4.6.1 Issues and debates in learning theories Quiz: Pearson Edexcel Psychology, Unit 4

The 20 questions

1. Which ethical issue is most closely associated with the use of animals in learning theory experiments?

   • The payment of animals for taking part, which is required under the Scientific Procedures Act for every experiment
   • The pain and distress caused to animals, which must be weighed against the benefits and minimised where possible
   • The confidentiality of the animal data, which must be kept private from the animal's owner at all times in the study
   • The informed consent of each animal, which must be signed by the animal before any conditioning procedure begins

2. What practical issue arises when generalising findings from animal studies of conditioning to humans?

   • Species differences mean that learning processes observed in animals may not transfer fully to humans, especially social learning
   • Animals cannot be measured reliably, so the findings cannot be discussed in terms of their relevance to humans in any way
   • Animals cannot be conditioned at all, so the question of generalising their findings to humans never arises in practice
   • Animals always learn exactly the same as humans, so there is no practical issue of generalisation to be considered at all

3. Behaviourism is criticised for reductionism. What does this criticism mean?

   • Behaviourism reduces the number of animals used in research to the smallest possible number that is ethically acceptable
   • Behaviourism reduces the importance of the environment, so that all behaviour is explained only by genes and hormones
   • Behaviourism reduces behaviour to observable stimuli and responses, which may ignore thoughts and emotions
   • Behaviourism reduces the role of conditioning to a single stimulus, so that it cannot explain any learning at all

4. Which statement shows the difference in how learning theories explain behaviour compared with each other?

   • Social learning explains behaviour only through the id, while the other learning theories explain it only through hormones
   • Classical conditioning explains voluntary behaviour via rewards, while operant conditioning explains involuntary reflexes only
   • Classical conditioning explains reflex-like responses, operant conditioning explains consequences, and social learning adds observation
   • All learning theories explain behaviour in exactly the same way, so no comparison between them is needed in any evaluation at all

5. Which evaluation point concerns the scientific status of behaviourism?

   • Its focus on introspection means it is not scientific at all, since mental reports cannot be tested in any form of research
   • Its focus on the unconscious mind makes it fully scientific, since unconscious drives can be measured precisely in any experiment
   • Its focus on genes makes it scientific only if the genes are tested in a laboratory with brain scanning of every participant
   • Its focus on measurable behaviour gives it a scientific character, but it may neglect mental processes

6. Which statement describes a cultural issue in learning theories?

   • Reinforcement and modelling patterns are inherited through genes, so culture plays no role in what individuals learn in life
   • Reinforcement and modelling patterns are determined only by the id, so culture has no influence on any learned behaviour at all
   • Reinforcement and modelling patterns differ between cultures, so learned behaviour may vary across different societies
   • Reinforcement and modelling patterns are identical in every culture, so cultural differences never affect learning in any way

7. Which gender issue might arise in observational learning research on aggression?

   • Gender has no effect on imitation, since observational learning is independent of sex, age and social environment in every case
   • Boys and girls may be more likely to imitate models of their own gender, so findings may differ by sex
   • Gender affects only the id, so observational learning studies never need to consider the sex of their participants at all
   • Boys and girls always imitate models of the opposite gender, so gender never affects what is learned in any observational study

8. What is the nature-nurture issue in learning theories?

   • Whether learning theories can be taught in schools, since nature is the school system and nurture is the family system
   • Whether animals or humans should be used in research, since this is the only nature-nurture question in learning theory
   • Whether learned behaviour is shaped by environment and experience, or whether it is influenced by inherited characteristics
   • Whether the id is inherited from parents or whether it is created by the superego during development in early childhood

9. Which example illustrates the issue of social control in learning theory?

   • Using classical conditioning to teach a child a second language, which has no link to any question of power or control
   • Using reward schemes in schools or prisons to shape behaviour, raising questions about power and the freedom of those controlled
   • Using observation to study children at play in a park, which raises no issue of social control or the use of knowledge
   • Using reward schemes in a family to celebrate the success of a child, which has no implication for power or freedom at all

10. Which factor makes it difficult to test whether a learning theory's explanation of behaviour is correct?

    • Many processes, such as attention and motivation, are internal and not directly observable, so they are hard to measure
    • Learning theories are always tested with humans, whose behaviour is perfectly predictable from the environment alone
    • Learning theories make only precise predictions, which are always easily tested with every participant in every study
    • Learning theories rely only on brain scans, which always show clear and direct evidence of the processes they describe

11. Which evaluation point about learning theories and society is most accurate?

    • Learning theories are applied only in biological medicine, so they have no role in education, therapy or family life at all
    • Learning theories are applied only to animals in the laboratory, so their use in human society has always been impossible
    • Learning theories have never been applied to any social setting, so their relevance to society is entirely theoretical
    • Learning theories have been applied to education, therapy and parenting, though these applications raise ethical questions

12. A teacher uses a reward chart with a class. Which issue from learning theory is most relevant to evaluating this practice?

