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CHALLENGE ACTIVITIES |
| CHALLENGE QUESTIONS |
| After you have mastered the basic concepts from this chapter, you might want to try some of these challenge activities, designed to help you better understand and apply what you have learned to your daily life. |
IDENTIFICATION |
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1. List twenty of the glossary terms from this chapter and write definitions for each one. 2. Identify each of the major psychologists mentioned in this chapter and describe their contribution to learning. 3. Identify the variables involved in classical conditioning and those involved in operant conditioning. |
APPLICATION |
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4. Keep a log of all the reinforcements you encounter during a week. Which ones are most frequent? How could you use these reinforcements to modify your own behavior? 5. Design a behavior modification program to alter a behavior you wish to change. For example, you might wish to stop smoking, lose weight, study more, reduce stress, relax more, stop biting fingernails, stop swearing, or become less shy. Keep records and chart your progress. 6. Try the techniques of shaping on a friend. Ask your friend to randomly state a series of words. Choose a particular category but don't tell your friend what it is. Whenever your friend gives an example of this category (nouns, verbs, plurals, pronouns, colors, numbers, proper names) say "great, wonderful." Otherwise don't say anything. Within a brief time, your friend should be giving mostly examples of your chosen category. |
EVALUATION |
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7. Is operant or classical conditioning more often used in daily life? Why? Is reinforcement or punishment more effective in modifying behavior? Why? 8. Why is it so easy to develop a conditioned taste aversion? Is this a special type of classical learning or a unique type of learning? Can people learn to like or dislike others through this type of learning? How? 9. Why is the study of learning central to the science and application of psychology? |
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