PSY 255 Quiz 2: Chapters 5-6 Practice Exam
Behavioral and Social Learning Perspectives of
Personality 2026/2027 Academic Year.
DOMAIN 1: Classical Conditioning & Pavlovian Paradigms (8 Questions)
Question 1 (Multiple-Choice)
Sub-Topic: Identification of UCS, UCR, CS, and CR in a Little Albert-style phobia
vignette
Dr. Watson presents a white rat (a neutral stimulus) to 11-month-old Albert. As
Albert reaches for the rat, Dr. Watson strikes a steel bar with a hammer directly
behind Albert's head, producing a loud, frightening noise. Albert startles violently,
cries, and shows distress. After several pairings, Albert begins to cry and show
distress the moment he sees the white rat alone, even without the loud noise.
In this classic conditioning paradigm, what is the Unconditioned Response (UCR)?
A. The white rat
B. The loud noise of the hammer striking the steel bar
C. Albert's crying and distress in response to the loud noise
D. Albert's crying and distress in response to the white rat alone
Answer: C [CORRECT]
Rationale: The Unconditioned Response (UCR) is the naturally occurring, reflexive
response to the Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS) that requires no prior learning.
Albert's crying and distress in response to the loud, frightening noise is an innate,
unlearned fear reaction. The loud noise itself is the UCS, the white rat becomes the
CS after pairing, and Albert's crying at the sight of the rat alone becomes the CR.
Question 2 (Multiple-Choice)
,Sub-Topic: Identification of UCS, UCR, CS, and CR in a Little Albert-style phobia
vignette
Following the conditioning procedure in which a neutral stimulus was paired with a
traumatic event, 11-month-old Albert now shows a conditioned fear response.
Which of the following correctly identifies the Conditioned Stimulus (CS) in this
Pavlovian paradigm?
A. The loud noise produced by the hammer striking the steel bar
B. Albert's innate startle reflex to sudden loud sounds
C. The white rat, which was originally neutral but now elicits fear after repeated
pairing with the UCS
D. The laboratory room where the conditioning took place
Answer: C [CORRECT]
Rationale: The Conditioned Stimulus (CS) is the originally neutral stimulus that
acquires the power to elicit a response after being repeatedly paired with the
Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS). The white rat was initially neutral to Albert; through
systematic pairing with the loud, frightening noise (UCS), the rat became a signal
for danger and now triggers the conditioned fear response on its own.
Question 3 (Multiple-Choice)
Sub-Topic: Identification of UCS, UCR, CS, and CR in a Little Albert-style phobia
vignette
In the Little Albert conditioning experiment, after several pairings of the white rat
with the loud noise, Albert exhibits a fear response upon seeing the rat alone. In
Pavlovian terms, what has occurred when Albert cries and recoils from the white rat
without the hammer being struck?
A. Spontaneous recovery of an extinguished response
, B. The emergence of the Conditioned Response (CR)
C. Stimulus discrimination between the rat and other furry objects
D. Negative reinforcement of avoidance behavior
Answer: B [CORRECT]
Rationale: The Conditioned Response (CR) is the learned response to the previously
neutral (now conditioned) stimulus. Albert's crying and recoiling from the white rat
alone represents the CR, which is similar in form to the original UCR (fear response
to the loud noise) but is now triggered by the CS (the white rat) rather than the UCS
(the loud noise). This demonstrates the core principle of classical conditioning: a
neutral stimulus has acquired the capacity to elicit a learned emotional response.
Question 4 (True/False)
Sub-Topic: Aversive Counterconditioning applied to a nail-biting habit
A clinical psychologist treats a client's chronic nail-biting habit by applying a bitter-
tasting, non-toxic polish to the fingernails. Each time the client attempts to bite
their nails, they experience an intensely unpleasant bitter taste. Over time, the client
stops biting their nails. This therapeutic technique is an example of aversive
counterconditioning, in which a previously satisfying behavior is paired with a new,
unpleasant unconditioned stimulus to create a conditioned aversion.
True / False
Answer: True [CORRECT]
Rationale: This is a correct application of aversive counterconditioning, a classical
conditioning technique. The nail-biting behavior, which was previously paired with
satisfaction or tension relief, is now systematically paired with an unpleasant
unconditioned stimulus (the bitter taste, which naturally elicits disgust/avoidance as
a UCR). Through repeated pairing, the act of nail-biting becomes a conditioned
Behavioral and Social Learning Perspectives of
Personality 2026/2027 Academic Year.
