A Skinner box (operant chamber) is used to study

Answer: How animals learn from rewards and punishments Levers, lights, and food dispensers measure behavior under controlled conditions.

Answer: Innately satisfies a biological need (food, water, warmth) No prior learning needed.

Which schedule is expected to produce the highest steady response rate during reinforcement?

Answer: Variable ratio Variable-ratio schedules produce the highest, steadiest rates of responding because reinforcement can occur after any response.

AP Psychology · Topic 3.8

Operant Conditioning Practice

Part of Development and Learning.

Practice questions

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Sample questions

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Sample 1difficulty 3/5
$A Skinner box (operant chamber) is used to study$
- A
  $How sensory receptors adapt to constant stimulation$
- B
  $How animals learn from rewards and punishments$
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- C
  $How innate reflexes develop in newborn animals$
- D
  $How sleep cycles influence memory consolidation$
Why
$Levers, lights, and food dispensers measure behavior under controlled conditions.$
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Sample 2difficulty 3/5
$A primary reinforcer$
- A
  $Loses reinforcing power when biological needs are met$
- B
  $Innately satisfies a biological need (food, water, warmth)$
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- C
  $Functions only when paired with a punishment$
- D
  $Gains its value through learned association (money, praise)$
Why
$No prior learning needed.$
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Sample 3difficulty 3/5
$In a study, researchers placed rats in operant chambers where pressing a lever delivered a food pellet. One group received a pellet for every press (continuous), a second group received a pellet on average every 5 presses (variable ratio), and a third group received a pellet every fixed 30 seconds for the first press after the interval (fixed interval). Researchers later measured response rates after withdrawing reinforcement.$
$Which schedule is expected to produce the highest steady response rate during reinforcement?$
- A
  $Fixed interval$
- B
  $Variable ratio$
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- C
  $Fixed ratio with long ratio requirement$
- D
  $Continuous reinforcement$
Why
$Variable-ratio schedules produce the highest, steadiest rates of responding because reinforcement can occur after any response.$
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Sample 4difficulty 3/5
$In a study, researchers placed rats in operant chambers where pressing a lever delivered a food pellet. One group received a pellet for every press (continuous), a second group received a pellet on average every 5 presses (variable ratio), and a third group received a pellet every fixed 30 seconds for the first press after the interval (fixed interval). Researchers later measured response rates after withdrawing reinforcement.$
$After reinforcement is withdrawn, which group should show the greatest resistance to extinction?$
- A
  $The variable-ratio group$
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- B
  $The continuous reinforcement group$
- C
  $The fixed-interval group, due to predictable spacing$
- D
  $All groups should extinguish at equal rates$
Why
$The partial reinforcement effect: intermittent (especially variable) schedules produce greater resistance to extinction than continuous reinforcement.$
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Sample 5difficulty 3/5
$Behaviorism (Watson, Skinner) studies$
- A
  $The hidden dynamics of the unconscious mind$
- B
  $The detailed anatomy of the human brain$
- C
  $The genetic factors underlying personality$
- D
  $Observable behavior, rejecting unobservable mental processes$
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Why
$Dominated American psychology mid-20th century.$
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