At the National Zoological Park in Washington, D. C., a polar bear suffered a broken tooth and keepers needed a safe way of treating the problem. The bear was rewarded first for sticking its nose through a slot in the cage door,
then for allowing a keeper to lift its lip and touch its teeth. Finally, a veterinarian was able to treat the damaged tooth while the bear waited placidly for its familiar reward. This is an example of ________.
a. negative reinforcement
b. secondary learning
c. desensitization
d. shaping
Answer: d
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Marie takes her four children, ages 4, 9, 12, and 14 years, to the museum. If they are typical of children of their age, energy usage by the brain (in terms of consumption of glucose) is most likely highest in which child?
A. the 4-year-old B. the 9-year-old C. the 12-year-old D. the 14-year-old
Erikson's theory has been criticized because it is:
a. irrelevant to the lives of average persons. b. more applicable to women than to men. c. incomplete in its description of the last stage of maturity. d. of more value in the laboratory than in the clinic.
Behaviorists believe that the presentation of ____________ increases the frequency of behavior.
A. positive reinforcers B. discriminative stimuli C. backward conditioning D. inhibitory neurotransmitters
One of Chomsky's most persuasive arguments for refuting Skinner's theory of language acquisition was his observation that children
A. produce sentences they have never heard. B. show similar language development across cultures. C. are rewarded for using correct language. D. learn to follow complex language rules, even though they are not aware of doing so.