Psychology concepts and applications

Psychology Assessment

Multiple Choice Questions

In light of problems posed by the concept of drive, Premack, one of Skinner's followers, proposes that we consider reinforcement:

In terms of the power of discriminative stimuli.

Responses that are intermittently rather than continuously reinforced are:

All of the above.

Skinner's attitude toward the theory of natural selection seemed basically:

Unclear

Skinner argued that internal events such as thoughts:

Should only be studied if they can be observed and measured.

According to the text, the most basic difference between Skinner and the developmentalists has to do with:

The source of developmental change-inner or outer.

The text considers research on televised aggression as:

Supporting some theorists but not others.

In Bandura's theory, direct reinforcements primarily affect:

D. Performances rather than the acquisition of responses.

8.Over the years, Bandura has come to view Piaget's theory as:

B. Still wrong in major respects.

9.Studies on pro-social behavior suggest that:

B. Modeling a behavior for children always has stronger effects than issuing orders.

10. Five-year-olds seem to talk to themselves aloud more often as their work becomes increasingly difficult. This finding supports:

B. Vygotsky.

11. Luria found that when young children try to give themselves verbal commands:

D. They behave as if all commands initiate behavior.

12. One of Vygotsky's laws was that:

C. Children first learn the social forms of behavior, then apply it to themselves.

13. The text most strongly criticizes Vygotsky's educational approach for:

B. Lack of clarity.

14. The text suggests Vygotsky described the interactions between inner and outer forces behind development:

C. In a clearer manner with respect to language than school instruction.

15. Freud would suggest that a young man's anxiety over competition probably reflects earlier problems at:

C. The third stage.

16. What most puzzled Freud about the girl's Oedipus Complex was:

A. Why girls experience penis envy.

17. In general, the strongest fixation seems to be:

A. Excessive gratification.

Part II

The text suggests that the major difference between B.F. Skinner and Jean Piaget is the nature of how we build cognitive structures to analyze stimuli we encounter. Essentially, Skinner presents a more active participant in the image of the learner; he was one who proposed the need for a very active learner, one which required a student to be engaged in the learning process in order to really learn the material of whatever lesson is in question. This was reinforced with most of Piaget's theory as well, advocating an active role for the learner. The two theorists have a very similar notion of the importance of the engagement of the individual learner. Yet, there is one major difference between the two theorists. The text suggests that Piaget was adamant regarding the inner nature of building cognitive structures to understand the world and solve problems. This happened innately according to Piaget. Yet, Skinner believed that the structures for understanding external stimuli was also a learned behavior. Skinner saw the development for schemas to understand experiences was a result of conditioning and reinforcement of certain favorable methods for understanding. This was the major difference between the two theories.

Skinner also presents major conflicting theoretical elements when examining that of the theories of Albert Bandura. Once again, the two theorists were adamant about the nature of behavior as a learned process. Still, there were major differences within their theories. However, Skinner places a much greater importance on the environment which then influences and controls people's behaviors. In this, the individual does soak up the behaviors of those he or she is associated with. Yet, this is out of mimicking others behavior, with no regard for self gain. On the other hand, Bandura placed more emphasis as development being based on a balance between the environment and one's internally set goals. From this perspective, the individual mimics behaviors that lead to the achievement of certain goals, specifically engineering a more personal purpose to what is learned.

Bandura can also be seen as contrasting the theories of Jean Piaget as well. Once again, the two place a huge role on the nature of social environments on learning and development. Still, there are clear differences. First, there are clearly issues in regards to when the stages of development actually occur. The two present different age ranges for the important stages. Then, there is the increased importance of the social group and the interactions that take place within it in regards to Bandura's theory. Piaget places more emphasis on the individual, where Bandura is more convinced that social interaction is the true catalyst for development.

In regards to the concept of abstract concepts. Piaget and Lev Vygostky also present some what different connotations. The two were both constructivists in regards to the foundation for their theories, suggesting that learning is conducted through assimilation of new stimuli into pre-conceived notions. The notion of abstract symbolism was important in both theories, as it helps serve as a model for the pathway of development. Still, there are major differences. Vygotsky tended to believe that learning occurs before development, and that mimicking their social history and cultural symbolism is what drives learning behaviors. Piaget on the other hand believed that learning was more about the children taking an active place within their society, engaging with it to facilitate learning on a much more active level than Vygotsky presented.

Vygotsky's notion of the zone of proximal development, which states that learning from external social sources occurs through scaffolded guidance. This guidance is a constant structure for future learning from a social perspective. This is a good way of understanding how social interactions influence behavior. Yet, from a Marxist perspective, there are some clear conflicts. When an individual is surrounded by the most elite and educated in society that then facilitates a greater breadth of learning experiences. For those who have limited access to such elitist resource, this would then limit their ability to develop under stronger circumstances.