SECTION A: SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS (30 marks)

1. Skinner conducted research on operant conditioning. He taught pigeons to peck at a coloured disk and
rewarded them using different schedules of reinforcement.

a. Describe one ethical issue that was applied or should have been applied in the experiment above.

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(2 marks)

b. State the type of research design used by Skinner.

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(1 mark)

c. State the schedule of reinforcement used with the pigeon if the disks are pecked any number of
times before a reward is given.

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(1 mark)

d. State the schedule of reinforcement used with the pigeon if it is given a reward after pecking for 30
seconds.

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(1 mark)

2. Explain the importance of contingency in classical conditioning.

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(2 marks)
3. Outline how it can be determined if learning has occurred using classical conditioning.

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(1 mark)
4. On a particularly warm day, Octavia was at the showground eating a turkey sandwich that had been out in
the sun all day. The turkey had become spoiled and after Octavia ate it she began to feel nauseous and then
was sick for 2 days. Now when Octavia thinks about turkey she begins to feel nauseous.

From this example of classical conditioning, identify the following:

a. Unconditioned stimulus (UCS):

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(1 mark)

b. Unconditioned response (UCR):

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(1 mark)

c. Conditioned stimulus (CS):

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(1 mark)

d. Conditioned response (CR):

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(1 mark)

e. Now Octavia has noticed that she feels nauseous on particularly hot days and when she is close to the
showground.

Explain what effect is illustrated in the scenario.

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(4 marks)
 f. Explain how this scenario demonstrates the concept of preparedness.

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(2 marks)

g. Months later Octavia notices that she is able to walk to the showground in any given temperature and
does not feel unwell or nauseous.

Describe what process has occurred.

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(2 marks)

5. Charlie is afraid of dogs. When she was younger she was playing at a park when a large dog came up to her
jumped up on her and started barking. This event led to Charlie developing a phobia and as a teenager she is
terrified of dogs.

Charlie wants to become a vet and needs to be able to work with dogs. Describe how systematic
desensitisation could be used to help Charlie overcome her phobia of dogs.

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(6 marks)
6. Frank watches his dad kick a football and then successfully kicks a football himself.

a. Describe what type of learning is being demonstrated by Frank.

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(2 marks)

b. Explain the role of mirror neurons in this process.

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(2 marks)
 SECTION B: EXTENDED RESPONSE QUESTION (15 marks)
Answer the following question in this section on the pages provided. You should spend 5 minutes planning and 20
minutes writing.

7. On the day Rylan turned 16, he was determined to get his learner’s permit by passing the test so he could
drive. Leading up to his 16th birthday Rylan spent hours watching his parents’ drive. Both his parents were
excellent drivers who had never been in a car accident and demonstrated accurate driving skills such as
looking in their mirrors, indicating safely and accelerating and braking competently. On his first attempt at
driving their family car, Rylan found he was successfully able to navigate his way around the back streets
where he lived.

Now that Rylan is on his P-plates he often drives his siblings to school and his Dad gives him money to do this
so he can save up for his own car. Rylan is content to help out his Mum and Dad by doing this.

In the family car there is an annoying safety system where a voice yells out “you are over the speed limit”
whenever Rylan finds himself speeding. This voice makes Rylan jump every time he hears it, and so to stop
from hearing it, Rylan always stays under the speed limit.

When Rylan saves up enough money, he buys his first car. His car is an older model than his parents’ car and
it doesn’t have many of the features that his parents car had. His parents remind him about speeding and
switching off his lights and while he is staying under the speed limit, he continues to leave the lights on in his
car. One night Rylan drives his car over to his friend’s house and leaves his lights on. The battery in the car
goes flat and he has to buy a new battery which costs him $220. Rylan had been saving his money to buy a
concert ticket and s wasn’t able to go. Rylan has not left his lights on since.

Years later Rylan’s sister learns to drive the family car too but is not as quick at picking up the skills as Rylan
was from her parents. She was not as keen to drive as Rylan was and didn’t ask many questions about it at
home. She asks Rylan to help coach her and finds that she is much quicker at picking up the skills for driving
from Rylan.

Use this information to discuss the psychological principles of learning. In your discussion, include examples
of classical conditioning, operant conditioning and observational learning, as well as personal factor/s that
may influence learning.

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