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Chapter 6: Problem 6

A pigeon in a Skinner box is pecking the disk at a high, steady rate. The graph portraying this pigeon's responding will have: A. a steep, unchanging slope. B. a shallow, unchanging slope. C. a progressively steeper slope D. a progressively shallower slope.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Answer: A steep, unchanging slope

Step by step solution

01

Understanding the Skinner box

A Skinner box is a controlled environment used to study animal behavior. In this case, a pigeon is inside the Skinner box, pecking at a disk at a high, steady rate. The student needs to understand what kind of graph will best represent the pigeon's pecking behavior.
02

Identifying the key aspect

The key aspect the student needs to focus on is the slope of the graph. The slope can either be steep or shallow, and can either be unchanging or progressively changing (either steeper or shallower). The student needs to determine which option correctly represents the pigeon's high, steady pecking rate.
03

Considering each option

To make the correct choice, the student should consider each answer option: A. A steep, unchanging slope: This option represents a high rate of pecking that remains constant over time. B. A shallow, unchanging slope: This option represents a low rate of pecking that remains constant over time. C. A progressively steeper slope: This option represents a pecking rate that increases over time. D. A progressively shallower slope: This option represents a pecking rate that decreases over time.
04

Eliminating options

By considering what the problem tells us about the pigeon's behavior (it is pecking at a high, steady rate), the student can eliminate the options that don't match this information. - Option B (shallow, unchanging slope) can be eliminated because it represents a low pecking rate, not a high one. - Option C (progressively steeper slope) can be eliminated because it represents an increasing pecking rate, not a steady one. - Option D (progressively shallower slope) can be eliminated because it represents a decreasing pecking rate, not a steady one.
05

Selecting the correct answer

After eliminating options B, C, and D, the student is left with option A (a steep, unchanging slope) as the correct answer. This option best represents a high, steady rate of pecking on a graph.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Watson and Rayner (1920) conditioned "Little Albert" to fear white rats by banging a hammer on a steel bar as the child played with a white rat. Later, it was discovered that Albert feared not only white rats but white stuffed toys and Santa's beard as well. Albert's fear of these other objects can be attributed to: A. negative reinforcement. B. stimulus generalization. C. stimulus discrimination. D. an overactive imagination.

Nolan used to love tequila. However, a few weeks ago he drank way too much tequila and became very, very sick. His tendency to drink tequila has since declined dramatically. In operant terms, this sequence of events represents: A. generalization B. negative reinforcement. C. higher-order conditioning. D. punishment.

Research on avoidance learning suggests that a fear response is acquired through _______ conditioning; the avoidance response is maintained as a result of ______ conditioning. A. classical; operant B. operant; classical C. classical; classical D. operant; operant

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The phenomenon of higher-order conditioning shows that: A. only a genuine, natural US can be used to establish a CR. B. auditory stimuli are easier to condition than visual stimuli C. visual stimuli are easier to condition than auditory stimuli. D. an already established CS can be used in the place of a natural US.
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