Psychology 210:  STUDY QUESTIONS   2012 - 2013

NOTE: Subject to additions or deletions. Questions in red have been added during the course of the year

1. Why study Learning? What are the various roles learning plays in Psychology?
2. What are the characteristics of a good theory?
3. What is a paradigm? How do paradigms change?
4. What were the contributions of  Aristotle, Descartes, Locke, Kant, and Wundt to modern Psychology?
5. What are the implications of Hebb's theories for the empiricist approach (see chapter 15)
6. Describe the main features of empiricism and rationalism. What is the basis of learning in each of these schools? Cite supporting data in each case.
7. What five factors contribute to strength of associations ? Cite supporting evidence.
8. What is meant by reductionism? What problems might we encounter with this approach to psychology?
9. Define Learning. What is the difference between learning and performance? What difficulties might we encounter with performance measures?
10. Why is it necessary to make certain exclusions to our definition of learning?
11. How do we identify and test for native response tendencies?
12. Distinguish between maturation and learning. Cite original examples to illustrate this distinction.
13. Review instances of behaviors that are maturationally driven but draw upon experience for expression
14. Describe a number of possible effects of repeated stimulation.
15. Distinguish between fatigue, habituation and learning.
16. What is the difference between short term and long term habituation?
17. Describe a number of ways in which dishabituation may be achieved
18. Contrast the "state system" view of sensitization with "S-R system" view of habituation.
19. How can we account for the results of the Davis (1974) study whereby different background noises can produce different types of change in responsiveness to repeated stimulation by a constant stimulus.
20. Discuss in detail Sokolov's neuronal model indicating how it accounts for:

a. the orienting response

b. learned responses

c. habituation

d. IRM's and FAP's

e. dishabituation

21. What are the issues on which learning theories divide into SS and SR schools?
22. Name other issues in learning not confined to divisions between theoretical schools.
23. Compare two views of extinction.
24. Name and describe the three major laws associated with Thorndike's Connectionism.
25. Name and fully describe the subordinate laws of Thorndikes theory. Give original examples in each case.
26. Thorndike's concept of associative shifting appears in contemporary literature with "new" names. Discuss.
27. Describe stimulus generalization and the peak shift phenomenon
28. Describe discrimination learning.
29. Describe errorless discrimination learning and its significance.
30. What is the difference between errorless discrimination learning and normal discrimination learning?
31. What is the significance of Thorndike's "line experiment?" Design a further experiment to test the finding suggested by the line experiment.
32. Why did Thorndike have to change his law of effect? What does this reveal?
33. Describe the concept of equipotentiality.
34. What is the significance of the concept of "belongingness?"  Describe contemporary approaches to this issue, referring to specific experimental findings.
35. Name and describe a number of other response constraints on learning.
36. What is "spread of effect?" Design an original demonstration of this phenomenon.
37. What are the essential features of a classical conditioning experiment?
38. Show that you are familiar with the expressions; "generalization of excitation" and "just noticeable difference." What is the difference between generalization and differentiation?
39. Classical Conditioning has been used to assist in the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease as well as Autism and OCD. Describe work by Solomon and Woodruff-Pak which reveals the relationship.
40. Demonstrate your familiarity with the various time relationships between CS and UCS. Are there any applications which arise from these?
41. What are the different forms of inhibition associated with Pavlovian (classical) conditioning?
42. Describe four measures of the strength of conditioning.
43. Describe the factors that contribute to strength iof conditioning.
44. Describe an experiment which demonstrates adaptation. How is adaptation different from habituation?
45. What is pseudoconditioning? Describe an experiment illustrating this phenomenon.
46. What is the significance of the Wickens and Wickens experiment ?
47. Describe interoceptive conditioning, conditioned fear, the conditioned emotional response and sensory preconditioning.
48. Describe an experiment to sensitize an animal to a stimulus.
49. What is higher order conditioning? How do S-R theorists rely on this as an explanation of anticipatory behavior?
50. What is the significance of the finding that the CR is not like the UCR? Apply this to the behavior modification of addiction of abused drugs, e.g., cocaine.
51. What are the phenomena of overshadowing and blocking? How are these different ?
52. Describe and discuss the significance of Rescorla's experiment.
53. What is Kamin's surprisingness mechanism? what is the Kamin - Wagner theory of classical conditioning?
54. How is the CER different from conditioned inhibition or external inhibition ?
55. Design a therapeutic procedure, using classical conditioning procedures, to cure to patient of fear of height. Specify CS, UCS, etc.
56. Design a therapeutic procedure to cure a patient of an undue attraction to certain foods which may be harmful to that individual. Specify CS, UCS, etc.
57. Describe the phenomenon of learned helplessness.
58. Describe MacIntosh's theory of classical conditioning. What evidence supports this view rather than the Resorla-Wagner position.
59. How can MacIntosh's approach account for the fact that partially reinforced subjects may learn more about a complex stimulus then continuously reinforced subjects.
60. How does MacKintosh account for the behavioral persistence of partially reinforced animals.
61. Summarize evidence supporting contingency learning in Classical Conditioning.
62. Describe Bolles cognitive view of classical conditioning. How is this similar/different from Tolman's.
63. What is the basis for Watson's Behaviorism? What are Watsons Laws?
64. What are Watson's views of thinking, instinct, emotion.
65. What is the relationship between Watson's work and modern advertising?
66. What are the basic assumptions of Guthrie's theory?
67. What is the pairing hypothesis. Provide evidence in support of it.
68. How would Guthrie explain the following results.

