The Behaviourists & Bandura

Question 1

Behaviourists believed that an individual’s values, attitudes, and emotional responses were determined by their ____ __ _______ ___________.

Answer 1

Past or present environment.

Question 2

What are the 2 major types of behaviourism?

Answer 2

1. Classical conditioning
2. Operant conditioning

Question 3

What psychologist(s) are associated with classical conditioning?

Answer 3

Ivan Pavlov and John B. Watson.

Question 4

What psychologist(s) are associated with operant conditioning?

Answer 4

B.F. Skinner.

Question 5

True or False: Classical Conditioning focused on learned responses to stimuli.

Answer 5

False, it focused on automatic responses to stimuli which could be emotional or physiological.

Question 6

What does the term “generalization” mean with regards to classical conditioning?

Answer 6

The tendency to respond the same way to different but similar stimuli.

Question 7

What does the term “discrimination” mean with regards to classical conditioning?

Answer 7

The ability to perceive and respond to differences between stimuli. The ability to judge stimuli as being different or unique.

Question 8

What does the term “extinction” mean with regards to classical conditioning?

Answer 8

Weakening of a conditioned response which results in the behaviour decreasing or disappearing.

Question 9

What is the Garcia effect? Is this a conditioned or unconditioned response?

Answer 9

A conditioned aversion to a certain food and/or taste. Can be as a result of a particularly memorable negative experience with that food. A conditioned response.

Question 10

True or False: classical conditioning only works for physiological responses, and not for emotions.

Answer 10

False, emotions can be classically conditioned as well. (Ex: little Albert experiment)

Question 11

What was the result of John Watson’s “Little Albert” experiment?

Answer 11

Found that emotional responses could be classically conditioned. Subject exhibited conditioned emotional response to unconditioned stimulus.

Question 12

What does the term “operant” mean with regards to operant conditioning?

Answer 12

A deliberate action taken on the environment.

Question 13

How does operant conditioning aim to change behaviours?

Answer 13

By shaping behaviour with successive rewards and punishments.

Question 14

What is a “reinforcer” with regards to operant conditioning?

Answer 14

Any consequence that strengthens (increases) behaviour.

Question 15

What is “positive reinforcement” with regards to operant conditioning?

Answer 15

A consequence given after a desirable behaviour that individuals find rewarding .

Question 16

What is “negative reinforcement” with regards to operant conditioning?

Answer 16

The removal of a negative stimulus when individuals perform a desirable behaviour.

Question 17

What is a “primary reinforcer” with regards to operant conditioning?

Answer 17

Things which satisfy a basic human need. (food, shelter, water, etc)

Question 18

What is a “secondary reinforcer” with regards to operant conditioning?

Answer 18

A consequence which individuals learn to value through its association with a primary reinforcer.

Question 19

What are the 3 types of “secondary reinforcers” with regards to operant conditioning?

Answer 19

1. Social reinforcer (praise, attention, etc)
2. Activity reinforcer (access to +ve activity)
3. Token reinforcer (grades, money, etc)

Question 20

What does the “Premack Principle” mean with regards to operant conditioning?

Answer 20

Enjoyable activities can be used to reinforce participation in less enjoyable activities. (Grandma’s rule)

Question 21

What is a “punishment” with regards to operant conditioning?

Answer 21

Any consequence of behaviour which decreases behaviour.

Question 22

What does the term “removal punishment” mean with regards to operant conditioning?

Answer 22

Taking away something that the individual likes when they perform an undesirable behaviour.

Question 23

What does the term “presentation punishment” mean with regards to operant conditioning?

Answer 23

Presenting something that the individual dislikes when they perform an undesirable behaviour.

Question 24

Give an example of an unwanted side effect of shaping behaviour with punishment?

Answer 24

Any of:
- learned avoidance
- not always interpreted as a punishment
- can model behaviour
- can cause performance decreases
- takes more time/energy
+ any more you can think of

Question 25

What are the 5 main reinforcement schedules used in operant conditioning?

Answer 25

1. Continuous reinforcement
2. Fixed ratio reinforcement
3. Fixed interval reinforcement
4. Variable ratio reinforcement
5. Variable interval reinforcement

Question 26

Define the term “continuous reinforcement” with regards to operant conditioning.

Answer 26

Every time a desired behaviour occurs the individual is rewarded.

Question 27

Define the term “fixed ratio reinforcement” with regards to operant conditioning.

Answer 27

The individual is rewarded after the desirable behaviour occurs a specified number of times.

Question 28

Define the term “fixed interval reinforcement” with regards to operant conditioning.

Answer 28

The individual is rewarded after every block of time (decided prior) in which they performed a desirable behaviour.

Question 29

Define the term “variable ratio reinforcement” with regards to operant conditioning.

Answer 29

Reinforcement occurs after the desirable behaviour is performed an unpredictable number of times.

Question 30

Define the term “variable interval reinforcement” with regards to operant conditioning.

Answer 30

Reinforcement occurs after changing amounts of time as long as the individual performed a desirable behaviour during those time periods.

Question 31

What reinforcement schedule produces the slowest rate of extinction in operant conditioning?

Answer 31

Variable ratio reinforcement.

Question 32

What reinforcement schedule produces the quickest rate of extinction in operant conditioning?

Answer 32

Continuous reinforcement.

Question 33

True or False: Following Bandura’s Bobo doll experiments, the children behaved aggressively regardless of whether the adults they had observed were ignored, punished, or praised.

Answer 33

False. The children which observed the adults being punished were significantly less likely to behave aggressively.

Question 34

What are the 4 components of social cognitive theory (observational learning).

Answer 34

1. Attention
2. Retention
3. Motor Reproduction
4. Motivation

Question 35

What does the term “inhibitory effect” mean in terms of social cognitive theory.

Answer 35

If a model is punished for their behaviour, the observer is not likely to imitate the behaviour.

Question 36

What does the term “disinhibitory effect” mean in terms of social cognitive theory?

Answer 36

If a model is rewarded for their behaviour, the observer is likely to imitate the behaviour.

Question 37

What are mirror neurons?

Answer 37

Neurons which fire when an individual performs an action but also when they observe someone else perform that same action.

Question 38

What factors influence observational learning? (As in, what factors in a model individual make us more likely to imitate?)

Answer 38

• Developmental level
• Similarity
• Outcome expectations
• Goal setting
• Self-efficacy
• Status