Question 1

Suppose a student uses inappropriate language in class.Describe how you would attempt to change this student's behaviour using positive or negative reinforcement.

Accepted Answer

The student can be praised,offered points,or given privileges if he or she does not use inappropriate language or if there is a decrease in the use of inappropriate language (positive reinforcement).The student could be given an exemption from undesirable tasks if his or her use of inappropriate language decreases.For example,homework passes or classroom chores can be removed if the student's language improves (negative reinforcement).

Question 2

Describe the process of how conditioned taste aversions are developed and how principles of learning and reinforcement are being used to avoid these aversions in cancer patients.

Accepted Answer

Conditioned taste aversion refers to the fact that classical conditioning can lead us to develop avoidance reactions to the taste of food.In contrast to most classically conditioned reactions,which require repeated pairings between CS and UCS,conditioned taste aversions typically require only one trial to develop.Conditioned taste aversions tend to be remarkably specific and display little evidence of stimulus generalization.
Conditioned taste aversions are a particular problem among cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy,which frequently induces nausea and vomiting.As a result,they often develop an aversion to any food that preceded chemotherapy,even though they realize it bears no logical connection to the treatment.Fortunately,health psychologists (see Chapter 12)have developed a clever way around this problem.Capitalizing on the specificity of conditioned taste aversions,they ask cancer patients to eat an unfamiliar scapegoat food-a novel food of which they aren't fond-prior to chemotherapy.In general,the taste aversion becomes conditioned to the scapegoat food rather than to patients' preferred foods (Andresen,Birch,& Johnson,1990).

Question 3

Describe the similarities and differences between operant conditioning theory and observational learning theory.

Accepted Answer

Both theories use punishment and reinforcement principles.Both use schedules of reinforcement.Observational learning involves conditioning observers through the use of models who are reinforced or punished,while operant conditioning involves direct reinforcement of individuals.

Exam 6: A: Learning

Suppose a student uses inappropriate language in class.Describe how you would attempt to change this student's behaviour using positive or negative reinforcement.

Describe the process of how conditioned taste aversions are developed and how principles of learning and reinforcement are being used to avoid these aversions in cancer patients.

Describe the similarities and differences between operant conditioning theory and observational learning theory.