RUTGERS GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY EXAM 3 —
PROFESSOR LARRY JACOBS Actual Exam Complete
Questions and Answers Detailed Rationales Pass
Guaranteed - A+ Graded
══════════════════════════════════════
SECTION 1: LEARNING & CONDITIONING (CLASSICAL, OPERANT, OBSERVATIONAL) Q1
– Q10
══════════════════════════════════════
Question 1 of 50
A college student ate shrimp at a beach party and spent the next day vomiting from
food poisoning. Three months later, she walks past a seafood restaurant and
immediately feels nauseous.
A. This is an example of operant punishment because vomiting reduced her desire for
shrimp
B. This illustrates taste aversion learning, a specialized form of classical conditioning ✓
CORRECT
C. This demonstrates latent learning because the nausea appeared long after the
incident
D. This shows observational learning since she watched others get sick at the party
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Taste aversion is a powerful form of classical conditioning in which a neutral
stimulus becomes associated with nausea after just one pairing, often with a long delay
between the conditioned stimulus and unconditioned stimulus. Operant punishment
requires a behavior to be weakened by its consequences, but the student did not choose
to eat shrimp again and then feel sick. Latent learning describes knowledge that is
,acquired without obvious reinforcement and only demonstrated later, which does not fit
this physiological response.
Question 2 of 50
A dog trainer gives her dog a treat every third time it sits on command, but sometimes
after two sits, sometimes after four.
A. Fixed interval schedule
B. Fixed ratio schedule
C. Continuous reinforcement
D. Variable ratio schedule ✓ CORRECT
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: A variable ratio schedule delivers reinforcement after an unpredictable
number of responses, which produces high and steady response rates and is highly
resistant to extinction. A fixed ratio schedule would require a consistent number of
responses, such as exactly every third sit. Continuous reinforcement provides a reward
after every single response, which is not the case here.
Question 3 of 50
A 7-year-old boy sees his father light a cigarette after dinner every evening. One day, the
child picks up a pencil and pretends to smoke it after his own meal.
A. This demonstrates observational learning through modeling and imitation ✓
CORRECT
B. This is classical conditioning because dinner became associated with smoking cues
C. This illustrates negative reinforcement because the father appears relaxed after
smoking
D. This shows latent learning since the child did not immediately copy the behavior
Correct Answer: A
, Rationale: Observational learning occurs when an individual acquires a behavior by
watching others perform it, and the child is clearly imitating his father's specific
post-dinner smoking ritual. Classical conditioning involves associating a neutral
stimulus with an unconditioned response, but the child is reproducing a voluntary
behavior rather than responding to an automatic association. Negative reinforcement
strengthens behavior by removing an aversive stimulus, which is not demonstrated in
this scenario.
Question 4 of 50
A woman developed a phobia of dogs after being bitten by a neighbor's German
shepherd. She moved to a new neighborhood where all the dogs are friendly and
non-threatening. After several weeks of walking past calm dogs without incident, her
heart no longer races when she sees them.
A. Stimulus generalization
B. Extinction ✓ CORRECT
C. Spontaneous recovery
D. Counterconditioning
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Extinction in classical conditioning occurs when the conditioned stimulus is
repeatedly presented without the unconditioned stimulus, gradually weakening the
conditioned response. Stimulus generalization would involve reacting similarly to other
animals that resemble dogs, not a reduction in the response itself. Spontaneous
recovery describes the sudden return of an extinguished response after a rest period,
which has not yet occurred here.
Question 5 of 50
A college student experiences heartburn while studying. She takes an antacid, and the
discomfort disappears. She now keeps antacids on her desk whenever she studies.
PROFESSOR LARRY JACOBS Actual Exam Complete
Questions and Answers Detailed Rationales Pass
Guaranteed - A+ Graded
══════════════════════════════════════
SECTION 1: LEARNING & CONDITIONING (CLASSICAL, OPERANT, OBSERVATIONAL) Q1
– Q10
══════════════════════════════════════
Question 1 of 50
A college student ate shrimp at a beach party and spent the next day vomiting from
food poisoning. Three months later, she walks past a seafood restaurant and
immediately feels nauseous.
A. This is an example of operant punishment because vomiting reduced her desire for
shrimp
B. This illustrates taste aversion learning, a specialized form of classical conditioning ✓
CORRECT
C. This demonstrates latent learning because the nausea appeared long after the
incident
D. This shows observational learning since she watched others get sick at the party
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Taste aversion is a powerful form of classical conditioning in which a neutral
stimulus becomes associated with nausea after just one pairing, often with a long delay
between the conditioned stimulus and unconditioned stimulus. Operant punishment
requires a behavior to be weakened by its consequences, but the student did not choose
to eat shrimp again and then feel sick. Latent learning describes knowledge that is
,acquired without obvious reinforcement and only demonstrated later, which does not fit
this physiological response.
Question 2 of 50
A dog trainer gives her dog a treat every third time it sits on command, but sometimes
after two sits, sometimes after four.
A. Fixed interval schedule
B. Fixed ratio schedule
C. Continuous reinforcement
D. Variable ratio schedule ✓ CORRECT
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: A variable ratio schedule delivers reinforcement after an unpredictable
number of responses, which produces high and steady response rates and is highly
resistant to extinction. A fixed ratio schedule would require a consistent number of
responses, such as exactly every third sit. Continuous reinforcement provides a reward
after every single response, which is not the case here.
Question 3 of 50
A 7-year-old boy sees his father light a cigarette after dinner every evening. One day, the
child picks up a pencil and pretends to smoke it after his own meal.
A. This demonstrates observational learning through modeling and imitation ✓
CORRECT
B. This is classical conditioning because dinner became associated with smoking cues
C. This illustrates negative reinforcement because the father appears relaxed after
smoking
D. This shows latent learning since the child did not immediately copy the behavior
Correct Answer: A
, Rationale: Observational learning occurs when an individual acquires a behavior by
watching others perform it, and the child is clearly imitating his father's specific
post-dinner smoking ritual. Classical conditioning involves associating a neutral
stimulus with an unconditioned response, but the child is reproducing a voluntary
behavior rather than responding to an automatic association. Negative reinforcement
strengthens behavior by removing an aversive stimulus, which is not demonstrated in
this scenario.
Question 4 of 50
A woman developed a phobia of dogs after being bitten by a neighbor's German
shepherd. She moved to a new neighborhood where all the dogs are friendly and
non-threatening. After several weeks of walking past calm dogs without incident, her
heart no longer races when she sees them.
A. Stimulus generalization
B. Extinction ✓ CORRECT
C. Spontaneous recovery
D. Counterconditioning
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Extinction in classical conditioning occurs when the conditioned stimulus is
repeatedly presented without the unconditioned stimulus, gradually weakening the
conditioned response. Stimulus generalization would involve reacting similarly to other
animals that resemble dogs, not a reduction in the response itself. Spontaneous
recovery describes the sudden return of an extinguished response after a rest period,
which has not yet occurred here.
Question 5 of 50
A college student experiences heartburn while studying. She takes an antacid, and the
discomfort disappears. She now keeps antacids on her desk whenever she studies.