DOMAIN 1: Classical Conditioning & Pavlovian Paradigms (8 Questions)
Question 1 (Multiple-Choice)
Sub-Topic: Identification of UCS, UCR, CS, and CR in a Little Albert-style phobia
vignette
Dr. Watson presents a white rat (a neutral stimulus) to 11-month-old Albert. As
Albert reaches for the rat, Dr. Watson strikes a steel bar with a hammer directly
behind Albert's head, producing a loud, frightening noise. Albert startles violently,
cries, and shows distress. After several pairings, Albert begins to cry and show
distress the moment he sees the white rat alone, even without the loud noise.
In this classic conditioning paradigm, what is the Unconditioned Response (UCR)?
A. The white rat
B. The loud noise of the hammer striking the steel bar
C. Albert's crying and distress in response to the loud noise
D. Albert's crying and distress in response to the white rat alone
Answer: C [CORRECT]
Rationale: The Unconditioned Response (UCR) is the naturally occurring, reflexive
response to the Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS) that requires no prior learning.
Albert's crying and distress in response to the loud, frightening noise is an innate,
unlearned fear reaction. The loud noise itself is the UCS, the white rat becomes the
CS after pairing, and Albert's crying at the sight of the rat alone becomes the CR.
Question 2 (Multiple-Choice)
,Sub-Topic: Identification of UCS, UCR, CS, and CR in a Little Albert-style phobia
vignette
Following the conditioning procedure in which a neutral stimulus was paired with a
traumatic event, 11-month-old Albert now shows a conditioned fear response.
Which of the following correctly identifies the Conditioned Stimulus (CS) in this
Pavlovian paradigm?
A. The loud noise produced by the hammer striking the steel bar
B. Albert's innate startle reflex to sudden loud sounds
C. The white rat, which was originally neutral but now elicits fear after repeated
pairing with the UCS
D. The laboratory room where the conditioning took place
Answer: C [CORRECT]
Rationale: The Conditioned Stimulus (CS) is the originally neutral stimulus that
acquires the power to elicit a response after being repeatedly paired with the
Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS). The white rat was initially neutral to Albert; through
systematic pairing with the loud, frightening noise (UCS), the rat became a signal
for danger and now triggers the conditioned fear response on its own.
Question 3 (Multiple-Choice)
Sub-Topic: Identification of UCS, UCR, CS, and CR in a Little Albert-style phobia
vignette
In the Little Albert conditioning experiment, after several pairings of the white rat
with the loud noise, Albert exhibits a fear response upon seeing the rat alone. In
Pavlovian terms, what has occurred when Albert cries and recoils from the white rat
without the hammer being struck?
A. Spontaneous recovery of an extinguished response
, B. The emergence of the Conditioned Response (CR)
C. Stimulus discrimination between the rat and other furry objects
D. Negative reinforcement of avoidance behavior
Answer: B [CORRECT]
Rationale: The Conditioned Response (CR) is the learned response to the previously
neutral (now conditioned) stimulus. Albert's crying and recoiling from the white rat
alone represents the CR, which is similar in form to the original UCR (fear response
to the loud noise) but is now triggered by the CS (the white rat) rather than the UCS
(the loud noise). This demonstrates the core principle of classical conditioning: a
neutral stimulus has acquired the capacity to elicit a learned emotional response.
Question 4 (True/False)
Sub-Topic: Aversive Counterconditioning applied to a nail-biting habit
A clinical psychologist treats a client's chronic nail-biting habit by applying a bitter-
tasting, non-toxic polish to the fingernails. Each time the client attempts to bite
their nails, they experience an intensely unpleasant bitter taste. Over time, the client
stops biting their nails. This therapeutic technique is an example of aversive
counterconditioning, in which a previously satisfying behavior is paired with a new,
unpleasant unconditioned stimulus to create a conditioned aversion.
True / False
Answer: True [CORRECT]
Rationale: This is a correct application of aversive counterconditioning, a classical
conditioning technique. The nail-biting behavior, which was previously paired with
satisfaction or tension relief, is now systematically paired with an unpleasant
unconditioned stimulus (the bitter taste, which naturally elicits disgust/avoidance as
a UCR). Through repeated pairing, the act of nail-biting becomes a conditioned
