LEARNING PRACTICE TEST

SECTION A: SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS (25 marks)

1. Bentley the dog loves to chew and eat cardboard. He especially loves the cardboard cylinders from paper
towel rolls, and always salivates heavily when he is eating them. Bentley’s owner, Claire, puts the
cardboard cylinders into the plastic recycling tub, which is behind the pantry door in the kitchen. Claire
has started to notice that whenever Bentley hears the pantry door opening, Bentley starts to salivate, even
when he is not chewing and eating any cardboard cylinders.

a. In this scenario, identify the:

Unconditioned stimulus:
(1 mark)

Unconditioned response:
(1 mark)

Conditioned stimulus:
(1 mark)

Conditioned response:
(1 mark)

b. Bentley’s owner Claire has several doors in her house. Bentley only salivates to the pantry door
opening, and no other door in the house.

Explain how stimulus discrimination is illustrated in this example.

(2 marks)

c. After 3 months, Claire is no longer putting the cardboard cylinders in the recycling bin in the pantry,
instead taking them outside to the exterior bin. As a result, Bentley no longer salivates when he hears
the pantry door being opened.

State the name of this effect.

(1 mark)
2. Explain the importance of contiguity in classical conditioning.

(2 marks)

3. Using your own example, describe punishment.

(4 marks)

4. James and John both study hard for their Year 12 Psychology test on Learning 
Identify the component of operant conditioning used by the parents in these examples to encourage
their kids to study hard.

a) James continues to study hard because for every A grade he receives his parents pay him $20.

(1 mark)
b) John continues to study hard, because last time he failed a test his parents were very disappointed
and nagged him about it for a month.

(1 mark)
5. Some supermarkets offer shoppers frequent flyer points or petrol discounts for shopping with them –
for example spend $30 and receive 4c discount on fuel. Loyalty cards such as Subway, Boost or Coffee
Clubs also use this same strategy to entice customers to continue shopping. Using the principles of
operant conditioning, explain which schedule of reinforcement is being used.

(4 marks)

6. Describe one difference between negative reinforcement and punishment.

(2 marks)

7. Stacey is a ten year old girl who wants to learn how to wash the dishes just like her mum.

Describe two factors that could influence Stacey’s learning through observation.

(4 marks)
8. Explain the role of mirror neurons in the process of observational learning.

(2 marks)

SECTION B: EXTENDED RESPONSE QUESTION (15 marks)

You should spend about 20 minutes on this section, 5 minutes planning and 20 minutes writing. Credit will
be given for clear, well expressed answers that are well organised and relevant to the questions.

Each dot pot is worth 4 marks, and an additional 4 marks will be allocated for using appropriate
psychological terms effectively.

8. Watson and Raynor performed an experiment with a young child they identified as Little Albert, whom
they initially conditioned to fear a white rat after sounding a loud bang immediately before presenting
the rat. Later, Little Albert learned to also fear a Santa mask, a dog, a rabbit and a fur coat.

Using the principles of classical conditioning and referring to appropriate terminology:

a. Explain the process of how the rat becomes the conditioned stimulus. (4 marks)
b. Explain how stimulus generalisation is demonstrated in the Little Albert experiment. (4 marks)
c. Describe one psychological intervention that could have potentially extinguished Little Alberts fear.
(4 marks)
3 marks - communication
a. Explain the process of how the rat becomes the conditioned stimulus. (4 marks)

b. Explain how stimulus generalisation is demonstrated in the Little Albert experiment. (4 marks)
c. Describe one psychological intervention that could have potentially extinguished Little Alberts fear.
(4 marks)