HSCO 506 EXAM 3 FINAL PAPER 2026
QUESTIONS WITH COMPLETE SOLUTIONS
GRADED A+
◉ Law of effect. Answer: actions that lead to a "satisfying state of
affairs"are more likely to be repeated
◉ B.F Skinner. Answer: operant conditioning
◉ operant conditioning. Answer: the process by which a stimulus &
response become associated with the consequences of making the
response
Antecedent (Stimulus): lever
Behavior (response): Pressing down lever
Consequence: food
◉ Four Consequences to operant conditioning. Answer: Positive
reinforcement
Negative reinforcement
Positive punishment
Negative punishment
,◉ Reinforcement. Answer: pleasant" outcome; increases responses
◉ positive reinforcement. Answer: presentation of a pleasant
object/event
◉ negative reinforcement. Answer: removal of an unpleasant
object/event
◉ punishment. Answer: unpleasant" outcome; decreases responses
◉ positive punishment. Answer: presentation of an unpleasant
object/event
◉ negative punishment. Answer: removal of a pleasant object/event
◉ shaping. Answer: Reinforcement of successive approximations of
the complex behavior1.
◉ continuous reinforcement. Answer: reinforcement given for each
target response
• fast learning rate
• highly susceptible to extinction
, ◉ partial reinforcement. Answer: • reinforcement given only
intermittently
• slower learning rate
• less susceptible to extinction
◉ interval schedule. Answer: • Fixed-Interval: Leads to inconsistent
responses
• Variable-Interval: Leads to consistent, but slow responses
◉ ratio schedule. Answer: • Fixed-Ratio: high response rate & slight
cessation after reward
• Variable-Ratio: high response rate, no cessation & most resistant to
extinction
◉ Applications of operant conditioning. Answer: Behavior
Modification
• Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA Therapy)
• Token Reinforcement Systems (TRS)
- TRS works for modifying behaviors
◉ Limitations of operant conditioning. Answer: • Learning can still
occur without any behavior!
• Even for animal behavior, cognitive theories seem necessary
QUESTIONS WITH COMPLETE SOLUTIONS
GRADED A+
◉ Law of effect. Answer: actions that lead to a "satisfying state of
affairs"are more likely to be repeated
◉ B.F Skinner. Answer: operant conditioning
◉ operant conditioning. Answer: the process by which a stimulus &
response become associated with the consequences of making the
response
Antecedent (Stimulus): lever
Behavior (response): Pressing down lever
Consequence: food
◉ Four Consequences to operant conditioning. Answer: Positive
reinforcement
Negative reinforcement
Positive punishment
Negative punishment
,◉ Reinforcement. Answer: pleasant" outcome; increases responses
◉ positive reinforcement. Answer: presentation of a pleasant
object/event
◉ negative reinforcement. Answer: removal of an unpleasant
object/event
◉ punishment. Answer: unpleasant" outcome; decreases responses
◉ positive punishment. Answer: presentation of an unpleasant
object/event
◉ negative punishment. Answer: removal of a pleasant object/event
◉ shaping. Answer: Reinforcement of successive approximations of
the complex behavior1.
◉ continuous reinforcement. Answer: reinforcement given for each
target response
• fast learning rate
• highly susceptible to extinction
, ◉ partial reinforcement. Answer: • reinforcement given only
intermittently
• slower learning rate
• less susceptible to extinction
◉ interval schedule. Answer: • Fixed-Interval: Leads to inconsistent
responses
• Variable-Interval: Leads to consistent, but slow responses
◉ ratio schedule. Answer: • Fixed-Ratio: high response rate & slight
cessation after reward
• Variable-Ratio: high response rate, no cessation & most resistant to
extinction
◉ Applications of operant conditioning. Answer: Behavior
Modification
• Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA Therapy)
• Token Reinforcement Systems (TRS)
- TRS works for modifying behaviors
◉ Limitations of operant conditioning. Answer: • Learning can still
occur without any behavior!
• Even for animal behavior, cognitive theories seem necessary
