Classical Components
A lunch bell is repeatedly paired with food. Soon, the bell alone makes students feel hungry. The bell is the _____.
Conditioned Stimulus (CS)
After CS occurs repeatedly without UCS, the CR fades.
Extinction
You buckle your seatbelt and the annoying beeping stops. You buckle faster next time.
Negative reinforcement
Slot machine pays out after an unpredictable number of pulls.
Variable ratio
You copy a dance after watching a popular athlete do it.
Observational learning/modeling
A loud thunderclap makes someone jump automatically. The thunderclap is the _____.
Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS)
After extinction + time, CR briefly returns.
Spontaneous recovery
You text in class and your phone is taken away. Texting decreases.
Negative punishment
Pop quizzes happen at unpredictable times.
Variable interval
A rat explores a maze without reward; later finds food quickly.
Latent learning
A student hears a specific song right before dismissal each day. Eventually the song makes the student pack up. Identify the UCS and the CR.
UCS = dismissal/end of class; CR = packing up/feeling ready to leave
After being bitten by a dog, a person fears all furry animals.
Generalization
A teacher gives points for raising a hand. Hand-raising increases. Identify the consequence type.
Positive reinforcement
Bonus for every 20 drinks sold.
Fixed ratio
A student volunteers more after seeing another student praised publicly for volunteering. What factor most influenced imitation?
Model was rewarded (vicarious reinforcement)
A dentist drill sound precedes pain. Now the drill causes anxiety. Label CS and CR.
CS = drill sound; CR = anxiety
A person has a bad experience with a big dog. That person later fears only large dogs, not cats.
Discrimination
A student turns in late work and gets detention. Late work decreases.
Positive punishment
Weekly quiz: studying increases right before quiz day.
Fixed interval
A child watches an older sibling get punished for lying. The child lies less even without being punished. Explain using social learning terms.
Vicarious punishment; observational learning
A dog salivates to food (UCS→UCR). A click predicts food (click becomes CS). Later, a light consistently comes on right before the click, and the light alone triggers salivation. What is the light?
CS (higher-order conditioned stimulus)
A student gets sick after eating sushi once, then feels nauseated at the smell of sushi months later—even knowing the illness came from something else. What concept best explains this and why is it powerful?
Taste aversion; can form after one pairing and even with delayed onset (biological preparedness)
A coach removes playing time after tardiness. Tardiness decreases. What is it AND what is being removed?
Negative punishment; playing time (a desirable stimulus) is removed
Which schedule produces the greatest resistance to extinction and why?
Variable ratio; reinforcement is unpredictable, so behavior persists (partial reinforcement effect)
A student stops trying after repeated failures, even when tasks become easier later. Identify the concept.
Learned helplessness