PSYC2050 - Wk5 Operant Conditiong Theory and Application

Question 1

How did Tolman show that responses did not need to be performed in order to be learned?

Answer 1

Rats transported through a maze still learned something even though they didn’t do the maze actively

Question 2

How did Tolman show that the consequence did not need to be experienced for operant learning to occur?

Answer 2

Rats who started getting a reward on the 11th trial performed as well as those who were always rewarded

Question 3

Did Tolman think that animals develop expectations about reinforcer?

Answer 3

Yes, reinforcer becomes part of associative network(stimulus, response, and reinforcement)

Question 4

What is latent learning and how is it demonstrated in rats?

Answer 4

Rats learn about the environment even if not rewarded for it

Question 5

What is drive according to hull and Spence?

Answer 5

An unpleasant state that the animal wants to reduce

Question 6

What type of consequence is drive reduction of physiological needs?

Answer 6

Negative reinforcer

Question 7

What are secondary reinforcers?

Answer 7

Things that only indirectly reduce drive (eg money), through bridging

Question 8

What are two types of novel stimuli that dont reduce a biological drive?

Answer 8

Sensation seeking & pleasure seeking

Question 9

How did researchers get rats to turn left and right?

Answer 9

Stimulating left and right somatosensory areas for the whiskers, then reinforcing a pleasure centre through electrical stimulation

Question 10

Is it stimuli or the behaviour itself which is reinforcing?

Answer 10

Behaviour itself is reinforcing, because it reduces drive and provides homeostasis

Question 11

What is a bliss point of behaviour?

Answer 11

If you give an individual access to anything they want,when there are no constraints you can see how likely a free behaviour is

Question 12

What is premack’s principle?

Answer 12

A high probability behaviour can reinforce a low probability behaviour

Question 13

How fixed are probable behaviours under premack’s principle?

Answer 13

They are dynamic and can change per individuals and for different contexts

Question 14

How does escape learning work?

Answer 14

Emitting a responsethat terminates an aversive consequence (provides negative reinforcement)

Question 15

How does avoidance learning work?

Answer 15

Emitting a response to prevent the occurrence of an aversive consequences entirely (therefore reinforced)

Question 16

What comes first, escape or avoidance?

Answer 16

Escape, then avoidance behaviour

Question 17

How does escape and avoidance learning help us understand anxiety behaviour?

Answer 17

One negative experience leads to avoidance behaviour, which is reinforced because you never encounter the experience again (and always avoid)

Question 18

How can you reduce avoidance clinically through exposure training? 2

Answer 18

Flooding and response prevention

Model situation appropriate behaviour

Question 19

How is learned helplessness a potential model for depression?

Answer 19

The idea that you have no control and just suffer through it

Question 20

What are the effects of learned helplessness?5

Answer 20

Impaired subsequent learning
 Depression
 Reduced activity
 Reduced immune response
 More ulcers (stress related)

Question 21

How can learned helplessness be combatted?

Answer 21

An initial experience of control can ‘immunise’ against learned helplessness

Question 22

What are depression promoting attributions?

Answer 22

Internal, stable, global

Question 23

What are depression reducing attributions?

Answer 23

External, unstable, specific

Question 24

In what 3 conditions is learned helplessness typically worse?

Answer 24

1. The person thinks everything is hopeless
2. The person thinks its their fault
3. The person sees the helplessness as long-term

Question 25

What is monitored in a functional analysis?

Answer 25

The relationship between stimuli, behaviour, and consequences.

Question 26

What is ‘k’ in a sorck analysis?

Answer 26

The effect consequences have on future behaviour

Question 27

Why is renegotiating bad in the triple P?

Answer 27

It teaches the child that they could escape.