Key Experiments in Behavioral Psychology: Test Your Knowledge MCQs
Questions: 30
Questions
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1. What was the primary focus of Ivan Pavlov's famous experiment with dogs?
- a) Observing the effects of rewards on learning behavior
- b) Understanding operant behavior through reinforcement
- c) Investigating the role of stimuli in conditioned reflexes
- d) Studying the impact of punishment on memory retention
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2. In John Watson's "Little Albert" experiment, what was used as the unconditioned stimulus?
- a) A white rat
- b) A loud noise
- c) A brightly colored toy
- d) A piece of candy
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3. What concept did Edward Thorndike’s puzzle box experiment illustrate?
- a) Classical conditioning
- b) Observational learning
- c) Law of Effect
- d) Cognitive mapping
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4. Albert Bandura's Bobo doll experiment demonstrated the importance of which type of learning?
- a) Operant conditioning
- b) Classical conditioning
- c) Observational learning
- d) Reinforcement learning
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5. What was the outcome of Harry Harlow’s experiments with rhesus monkeys?
- a) The monkeys preferred wire mothers over cloth ones
- b) The monkeys developed affection for comforting tactile stimuli
- c) The monkeys showed no preference between wire and cloth mothers
- d) The monkeys thrived regardless of maternal presence
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6. What type of conditioning was explored in Martin Seligman’s learned helplessness experiments?
- a) Classical conditioning
- b) Operant conditioning
- c) Avoidance learning
- d) Observational learning
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7. What was demonstrated by Tolman’s maze experiments with rats?
- a) The role of punishment in behavior reduction
- b) The existence of cognitive maps
- c) The effect of negative reinforcement
- d) The importance of continuous reinforcement
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8. In which experiment did Hermann Ebbinghaus study memory and forgetting?
- a) Word association tests
- b) Reaction time tests
- c) Paired associates test
- d) Nonsense syllables experiment
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9. What concept was explored in Milgram’s obedience experiment?
- a) Conformity to peer pressure
- b) Social learning
- c) Compliance with authority
- d) Diffusion of responsibility
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10. The Hawthorne studies highlighted which key psychological concept?
- a) The effect of environmental factors on learning
- b) The impact of attention on productivity
- c) The role of reinforcement schedules
- d) The importance of punishment in behavior control
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11. What was demonstrated by the Stanford Prison Experiment?
- a) The effects of environmental stimuli on cognitive development
- b) The impact of group dynamics and authority on behavior
- c) The benefits of punishment in behavior management
- d) The role of genetic factors in aggression
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12. What was the key takeaway from Festinger’s cognitive dissonance experiments?
- a) Rewards always lead to better performance
- b) Social norms have little effect on individual decisions
- c) Punishment leads to long-term behavior change
- d) People adjust attitudes to reduce internal conflict
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13. What did Bandura’s experiments show about aggression?
- a) It is always inherited
- b) It can be learned through observation
- c) It is unrelated to environmental stimuli
- d) It cannot be reduced by punishment
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14. What did Kohler’s experiments with chimpanzees demonstrate?
- a) Insight learning
- b) Trial-and-error learning
- c) Classical conditioning
- d) The law of effect
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15. What was the primary method used in the visual cliff experiment by Eleanor Gibson?
- a) Creating an optical illusion of a drop-off
- b) Testing reaction times to stimuli
- c) Using reinforcement to teach depth perception
- d) Observing attachment behaviors in infants
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16. What did Solomon Asch’s conformity experiments reveal?
- a) People are highly resistant to group influence
- b) Group pressure can lead individuals to conform
- c) Punishment is necessary to enforce conformity
- d) Leadership style has no impact on conformity
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17. What key principle did Thorndike establish with his cats in puzzle boxes?
- a) Punishment is more effective than rewards
- b) Behaviors followed by satisfying consequences are more likely to recur
- c) Behaviors are random and not shaped by consequences
- d) Learning only occurs through observation
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18. What psychological phenomenon was observed in the “Cloth Mother” experiment?
- a) Attachment and security
- b) Learned helplessness
- c) Insight learning
- d) Operant behavior
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19. What did Mary Ainsworth’s “Strange Situation” experiment focus on?
- a) Observational learning
- b) Attachment styles in infants
- c) Operant conditioning
- d) Memory retention in children
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20. What was demonstrated by Wolfgang Köhler's study on problem-solving in chimpanzees?
- a) Observational learning is more effective than trial-and-error
- b) Animals are capable of insight learning
- c) Classical conditioning applies to all animals
- d) Punishment accelerates problem-solving
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21. The concept of "modeling" in observational learning was primarily demonstrated through which experiment?
- a) Pavlov’s dog experiment
- b) Skinner’s operant conditioning chamber
- c) Bandura’s Bobo doll experiment
- d) Thorndike’s puzzle box experiment
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22. What was the primary ethical concern raised by the Milgram obedience experiment?
- a) Deception of participants
- b) Lack of informed consent
- c) Psychological harm to participants
- d) All of the above
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23. What did the Stanford Marshmallow Experiment study in children?
- a) Memory recall
- b) Delayed gratification and self-control
- c) The effect of punishment on behavior
- d) Social conformity
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24. What was the key finding of the Hawthorne studies?
- a) Increased physical rewards boost productivity
- b) The presence of an observer can influence behavior
- c) Punishment improves task efficiency
- d) Cognitive training improves team dynamics
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25. What phenomenon did Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison Experiment highlight?
- a) Cognitive dissonance in group settings
- b) Insight learning through observation
- c) Memory recall under stress
- d) The impact of role-playing on behavior
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26. What psychological concept was demonstrated in Tolman’s latent learning experiments?
- a) Learning occurs only with immediate rewards
- b) Learning can happen without reinforcement
- c) Punishment accelerates learning
- d) Insight learning is the only valid form of learning
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27. What did Festinger’s theory of cognitive dissonance explain?
- a) People avoid situations of conflict
- b) Learning happens only through conditioning
- c) Social norms influence decision-making
- d) People change their beliefs to align with their actions
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28. The concept of "shaping" in behaviorism was developed based on experiments by which psychologist?
- a) Ivan Pavlov
- b) B.F. Skinner
- c) Edward Thorndike
- d) Albert Bandura
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29. What was the main objective of Elizabeth Loftus's research on eyewitness testimony?
- a) To study the reliability of memory
- b) To test operant conditioning in courtrooms
- c) To explore attachment styles in legal settings
- d) To identify methods of improving memory recall
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30. What did Seligman’s learned helplessness experiments with dogs suggest about behavior?
- a) Animals can overcome learned behavior easily
- b) Perceived lack of control leads to passive behavior
- c) Positive reinforcement prevents helplessness
- d) Punishment effectively alters behavior
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