Child Psychology - Qp12

Skinner used the term "reinforcer" to describe whatever was used to increase the probability of the preceding action being repeated. A reinforcer is a stimulus or event that follows a behavior and strengthens the likelihood of that behavior occurring again in the future. It can be positive, such as a reward or praise, or negative, such as the removal of an aversive stimulus. By using reinforcers, Skinner believed that behavior could be shaped and controlled.

UCS stands for Unconditioned Stimulus in the context of Pavlov's experiment. In classical conditioning, the UCS refers to a stimulus that naturally and automatically triggers a response without any prior learning. It is an important concept in Pavlov's experiment, where the UCS is typically a biologically significant stimulus, such as food or pain, that elicits a reflexive response, like salivation or flinching. The UCS is paired with a neutral stimulus, which eventually becomes a conditioned stimulus (CS) that can elicit the same response after being associated with the UCS through repeated pairings.

In Pavlov's experiment, he paired the sound of a buzzer with the presentation of food to the dogs. Over time, the dogs began to associate the sound of the buzzer with the food, causing them to salivate even when the food was not present. This demonstrates classical conditioning, where the buzzer became a conditioned stimulus that elicited a conditioned response (salivation) in the dogs. Therefore, the correct answer is true.

Thorndike proposed the Law of Effect, which states that behaviors that are followed by positive consequences are more likely to be repeated, while behaviors followed by negative consequences are less likely to be repeated. This law is a fundamental principle in the field of psychology and has been widely studied and supported by research. Therefore, the given answer "True" is correct.

Bandura's research suggests that children are more likely to imitate models who are similar to themselves rather than those who are dissimilar. This is because children tend to identify more with individuals who are similar to them in terms of characteristics, interests, and behaviors. Additionally, Bandura found that children are also more likely to imitate models who possess strength, power, or possessions, as these qualities are often associated with success and influence.

Classical conditioning is a type of learning in which a stimulus is paired with a response to create a learned association. This type of conditioning has been proven to be effective in influencing human behavior. For example, Pavlov's famous experiment with dogs demonstrated that by pairing a bell with food, the dogs learned to associate the bell with the expectation of food and would salivate at the sound of the bell alone. Therefore, it is possible to classically condition human behavior, making the given answer "False" correct.

If the unconditioned response ceases, it is not known as extinction. Extinction refers to the gradual disappearance of a conditioned response when the conditioned stimulus is repeatedly presented without the unconditioned stimulus. In this case, if the unconditioned response ceases, it would not lead to extinction, but rather a lack of response altogether.