Chapter 5 Homework Assignment

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Revised by Katie Ouellette on 1/16/13
Name:______________________________ Instructor:____________________ Grade: _________ LO:
Chapter 5
Conceptual Work Sheets for
Motivation of Learned Acts
Behavior does not occur at random—there are always factors influencing whether behavior will occur and what form the
behavior will take on. Some procedures or conditions affect the way we behave with respect to particular reinforcers (or
rewards). For instance, going a long period of time without food makes behaviors that have produced food in the past
more likely to occur because in this condition food is more reinforcing (or rewarding). In other words, when we are
hungry we are more likely to engage in behaviors that result in food (such as opening the refrigerator, ordering food, or
cooking) than when we are not hungry. This is because food is more reinforcing when we are hungry than when we are
not. In this chapter,we will work toward understanding why some behaviors occur, how motivation affects learning, and
how this affects survival.
Motivation, Behavior, and Learning
1. What are the two basic causes of motion? (1)
A. Fire and water
B. Inertia and gravity
C. Lack of fuel and gravity
D. Lack of fuel and presence of harmful states
2. Besides motion, what else do the basic causes of
motion produce? (1)
A. Stillness
B. Motion Sickness
C. High winds and rain
D. Learning
E. Intelligence
3. When is food most reinforcing? (1)
A. When it is held just out of reach of a creature
B. When a creature has not recently eaten
C. Immediately after the creature has eaten
D. When it is given after a desired behavior
E. When it is warm
4. Rats,pigeons, planaria, and fish all learn because of
rewards. (1)
A. True
B. False
5. What does research say about the role of individual
learning differences within the same species?
A. They can be accounted for using mathematical
formulas
B. Without individuality, creatures would be like
robots, all alike
C. There aren’t too many differences when dealing
with basic learning processes
D. It is the individual differences among animals
that makes this country work
E. Individual learning differences help the species
function as a group.
6. How does the basic learning process for humans
compare to that process for animals? (1)
A. The basic learning processes don’t differ much
B. The human learning process is creative, but the
animals’ is not.
C. It takes animals longer to learn than humans.
D. Humans learn only what they want to learn;
animals learn from the environment.
E. The basic process for humans is much more
complex.
Studying Behavior
7. What sorts of responses and settings have been used
to study human learning? (1)
A. The same as those used with many animals.
B. Responses such as reading and writing, and
situations such as the home and college.
C. Many complex settings and responses.
D. Many simple settings and responses.
E. All of the above.
8. Why is it sometimes better to do research in the lab
rather than in applied settings? (1)
A. The psychologist doesn’t have to move as much
in the lab

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B. The researcher can have more control of outside
factors that could affect results.
C. The methods for recording are much easier to
get to in the lab than in applied settings.
D. In applied settings you have to be awake all the
time or you might miss something.
9. What reason (other than to help people) do scientists
give for doing basic lab research? (1)
A. They say they are basically lonely people
B. They say they want to help people, but that they
don’t like to be around them.
C. Science for the sake of science
D. They love animals.
E. All of the above.
Operant Conditioning
Reinforcing consequences following a response increase
its future frequency, while aversive consequences
following a response decrease its future frequency. As
you will see,the process of operant conditioning vastly
contributes to the behavior of organisms.
10. Define operant conditioning. (1)
A. The procedure in which a neutral stimulus
becomes a conditioned stimulus, by being paired
with an unconditioned stimulus
B. A change in the likelihood of a stimulus due to
the response to that stimulus.
C. A change in the likelihood of a response due to
the results of that response.
D. The actions people take to receive unlearned
rewards.
E. A stimulus results from a response and changes
the form or path of the next response.
11. Define Learning. (1)
A. The results of lessons.
B. A change in a response due to the stimuli
preceding that response.
C. A change in stimuli that occurs over time.
D. A change in a stimulus due to the results of a
response.
E. A fairly long-lasting change in actions that
occurs as a result of experience.
12. In contrasting feedback stimulus control and operant
conditioning, what is the main difference? (1)
A. In operant conditioning, a response is rewarded
or punished. In feedback stimulus control, a
stimulus is punished.