    • Whether the chart is printed in colour, since colour is the most important element of any reward scheme in a school setting
    • Whether the pupils have the same genes, since genes are the only factor that determines whether any reward chart works at all
    • Whether the reward schedule and reinforcement are fair and effective, and whether they raise issues of control over pupils
    • Whether the teacher has a strong id, since the id determines all learning in classrooms and nothing else in the school day

13. Which concept best describes the issue of individual differences in learning theory?

    • People differ only in the size of their id, which is the only factor that determines individual learning in any setting
    • People differ only in the colour of their clothing, which has been shown to determine the rate of learning in children
    • People differ only in age, so learning theory cannot explain why two people of the same age learn different things
    • People differ in their reinforcement histories and in the models they observe, so their learning can differ

14. Which issue is raised by the claim that all human behaviour is learned from the environment?

    • Consent, since learning theories show that every person has already consented to every learning experience they have had
    • Free will, since learning theories show that all behaviour is the result of conscious and unconstrained choices in every case
    • Determinism, since if all behaviour is shaped by the environment, free will may seem limited in explaining behaviour
    • Reductionism, since learning theories explain behaviour using a higher level of analysis than any biological theory does

15. Which statement best describes the issue of the usefulness of animal research for learning theory?

    • Animal research has produced key insights into conditioning, but its value for human learning must be carefully evaluated
    • Animal research has produced no insights into conditioning, so it has no value for any learning theory at all
    • Animal research has proved that human learning is identical to animal learning, so no further human research is needed
    • Animal research can only be used for social learning, so it has no relevance to conditioning in any form at all

16. A researcher argues that learning theories have made psychology more scientific. Which point best supports this?

    • Learning theories rely on the study of genes only, which is the most scientific approach to any behaviour in the world
    • Learning theories rely on unfalsifiable concepts, which makes them more scientific than any experimental approach in psychology
    • Learning theories rely on introspection and personal opinion, which makes them highly scientific in the eyes of the public
    • Learning theories use controlled experiments and measurable behaviour, which gives them rigour compared with untestable ideas

17. Which issue applies to a study that uses a sample of university students to test social learning theory?

    • Generalisability is not an issue, since university students represent every group in the population without any bias at all
    • Ethics is not an issue, since university students can always give consent for any study, so no ethical issue arises at all
    • Reductionism is not an issue, since the sample size of students guarantees that all levels of behaviour are included in the study
    • Generalisability, since university students may not represent the wider population of children or adults in the community

18. Which statement best describes the difference between practical issues and ethical issues in learning research?

    • Practical issues concern only the statistics, while ethical issues concern only the colour of the research report and its cover
    • Practical issues concern how research is designed and carried out, while ethical issues concern the rights and welfare of participants
    • Practical issues concern the welfare of participants, while ethical issues concern the design and carrying out of the research
    • Practical issues and ethical issues are identical, so the two terms can be used interchangeably in any evaluation of research

19. Which issue is raised by the fact that learning theories have changed over time?

    • Understanding of learning has not changed at all, since behaviourism has remained the single unchanged account of learning
    • Understanding of learning has developed only because of changes in hormones, which are the only factor in theory development
    • Understanding of learning has developed only because of changes in the id, which is the only driver of new learning theories
    • Understanding of learning has developed, with later theories such as social learning adding cognitive processes to earlier accounts

20. Which issues are raised by a token economy run by staff in a psychiatric ward?

    • Freud's id only, since patients on a token economy have no unconscious drives and so cannot be affected by any ethical issue
    • Gender only, since token economies are never used with patients of both sexes and so the gender issue is the only concern
    • Reductionism only, since a token economy has no ethical implications because the tokens are always simple and easy to count
    • Social control and consent, since staff decide which behaviours are rewarded and patients may have limited choice over the system

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