4.2.1.2 Operant conditioning and social learning theory Quiz: AQA Psychology, Unit 2

The 20 questions

1. In operant conditioning, what is positive reinforcement?

   • An unpleasant stimulus is removed after a behaviour, which makes that behaviour more likely
   • Something pleasant is given after a behaviour, which makes that behaviour more likely to occur again
   • A neutral stimulus is paired with a natural reflex until it produces a response
   • An unpleasant stimulus is given after a behaviour, which makes that behaviour less likely

2. In operant conditioning, what is negative reinforcement?

   • A pleasant stimulus is removed after a behaviour, which makes that behaviour more likely
   • An unpleasant stimulus is removed after a behaviour, which makes that behaviour more likely
   • An unpleasant stimulus is given after a behaviour, which makes that behaviour less likely
   • A pleasant stimulus is given after a behaviour, which makes that behaviour less likely

3. What is punishment in operant conditioning?

   • A process by which a child copies a model
   • A reward that makes a behaviour more likely to occur again
   • A consequence that makes a behaviour less likely to occur again
   • A neutral stimulus that is paired with a reflex

4. What is a primary reinforcer?

   • A reinforcer that satisfies a basic biological need, such as food
   • A reinforcer that is delivered at random intervals
   • A reinforcer that is given by a model to a learner
   • A reinforcer that gains value through association, such as money

5. What is a secondary reinforcer?

   • A reinforcer that is given only after the person has been punished, so that the punishment itself becomes the reward
   • A reinforcer that is never linked to any other stimulus, and which works only when it is given at a fixed time each day
   • A reinforcer that satisfies a basic biological need, such as food, which is naturally rewarding without any previous learning
   • A reinforcer that gains its value through association with a primary reinforcer, such as money

6. In Skinner's research, what did the rats learn to do in the Skinner box?

   • Run through a maze to find a hidden reward, which the rat learns to locate after many trials in the apparatus
   • Follow the first moving object they saw, which is the response shown by young animals in the early critical period
   • Copy a model rat that pressed a lever, which the rat did after watching the other rat receive food each time
   • Press a lever to receive food, with the response increasing over time

7. What is imitation in social learning theory?

   • Copying the behaviour of a model, often after observing it being performed
   • Forming a bond with the first moving object seen after birth
   • Responding to a neutral stimulus with a natural reflex
   • Repeating a behaviour that has been rewarded by a parent

8. In social learning theory, what is identification?

   • Imitating a model who is similar to the observer and who is seen as having status or power
   • Remembering a model's behaviour after a long delay, which allows the learner to use the behaviour much later on
   • Being rewarded for copying an adult in the home, which is an example of direct reinforcement rather than observation
   • Responding to a conditioned stimulus with a reflex, which the learner produces automatically after the pairing

9. What is vicarious reinforcement in social learning theory?

   • Learning that happens only through classical conditioning
   • Learning that happens only when an unpleasant stimulus is removed
   • Learning that happens when an observer sees a model being rewarded or punished
   • Learning that happens when the observer is personally rewarded for the behaviour

10. Which mediational process in social learning theory refers to paying attention to the model?

    • Retention
    • Motivation
    • Reproduction
    • Attention

11. Which mediational process refers to remembering what was observed?

    • Reproduction
    • Retention
    • Motivation
    • Attention

12. Which mediational process refers to whether the observer wants to perform the learned behaviour?

    • Reproduction
    • Attention
    • Motivation
    • Retention

13. What did Bandura's Bobo doll study show?

    • Children who watched an aggressive adult model were more likely to imitate aggressive behaviour towards the doll
    • Children showed no imitation of the adult model in any condition, so the results were the same whatever the model did
    • Children learned aggression only when the doll was rewarded by a researcher, and the adult model had no effect at all
    • Children who watched a calm adult model were more likely to show aggression, because seeing calm behaviour made them angry

14. In Bandura's Bobo doll study, why is it significant that the children who saw an aggressive model were more likely to imitate aggression when the model was rewarded?

    • It shows the role of vicarious reinforcement in shaping imitation
    • It shows that imitation is driven by imprinting on the model
    • It shows that imitation happens only with real humans and not with dolls
    • It shows that rewards given directly to the child are the only cause of imitation

15. Which evaluation point applies to operant conditioning as an explanation of learning?

    • Operant conditioning has no basis in research evidence, since none of the studies that tested it produced clear results
    • Lab studies such as Skinner's may be artificial, and they may not show how learning works in complex everyday situations
    • Operant conditioning has been proved to apply to all animals and humans without exception, in every setting and at every age
    • Operant conditioning cannot explain any behaviour at all, so it is not useful for understanding how people learn in daily life

16. Which evaluation point applies to social learning theory?

    • It shows that imitation happens only through punishment
    • It has been rejected because it does not allow for any role of cognition
    • It recognises cognitive processes, such as attention and memory
    • It explains only the behaviour of rats in a laboratory

17. A child copies a parent's habit of washing hands after eating, having seen the parent praised for it. Which combination of social learning concepts best explains this?

    • Negative reinforcement and punishment
    • Classical conditioning and extinction
    • Imitation and vicarious reinforcement
    • Imprinting and critical period

18. A teenager copies a footballer's celebration because they admire the player and see them as successful. Which concept best explains this?

    • Imprinting
    • Identification
    • Classical extinction
    • Operant punishment

19. A driver stops wearing a seatbelt alarm noise by fastening the belt. Which concept best describes the change in behaviour?

    • Punishment, since the driver is given an unpleasant stimulus
    • Classical conditioning, since the noise was paired with food
    • Negative reinforcement, since the unpleasant noise is removed
    • Positive reinforcement, since the driver gets a reward

20. A researcher argues that operant conditioning alone cannot explain all learning. Which result would best support this argument?

    • Children learned an aggressive behaviour from observing a model without any direct reinforcement
    • Rats increased lever pressing when pressing was followed by food, which showed that food rewards strengthened the response
    • Pigeons learned to peck a key when rewarded with grain, and they kept pecking even when the grain was no longer provided
    • People learned to press a button for a reward, which they did at a steady rate throughout the entire session in the lab

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