a. practice brings improvement

b. reward leads to better learning

c. punishment leads to extinction

69. How may habits be broken, according to Guthrie ? Describe in detail.
70. What is sidetracking?
71. What is the significance of the Fowler and Miller, (1963) experiment for Guthrie's theory?
72. What is state-dependent learning?
73. What are the main tenets of Tolman's sign learning?
74. Describe a number of experiments illustrating the difference between place learning and response learning. What experimental results complicate conclusions we may draw in this regard?
75. What difficulties do the place learning and latent learning experiments present for other theories we have considered?
76. What is "learning of probabilistic expectations?" Does this present difficulties to other theories? Why/Why not?
77. What is the Humphrey effect  (now called the PREE)and how can it be accounted for (Discrimination Theory).
78. Experiments on the Generalized Partial Reinforcement Effect (GPRE) provide difficulties for Discrimination Theory and Mackintosh's Theory. Discuss the work on simultaneous and succession GPRE experiments.
79. What do GPRE experiments reveal about behavioral persistence in general.
80. Elaborate on Amsel's frustration hypothesis. What is the IPE?
81. What are the necessary conditions for learning in Hull's theory?
82. Show that you are familiar with the terms of the following equation: SER = SHR x D x V x K - (IR + SIR) - SOR
83. Discuss the significance of the following experiments:

a. CRESPI's elation and depression experiment

b. Sheffield and Roby experiment

84. What are the concepts of the "fractional antedating goal response", and the "habit family hierarchy?"
85. Describe in detail the procedures you would employ to shape an organism to respond on a CRF schedule, and subsequently on a PRF schedule. Use appropriate techniques and vocabulary.
86. Demonstrate your familiarity with "Skinnerian vocabulary" (reinforcement, generalized reinforcers, backward chaining etc.).
87. Discuss the 6 side effects of extinction
88. Review the factors which contribute to resistance to extinction.
89. What are concurrent schedules of reinforcement.
90. What are Skinners views on punishment?
91. Show that you are familiar with ten schedules of reinforcement.
92. Discuss some applications of reinforcement schedules as behavior management tools (e.g., concurrent schedules) and as diagnostic tools (e.g. DRL schedules).
93. What are the essential features of programmed learning? Do you feel this is a useful technique? Why/why not?
94. What are Skinners views on the control and prediction of behavior in society? Do you agree/disagree? Explain in detail?
95. What are Skinner's views on: creativity, freedom, cognitive science.
96. What objections can be raised against Skinner denial of purpose, intention, will, etc. Alternately, support Skinners philosophy.
97. Discuss a number of empirical criticisms levelled against radical behaviorism.
98. How does Skinner account for the "choice" behavior we might see illustrated in the Kahnmen & Tversky study.
99. Cite 3 major criticisms of token economies, with supportive evidence.
100. What is the Premack Principal? What are the implications of this?
101. What is the significance of the Breland & Breland work?
102. What are the Gestalt Laws, subsidiary laws, and principles? Give examples.
103. Discuss how Gestalt theory, S-R theory, and ratio theory account for the phenomenon of transposition.
104. The phenomenon of behavioral persistence has been addressed by discrimination theory, S-R theory, Gestalt theory, and MacKintosh's analyser theory. Describe in detail each of these accounts of persistence behavior.
105. What are the similarities and differences between classical and instrumental conditioning.
106. Learning through modelling has been conceptualized in different ways by different theorists. Discuss three such views, citing the strengths and/or weaknesses in each case.