Classical vs Operant Conditioning: Behavioral Psychology Test
Questions: 30
Questions
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1. Which of the following is an example of operant conditioning?
- a) A dog salivates at the sound of a bell
- b) A child receives a sticker for completing homework
- c) A loud noise causes a baby to cry
- d) A cat hides after hearing thunder
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2. What does the term "extinction" refer to in classical conditioning?
- a) The elimination of a conditioned response
- b) The punishment of an unwanted behavior
- c) The reinforcement of a desirable response
- d) The pairing of two stimuli
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3. What did Ivan Pavlov originally study before discovering classical conditioning?
- a) Animal intelligence
- b) Digestive processes in dogs
- c) Problem-solving in primates
- d) Emotional responses in humans
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4. Which psychologist is most closely associated with operant conditioning?
- a) Ivan Pavlov
- b) John Watson
- c) B.F. Skinner
- d) Albert Bandura
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5. Which of the following is an example of a fixed-ratio schedule in operant conditioning?
- a) Receiving a paycheck every two weeks
- b) Getting a free coffee after purchasing five
- c) Fishing until a catch occurs
- d) Winning a jackpot on a slot machine
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6. Which of the following best describes positive punishment?
- a) Removing an unpleasant stimulus to increase a behavior
- b) Adding a stimulus to decrease a behavior
- c) Adding a reward to strengthen a response
- d) Removing a reward to weaken a behavior
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7. What is the key similarity between classical and operant conditioning?
- a) Both involve reinforcement schedules
- b) Both rely on voluntary behaviors
- c) Both modify behavior through associations
- d) Both require conscious effort by the subject
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8. What is the primary outcome of spontaneous recovery in classical conditioning?
- a) A previously extinguished response reappears
- b) A new behavior is learned without reinforcement
- c) The conditioned stimulus loses its effect
- d) The unconditioned response becomes automatic
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9. Who is considered the founder of classical conditioning?
- a) B.F. Skinner
- b) Ivan Pavlov
- c) John Watson
- d) Edward Thorndike
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10. Which term refers to the process of distinguishing between similar stimuli in classical conditioning?
- a) Generalization
- b) Extinction
- c) Spontaneous recovery
- d) Discrimination
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11. Which type of reinforcement schedule is most resistant to extinction?
- a) Fixed-ratio
- b) Fixed-interval
- c) Variable-ratio
- d) Continuous reinforcement
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12. What did Thorndike’s Law of Effect state?
- a) Behaviors followed by rewards are more likely to occur
- b) Classical conditioning is more effective than operant conditioning
- c) Punishment is necessary for learning
- d) All behaviors are instinctual
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13. What is an example of a conditioned emotional response in classical conditioning?
- a) A dog salivating at the sound of a bell
- b) A person feeling nervous when hearing a siren
- c) A child receiving a reward for doing homework
- d) A cat hiding after hearing thunder
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14. What is the term for a stimulus that naturally triggers a response without prior learning in classical conditioning?
- a) Conditioned stimulus
- b) Unconditioned stimulus
- c) Neutral stimulus
- d) Reinforcer
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15. Which of the following is an example of generalization in classical conditioning?
- a) A dog salivating to a sound similar to the bell used in conditioning
- b) A rat pressing a lever for food
- c) A child avoiding a specific food after a bad experience
- d) A pigeon pecking a button for a reward
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16. What is the purpose of extinction in classical conditioning?
- a) To prevent a conditioned response from becoming too strong
- b) To maintain the conditioned stimulus
- c) To stop a conditioned response by repeatedly presenting the conditioned stimulus without the unconditioned stimulus
- d) To increase the strength of the conditioned stimulus
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17. Which of the following is an example of positive reinforcement?
- a) A child is given a cookie for doing their homework
- b) A student loses points for late submission
- c) A dog is scolded for barking loudly
- d) A teenager is grounded for not completing chores
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18. What does "secondary reinforcement" refer to in operant conditioning?
- a) Reinforcers that satisfy biological needs
- b) Reinforcers that are learned through association with primary reinforcers
- c) Reinforcers that naturally elicit a response
- d) Reinforcers that cause immediate behavior change
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19. What is the role of reinforcement in operant conditioning?
- a) To decrease the likelihood of a behavior
- b) To increase the likelihood of a behavior
- c) To eliminate unwanted behavior completely
- d) To suppress undesirable behavior temporarily
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20. What term refers to a learned association between two stimuli in classical conditioning?
- a) Extinction
- b) Discrimination
- c) Generalization
- d) Conditioning
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21. What is an example of a fixed-interval reinforcement schedule?
- a) Getting a bonus after every fifth sale
- b) Receiving a paycheck every two weeks
- c) A rat receiving food after pressing a lever five times
- d) Winning a lottery every few weeks
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22. Which of the following is an example of positive punishment?
- a) A teacher adds extra homework to discourage bad behavior
- b) A child loses a privilege for not completing homework
- c) A dog is scolded for jumping on the couch
- d) A worker receives a pay cut for tardiness
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23. Which type of schedule leads to the most consistent behavior in operant conditioning?
- a) Fixed-ratio
- b) Fixed-interval
- c) Variable-ratio
- d) Continuous reinforcement
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24. What does the term "latent learning" refer to in classical and operant conditioning?
- a) Learning that occurs without reinforcement
- b) Learning that requires punishment
- c) Learning that results from a specific reinforcement
- d) Learning that takes place only after reinforcement
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25. What is an example of a primary reinforcer in operant conditioning?
- a) Money
- b) Food
- c) A certificate
- d) Praise
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26. Which type of conditioning involves learning through the consequences of behavior?
- a) Classical conditioning
- b) Operant conditioning
- c) Both classical and operant conditioning
- d) Neither classical nor operant conditioning
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27. Which of the following is an example of a fixed-ratio reinforcement schedule?
- a) A rat receives food after pressing a lever five times
- b) A worker gets a paycheck at the end of the month
- c) A child gets a cookie every time they complete their homework
- d) A pigeon receives food after a random number of pecks
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28. Which behaviorist developed the theory of operant conditioning?
- a) Ivan Pavlov
- b) John Watson
- c) B.F. Skinner
- d) Albert Bandura
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29. Which of the following describes a behavior that has been learned through operant conditioning?
- a) A dog salivating to the sound of a bell
- b) A person running when they see a lion
- c) A rat pressing a lever to obtain food
- d) A child crying when their parents leave
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30. What is an example of spontaneous recovery in classical conditioning?
- a) A dog salivating at the sight of a food bowl after the conditioned response had diminished
- b) A rat learning to press a lever after training
- c) A child avoiding a food that made them ill
- d) A pigeon pecking a button for food
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