B. In feedback stimulus control, the result of a
response acts as a guide or cue for the next
response. In operant conditioning, the result of a
response affects the future occurrence of that
response.
C. Feedback stimulus control mainly concerns
stimuli, while operant conditioning mainly
concerns responses
D. Feedback stimulus control mainly concerns
responses,while operant conditioning mainly
concerns stimuli.
E. Feedback stimulus control is just a type of
operant conditioning.
13. Which of the following is an instance of operant
conditioning with a creature motivated by lack of
fuel? (1)
A. Gore started to salivate as the meat touched its
tongue.
B. Dodo hadn’t eaten in hours. It went right to the
spot where it had eaten the tasty berries so many
times before.
C. The furnace was low on fuel, so the worker
quickly loaded it with fuel and all was well
again.
D. It was a long drive to BSU, so Juke filled the car
with gas.
E. None of the above.
14. Which of the following is an instance of operant
conditioning with a creature motivated by a harmful
state? (1)
A. Dodo hadn’t eaten in hours. It went right to the
spot where it had eaten the tasty berries so many
times before.
B. It was extremely cold in the building, so the
worker loaded the furnace with fuel and the
building got warm again.
C. The dog chased after the cat and just missed
getting hit by a car.
D. After Sid told the joke, Juke laughed loudly.
E. B&C
15. What would be the likely result for creatures that
often do not learn? (1)
A. They wouldn’t survive long enough to evolve.
B. Other creatures would laugh at them.
C. Other creatures would provide for them.
D. They would evolve into creatures that do learn.
E. Baby creatures would hate their parents.
16. Define reinforcer. (1)
A. A stimulus that through pairing makes a neutral
stimulus a conditioned stimulus.

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B. A stimulus that holds other stimuli together.
C. A response that makes a stimulus occur
D. A change in conditions, stimuli, or events that
precedes an act and causes a creature to learn
that act.
E. A change in conditions, stimuli or events that
follows an act and causes a creature to learn that
act.
17. Define reward. (1)
A. All gifts given in good spirit
B. A response that makes a stimulus occur.
C. An everyday term meaning roughly the same
thing as a reinforcer.
D. A prize that causes much responding right after
it is given away.
18. How can we find out if something is in fact a
reinforcer (reward)? (1)
A. Ask the person receiving the thing if it is a
reward.
B. Find out if it is a punisher. If it isn’t, then it’s a
reward.
C. If it costs over $100 then it’s a reward.
D. If a response that occurs just after the
presentation of the stimulus occurs more often in
the future, then the stimulus is a reward.
E. If a response that occurs just before the
presentation of the stimulus occurs more often in
the future, then the stimulus is a reward.
19. Under what conditions could a species evolve with a
needed fuel not acting as a reward? (1)
A. They can only evolve if other creatures feed
them.
B. If a species never lacks a needed fuel, a creature
rewarded by that fuel would be no more likely to
survive than one not rewarded by it. Thus,
natural selection of the rewarded creature would
not occur, even though the fuel is needed.
C. The species can evolve if the needed fuel is a
punisher and if the creatures are masochists.
D. Creatures cannot live if they don’t eat,so it is
impossible for a species to evolve that way.
E. The species may evolve under any conditions,
but the species wouldn’t survive for long.
20. What’s an example of a fuel needed by a monkey
that does not act as a reward for it. (1)
A. Gasoline
B. Vitamin A
C. Bananas
D. Sugar
E. French fries
21. How can non-biological reinforcers help a creature
survive? (1)
A. By making the creature happier
B. By eventually becoming biological reinforcers
C. By making it more likely that the creature will
get biological reinforcement.
D. By decreasing the likelihood of the creature
contacting harmful stimuli.
E. C & D
22. Which of the following are examples of non-
biological reinforcers? (1)
A. Fruits and vegetables
B. Warmth and human contact
C. Light and motion
D. Fuel and escape from harm.
E. Sugar and water
Respondent Conditioning
Behaviors that are sometimes considered reflexes (e.g.
pupil dilation, blinking, and fear responses) can often be
explained as respondent behaviors. Respondent
conditioning occurs when a neutral stimulus becomes a
conditioned eliciting stimulus thorough pairing with an
unconditioned stimulus. Say what? A stimulus can come
to cause a response upon its presentation if it is paired
with another stimulus that automatically produces the
response.
