PSYC 101 | PSYC101 Exam 3: General Psychology
Updated and Latest Questions and Correct
Answers with Rationale - Portage Learning
1. In Pavlov’s classic experiment with dogs, what was the bell before any conditioning took
place?
A. Neutral Stimulus
B. Conditioned Response
C. Unconditioned Stimulus
D. Conditioned Stimulus
Correct Answer: A
Explanation: Before conditioning, a bell does not naturally elicit a salivation response in a
dog. Therefore, it is considered a neutral stimulus because it triggers focus but no specific
reflexive behavior. Once it is paired with food, it gradually becomes the conditioned
stimulus. The food itself is the unconditioned stimulus that naturally causes the response.
Understanding the baseline state of stimuli is essential for analyzing the classical
conditioning process.
2. Which schedule of reinforcement is associated with the highest and most steady rate of
responding, similar to a slot machine?
A. Fixed-Ratio
B. Variable-Ratio
C. Fixed-Interval
D. Variable-Interval
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: A variable-ratio schedule provides reinforcement after an unpredictable
number of responses. This unpredictability creates a high rate of engagement because the
reward could come at any moment. Fixed-ratio schedules are less steady because they
often include a post-reinforcement pause. Interval schedules focus on time rather than the
number of responses. This schedule effectively explains the addictive nature of gambling
and certain video games.
3. When a child learns to fear all furry white animals after being conditioned to fear a white
rat, what has occurred?
A. Discrimination
B. Extinction
,C. Spontaneous Recovery
D. Generalization
Correct Answer: D
Explanation: Stimulus generalization occurs when a conditioned response is triggered by
stimuli that are similar to the original conditioned stimulus. In the Little Albert study, the
fear of the rat spread to rabbits and fur coats. Discrimination is the opposite, where the
subject learns to respond only to a specific stimulus. Extinction happens when the
conditioned stimulus is repeatedly presented without the unconditioned stimulus. This
concept highlights how emotional responses can expand beyond their initial triggers.
4. A student receives a ‘good job’ sticker every time they finish their homework, which
increases their completion rate. This is an example of:
A. Positive Reinforcement
B. Positive Punishment
C. Negative Reinforcement
D. Negative Punishment
Correct Answer: A
Explanation: Positive reinforcement involves adding a desirable stimulus to increase the
frequency of a behavior. Here, the sticker is the added reward that encourages the student
to keep doing homework. Negative reinforcement would involve removing something
unpleasant to increase behavior. Punishment of any kind is intended to decrease behavior
rather than increase it. This scenario illustrates a fundamental principle of operant
conditioning used in educational settings.
5. Taking an aspirin to relieve a painful headache is an example of which behavioral process?
A. Positive Reinforcement
B. Negative Reinforcement
C. Positive Punishment
D. Negative Punishment
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: Negative reinforcement increases a behavior by removing an aversive or
unpleasant stimulus. In this case, the behavior of taking aspirin is strengthened because it
removes the pain of the headache. It is often confused with punishment, but reinforcement
always aims to increase behavior. Positive reinforcement would require adding a reward
like a candy bar after taking the pill. This mechanism explains why many relief-seeking
behaviors become habitual over time.
, 6. Bandura’s Bobo doll experiment demonstrated that children can learn aggression through
which process?
A. Classical Conditioning
B. Operant Conditioning
C. Latent Learning
D. Observational Learning
Correct Answer: D
Explanation: Observational learning occurs when an individual watches the behavior of a
model and later mimics it. Bandura showed that children who saw an adult act aggressively
toward the doll were likely to do the same. This does not require direct reinforcement or a
reflexive pairing of stimuli. Latent learning refers to knowledge that stays hidden until
there is an incentive to use it. This study revolutionized psychology by emphasizing the
social context of learning and behavior.
7. What is the capacity of short-term memory according to George Miller’s classic research?
A. 3 plus or minus 1 items
B. 7 plus or minus 2 items
C. 12 plus or minus 4 items
D. Unlimited
E. none of the above
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: George Miller identified the capacity of short-term memory as ‘The Magical
Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two.’ This suggests that most people can hold between five
and nine chunks of information at once. Long-term memory, by contrast, is thought to have
a virtually unlimited capacity. Sensory memory holds information for only a fraction of a
second before it fades. Understanding this limit helps in designing better instructional
materials and study habits.
8. Which memory process is responsible for the initial processing of information into the
memory system?
