Name:

PSYCHOLOGY 435

Fall, 2000: Test #2

Part I. Please answer all three questions in this section. Questions 2 and 3 are worth 30 points each, and Question 1 is worth 20 points. (Distribute your time accordingly!) As always, you should CITE EXPERIMENTAL EVIDENCE (including names!), where possible, to support your answers.

1. Compare and contrast Miller’s Comparator Theory of Classical Conditioning with the Wagner Rehearsal Theory. Discuss what each is, the predictions they make, their stance on inhibition, and the experiments that support or disconfirm each.

2. Compare and contrast Hull’s Drive Reduction Theory of learning with Skinner’s and Tolman’s approaches. Discuss the similarities and the differences, and the experiments that are relevant to evaluating the strengths or weaknesses of each theory.

3. Discuss the following claims, and the experimental evidence (in some cases, there are several experiments that can be discussed!) that falsifies each:

►           all reinforcers are transsituational

►           there is no long-delay learning in operant/instrumental conditioning

►           the only things that matter in determining the speed of extinction are the size of the reinforcer, and whether partial reinforcement was used

►           learned helplessness is really just learning to stay very still

►           punishment always decreases the frequency of a response

►           you can only learn by doing; not by observing

Part II. Briefly identify five of the following (each is worth 4 points):

1. Baker & Mackintosh

2. Bolles

3. Egger & Miller

4. Crespi

5. Colwill & Rescorla

6. (This is a matching law question, so you will need to apply that & justify your answers by providing the appropriate numbers)

Group 1 gets 2 reinforcers for pecking at a red light, and 7 reinforcers for pecking at a blue light.

Group 2 gets a reinforcer 7 seconds after pecking the red light, but 2 seconds after pecking the blue light.

Using the matching law, tell me which group spends more time pecking red, and how much more time?

BONUS (for up to three points): Identify the one remaining term above (but let me know which term you want to count as your bonus!!!)