23. Who was the first to do a thorough study of
respondent conditioning? (1)
A. B.F. Skinner
B. Ivan Pavlov
C. Malott & Whaley
D. Carl Rogers
E. Sigmund Freud
24. Which of the following describes the first classical
experiment studying respondent conditioning? (1)
A. Whenever a dog drooled it would be given food
as reward. Soon the dog was drooling more and
more.
B. A rat was rewarded with food for pressing a
lever.
C. The dog that slobbered most and fastest was
given a piece of meat that made it drool even
more.
D. A bell was rung just before putting small
amounts of food in a dog’s mouth. After several
trials, the dog drooled to the sound of the bell
alone.

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25. Choose the answer that best defines stimulus. (1)
A. Events that cause responses
B. The opposite of a response.
C. Any event or thing in the physical world.
D. All things that are not responses.
E. All of the above.
26. In what way do respondent conditioning and
evolution by natural selection serve the same
function? (1)
A. They may increase a creature’s chances of
survival
B. They both involve rewards for functional
behavior
C. They both involve stimuli that evoke a response
D. They function to take the place of operant
conditioning
E. They both increase the chances a dog will
slobber when food touches its tongue
27. In what way do respondent conditioning and
evolution differ? (1)
A. Respondent conditioning involves salivation;
evolution does not.
B. Evolution involves newborn creatures;
respondent conditioning does not.
C. Respondent conditioning involves newborn
creatures; evolution does not.
D. Respondent conditioning functions during the
lifetime of a creature; evolution functions over
generations.
E. Stimuli are more important in respondent
conditioning; responses are more important in
evolution.
28. Define conditioned stimulus. (1)
A. A stimulus that evokes a response even without
prior experience.
B. A stimulus that occurs several times before a
response.
C. A stimulus that evokes a response after a few
pairings with another stimulus that already
causes that response.
D. All stimuli that are not unconditioned stimuli are
by definition conditioned stimuli.
E. A stimulus that occurs several times after a
response.
29. Define conditioned response (1)
A. A response evoked by a stimulus which has been
paired with a stimulus that already causes the
response.
B. A response evoked by a stimulus even without
prior experience.
C. A response that occurs severaltimes after a
stimulus
D. A response that occurs severaltimes before a
stimulus
E. All responses that are not unconditioned are by
definition conditioned.
30. A stimulus that can cause a response without prior
experience is called:
A. An unconditioned force
B. An uncondensed stimulus
C. A conditioned stimulus
D. A magical stimulus
E. An unconditioned stimulus.
31. Which of the following would be an example of an
unconditioned response? (1)
A. Smiling when someone smiles at you
B. Grabbing the toast when it pops up
C. Pulling your hand out of the blazing campfire
D. Putting your hand into the blazing campfire
E. Drooling towards your ears when riding a
motorcycle
32. Which of the following are involved in respondent
conditioning? (1)
A. The pairing of conditioned and unconditioned
responses
B. A response followed by reward
C. A stimulus followed by reward
D. The pairing of conditioned and unconditioned
stimuli
E. A and D
33. Which comes first in respondent conditioning? (1)
A. Stimulus
B. Response
34. In operant conditioning, does the behavior come
before or after the relevant stimulus? (1)
A. Before
B. After
35. In respondent conditioning, does the behavior come
before or after the relevant stimulus? (1)
A. Before
B. After
36. What is paired in respondent conditioning? (1)
A. Two responses (conditioned and unconditioned)
B. Two stimuli (conditioned and unconditioned

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Conceptual Exercise
Mae lay in bed, knowing she had a big day ahead of her
and that she’d need all the sleep she could get. But she
kept thinking of her visit with Dr. Harper. He explained
things so well. She hadn’t quite understood how
conditioning applied to different animal species—until
she talked to Dr. Harper. The same basic processes he
was studying in his lab also work in the “real” world,
with all sorts of creatures. More than that, humans are
governed by these same learning processes too. All the
creatures on Earth are kind of one big happy family,
related by the way they learn. Well, I’d better get a little
more sleep if I want to be standing straight tonight. Mae
rolled over to make the most of the rest of her free
morning.