A. Retrieval
B. Storage
C. Consolidation
D. Encoding
Correct Answer: D
Updated and Latest Questions and Correct
Answers with Rationale - Portage Learning
1. In Pavlov’s classic experiment with dogs, what was the bell before any conditioning took
place?
A. Neutral Stimulus
B. Conditioned Response
C. Unconditioned Stimulus
D. Conditioned Stimulus
Correct Answer: A
Explanation: Before conditioning, a bell does not naturally elicit a salivation response in a
dog. Therefore, it is considered a neutral stimulus because it triggers focus but no specific
reflexive behavior. Once it is paired with food, it gradually becomes the conditioned
stimulus. The food itself is the unconditioned stimulus that naturally causes the response.
Understanding the baseline state of stimuli is essential for analyzing the classical
conditioning process.
2. Which schedule of reinforcement is associated with the highest and most steady rate of
responding, similar to a slot machine?
A. Fixed-Ratio
B. Variable-Ratio
C. Fixed-Interval
D. Variable-Interval
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: A variable-ratio schedule provides reinforcement after an unpredictable
number of responses. This unpredictability creates a high rate of engagement because the
reward could come at any moment. Fixed-ratio schedules are less steady because they
often include a post-reinforcement pause. Interval schedules focus on time rather than the
number of responses. This schedule effectively explains the addictive nature of gambling
and certain video games.
3. When a child learns to fear all furry white animals after being conditioned to fear a white
rat, what has occurred?
A. Discrimination
B. Extinction
,C. Spontaneous Recovery
D. Generalization
Correct Answer: D
Explanation: Stimulus generalization occurs when a conditioned response is triggered by
stimuli that are similar to the original conditioned stimulus. In the Little Albert study, the
fear of the rat spread to rabbits and fur coats. Discrimination is the opposite, where the
subject learns to respond only to a specific stimulus. Extinction happens when the
conditioned stimulus is repeatedly presented without the unconditioned stimulus. This
concept highlights how emotional responses can expand beyond their initial triggers.
4. A student receives a ‘good job’ sticker every time they finish their homework, which
increases their completion rate. This is an example of:
A. Positive Reinforcement
B. Positive Punishment
C. Negative Reinforcement
D. Negative Punishment
Correct Answer: A
Explanation: Positive reinforcement involves adding a desirable stimulus to increase the
frequency of a behavior. Here, the sticker is the added reward that encourages the student
to keep doing homework. Negative reinforcement would involve removing something
unpleasant to increase behavior. Punishment of any kind is intended to decrease behavior
rather than increase it. This scenario illustrates a fundamental principle of operant
conditioning used in educational settings.
5. Taking an aspirin to relieve a painful headache is an example of which behavioral process?
A. Positive Reinforcement
B. Negative Reinforcement
C. Positive Punishment
D. Negative Punishment
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: Negative reinforcement increases a behavior by removing an aversive or
unpleasant stimulus. In this case, the behavior of taking aspirin is strengthened because it
removes the pain of the headache. It is often confused with punishment, but reinforcement
always aims to increase behavior. Positive reinforcement would require adding a reward
like a candy bar after taking the pill. This mechanism explains why many relief-seeking
behaviors become habitual over time.
, 6. Bandura’s Bobo doll experiment demonstrated that children can learn aggression through
which process?
A. Classical Conditioning
B. Operant Conditioning
C. Latent Learning
D. Observational Learning
Correct Answer: D
Explanation: Observational learning occurs when an individual watches the behavior of a
model and later mimics it. Bandura showed that children who saw an adult act aggressively
toward the doll were likely to do the same. This does not require direct reinforcement or a
reflexive pairing of stimuli. Latent learning refers to knowledge that stays hidden until
there is an incentive to use it. This study revolutionized psychology by emphasizing the
social context of learning and behavior.
7. What is the capacity of short-term memory according to George Miller’s classic research?
A. 3 plus or minus 1 items
B. 7 plus or minus 2 items
C. 12 plus or minus 4 items
D. Unlimited
E. none of the above
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: George Miller identified the capacity of short-term memory as ‘The Magical
Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two.’ This suggests that most people can hold between five
and nine chunks of information at once. Long-term memory, by contrast, is thought to have
a virtually unlimited capacity. Sensory memory holds information for only a fraction of a
second before it fades. Understanding this limit helps in designing better instructional
materials and study habits.
8. Which memory process is responsible for the initial processing of information into the
memory system?
A. Retrieval
B. Storage
C. Consolidation
D. Encoding
Correct Answer: D
