimulus (e.g. the bell), which is what the experimenter wants the subject to associate the unconditioned stimulus with. Once the subject associates the conditioned stimulus with the unconditioned stimulus enough, they start to have a conditioned response (e.g. salivation to bell alone).

Example Question #32 : Classical Conditioning

A bell is rung each time a dog is given a steak. Soon, the dog salivates at the sound of the bell even when the steak is not presented. What is the unconditioned response in this scenario?

Possible Answers:

The dog salivating in response to the steak

The bell

The dog salivating at the sound of the bell

The dog

The steak

Correct answer:

The dog salivating in response to the steak

Explanation:

In classical conditioning, the steak is the unconditioned stimulus in this scenario. The unconditioned stimulus is the object that naturally provokes the unconditioned response (e.g. salivation to steak) without any sort of training or pairing. The unconditioned stimulus (e.g. steak) is then paired with the conditioned stimulus (e.g. the bell), which is what the experimenter wants the subject to associate the unconditioned stimulus with. Once the subject associates the conditioned stimulus with the unconditioned stimulus enough, they start to have a conditioned response (e.g. salivation to bell alone).

Example Question #31 : Classical Conditioning

A bell is rung each time a dog is given a steak. Soon, the dog salivates at the sound of the bell even when the steak is not presented. What is the conditioned response in this scenario?

Possible Answers:

The bell

The dog salivating at the sound of the bell

The dog salivating in response to the steak

The dog

The steak

Correct answer:

The dog salivating at the sound of the bell

Explanation:

In classical conditioning, the steak is the unconditioned stimulus in this scenario. The unconditioned stimulus is the object that naturally provokes the unconditioned response (e.g. salivation to steak) without any sort of training or pairing. The unconditioned stimulus (e.g. steak) is then paired with the conditioned stimulus (e.g. the bell), which is what the experimenter wants the subject to associate the unconditioned stimulus with. Once the subject associates the conditioned stimulus with the unconditioned stimulus enough, they start to have a conditioned response (e.g. salivation to bell alone).

Example Question #34 : Classical Conditioning

A bell is rung and while the sound of the bell is still heard, a dog is given a steak. This process is repeated many times. Soon, the dog salivates at the sound of the bell even when the steak is not presented. What specific type of conditioning is being used in this scenario?

Possible Answers:

Simultaneous conditioning

Trace conditioning

Classical conditioning

Delayed conditioning

Operant conditioning

Correct answer:

Delayed conditioning

Explanation:

This scenario involves learning by association, not learning by consequence, so it is an example of classical conditioning; however, it is a specific type of classical conditioning. Delay, trace, and simultaneous conditioning are all types of classical conditioning. Delay conditioning, the most effective type, occurs when the unconditioned stimulus is presented while the conditioned stimulus is still occurring. Trace conditioning occurs when there is a brief break between the presentation of the conditioned stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus. Simultaneous conditioning is when the conditioned stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus are presented at the same time.

In this case, the unconditioned stimulus of the steak is presented while the conditioned stimulus of the bell is still ringing; therefore, it is delayed conditioning.

Example Question #35 : Classical Conditioning

A bell is rung, then there is a short break, and then a dog is given a steak. This process is repeated many times. Soon, the dog salivates at the sound of the bell even when the steak is not presented. What specific type of conditioning is being used here?

Possible Answers:

Trace conditioning

Simultaneous conditioning

Operant conditioning

Delayed conditioning

Classical conditioning

Correct answer:

Trace conditioning

Explanation:

This scenario involves learning by association, not learning by consequence, so it is an example of classical conditioning; however, it is a specific type of classical conditioning. Delay, trace, and simultaneous conditioning are all types of classical conditioning. Delay conditioning, the most effective type, occurs when the unconditioned stimulus is presented while the conditioned stimulus is still occurring. Trace conditioning occurs when there is a brief break between the presentation of the conditioned stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus. Simultaneous conditioning is when the conditioned stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus are presented at the same time.

In this case, the conditioned stimulus of the bell is presented, then there is a short break, and then the unconditioned stimulus of the steak is presented; therefore, it is trace conditioning.

Example Question #36 : Classical Conditioning

A bell is rung and a dog is given a steak at the same time. This process is repeated many times. Soon, the dog salivates at the sound of the bell even when the steak is not presented. What specific type of conditioning is being used here?

Possible Answers:

Operant conditioning

Trace conditioning

Delayed conditioning

Classical conditioning

Simultaneous conditioning

Correct answer:

Simultaneous conditioning

Explanation:

This scenario involves learning by association, not learning by consequence, so it is an example of classical conditioning; however, it is a specific type of classical conditioning. Delay, trace, and simultaneous conditioning are all types of classical conditioning. Delay conditioning, the most effective type, occurs when the unconditioned stimulus is presented while the conditioned stimulus is still occurring. Trace conditioning occurs when there is a brief break between the presentation of the conditioned stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus. Simultaneous conditioning is when the conditioned stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus are presented at the same time.

In this case, the conditioned stimulus of the bell is presented at the same time that the unconditioned stimulus of the steak is presented; therefore, this is simultaneous conditioning.

Example Question #37 : Classical Conditioning

Which of the following types of conditioning is best described as when a subject is trained to associate something naturally pleasant or neutral with something unpleasant?

Possible Answers:

Operant conditioning

Punishing conditioning

Detrimental conditioning

Avoiding conditioning

Aversive conditioning

Correct answer:

Aversive conditioning

Explanation:

Aversive conditioning is when someone is classically conditioned to associate something normally pleasant or neutral with something unpleasant. Avoiding, punishing, and detrimental conditioning do not exist; those adjectives are simply synonyms of aversive. Operant conditioning is not the right answer because aversive conditioning is a type of classical conditioning; it is learning by association, not by consequence. 

Example Question #38 : Classical Conditioning

The idea that intelligent creatures can learn when two events occur alongside one another is most broadly called __________.

Possible Answers:

operant conditioning

classical conditioning

generalization

associative learning

acquisition

Correct answer:

associative learning

Explanation:

Associative learning is the idea that living beings of even limited intelligence can learn to associate the occurrence of one event with the occurrence of another. This may be two stimuli occurring in pairs (classical conditioning) or an action and a paired consequence (operant conditioning).

Example Question #32 : Classical Conditioning

A rat is taught by classical conditioning (treats) to respond to the sound of a bell by standing on its hind legs. After several days of no treats, the rat forgets to respond to the bell this way. Several months later, a researcher accidentally strikes the bell while in the rat's presence, and observes the rat stand on its hind legs and await a treat. According to behaviorists, what has the rat demonstrated?

Possible Answers:

Latent learning

Spontaneous recovery

Uncontrolled response

Modeling

Random acquisition

Correct answer:

Spontaneous recovery

Explanation:

The sudden reappearance of a previously extinguished behavior is called spontaneous recovery, and the conditions under which this recovery is possible depend strongly on the duration of the initial pairing, the length of extinction, and the overall intelligence of the organism (more intelligent organisms can "hold onto" extinguished behaviors for longer before forgetting them entirely).

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