A few minutes later, Mae opened her eyes
without moving. She heard what sounded like someone
rubbing back and forth on the outside of the door. But
these rhythmic sounds weren’t coming from outside the
room.
Mae started to sweat as she slowly turned her
head around. There he was,twisting and turning right
before her eyes. He didn’t stop when she saw him, but
instead moved faster. Mae was wide awake now; she
couldn’t draw her eyes away from the heated activity.
The little hamster was turning the exercise wheel so fast
that the whole cage was rocking. Mae remembered how
she and Dawn had agreed to take Freddy, the hamster,
for the weekend. Beth, the girl next door, was going
home, and her roommate was going to be at her
boyfriend’s and couldn’t take care of him.
Mae liked the hamster—he was such a fuzzy
critter and fun to watch. Freddy ran a few more minutes
while Mae looked on, and then lay down in his cage.
May pondered. Why did the hamster run like that? Was
there a reward for running in the exercise wheel? He
wasn’t eating or drinking now that he had stopped
running. What about respondent conditioning? What
stimulus could have evoked Freddy’s running?
Everything in the room was the same now as before Fred
started. Now new stimulus events. It seemed like the
running behavior started out of the blue. Mae sat up in
bed. Either there’s an answer to this or I’mselling my
psych book.
She thought about what she had read so far, and
also about what Dr. Harper had said. She remembered
how Gore, the mountain lion, had moved toward bright
or moving objects, and that its movement was reinforced
by getting closer to those objects. Such stimuli had
evolved as rewards because staying close to them made
getting biological rewards more likely. Could just
running every once in a while make getting biological
rewards more likely? Gore’s biophysical structure was
such that bright or moving objects reinforced Gore’s
moving toward them. Gore followed moving objects,
often ate them, and lived to carry on the species. Dodo
didn’t follow such objects, soon died, and, of course,
didn’t reproduce.
Could it be that the hamster’s running was
reinforced by the visual stimulation of the turning
wheel? Could be a factor,Mae thought. But Beth said
that Freddy sometimes ran at night.It was coal black
then. Mae yawned and lay back down, still perplexed.
Maybe a part of the biophysical structure made
something else rewarding? Suppose both Gore and Dodo
were rewarded for moving toward bright or moving
objects, but Gore always ran toward the movement,
while Dodo petered out on the way. If Gore engaged in
regular exercise it would be in shape to run fast and hard
for a long time…
1. According to a behavioral analysis based on the
above, what might be rewarding the hamster’s
regular exercise? (1)
A. The bright movements produced by the turning
wheel.
B. Mae’s attending to the hamster when it runs.
C. The bodily stimulation produced by running.
D. The hamster is more likely to get food after
running in the exercise wheel.
E. The increased likelihood that the creature will
get fuel.
2. How could regular activity have survival value for a
creature? (1)
A. By increasing the likelihood that a creature
could get fuel.
B. Creatures that win races are well cared for
C. By increasing the likelihood that a creature
could avoid or escape harm.
D. The bodily stimulation produced by running is
rewarding, and more rewards always aid in
survival.
E. A & C
3. Could the analysis of the hamster’s activity apply to
other creatures as well? (1)
A. Yes,but only if they are in cages with exercise
wheels.
B. Yes,in as much as their evolutionary histories
are similar.
C. Yes,to all creatures except man
D. No, it would be too much of a generalization
E. Yes,but only if the creature looks like a hamster
Thought Questions

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1. Assuming that stimulation from regular activity is
rewarding, would you classify such stimulation as a
biological or non-biological reinforcer? Do you
think that a biological/non-biological distinction
made among reinforcers is useful? Why or why not?
(1)
2. A distinction made between the concepts of
feedback stimulus control and operant conditioning
was made in this chapter. Could a stimulus function
as an operant reward or punisher for the response it
follows, and, at the same time, as a cue for the next
response? Cite some examples to justify your views.
(1)