Study Questions - Chapter 14
Behavior Analysis and Learning, Fourth Edition is an essential textbook covering the basic principles in the field of behavior analysis and learned behaviors, as pioneered by B. F. Skinner.
- What is the general form of causation for biology, behavior, and culture? Define three levels of selection. Diagram (Figure 14.1) and describe the contingencies at the three levels. How does selection by consequences operate at each level? (p. 323)
- Discuss biological evolution as a fact and note the dispute over details. Describe the process of natural selection as formulated by Darwin. What is evolution? (p. 324)
- How does natural selection involve contingencies of survival? What happens when the contingencies of survival change? (p. 325)
- Define phenotype and genotype. Discuss the interaction of genes and environment. (p. 326)
- Identify two major sources of genetic variation and how each operates. In terms of embryonic development, what is the result of differences in genetic material? (p. 325)
- Know what is meant by behavioral rigidity and give an example using the fixed action pattern. (p. 326)
- FOCUS ON: Describe the research of Scheller and Axel (1984) on the genetic control of egg laying in Aplysia. Outline the components of the egg-laying sequence. Why is this experiment important for the study of relatively complex animal behavior? (pp. 326-327)
- Analyze the dance of the honeybee as genetic regulation of complex behavior. Point to the stimulus control exerted by the position of the sun. What is the survival value of the dance? How could the dance have evolved? (p. 327)
- Under what conditions is behavioral rigidity likely to be selected? When does behavioral flexibility have survival value? State the advantage of behavioral flexibility according to Skinner (1984). (p. 328)
- Use an experiment by Hirsch and McCauley (1977) to show that conditioning is a heritable behavioral process. Talk about the variability in conditioning, and selection for (or against) behavioral flexibility. (p. 329)
- Describe the biological advantage of reinforcement as a behavioral process. State Glenn's (1991) analysis of this problem. (p. 329)
- Discuss selection by consequences in Aplysia at the behavioral, neural, and cellular levels. (p. 330)
- Talk about operant selection and extinction using the example of a child's behavior and the sound of a rubber duck. Discuss behavioral variation during extinction and its importance for human invention (e.g., electric light). (p. 330)
- How does susceptibility to reinforcement supplement the survival value of eating and copulating? What happened when organisms evolved susceptibility to food and sexual reinforcement? (p. 331)
- Show that susceptibility to reinforcement may be species-specific. How can susceptibility to reinforcement occasionally lead to behavior that is not biologically adaptive? (p. 331)
- In terms of determinants of social signals, what is the difference between the honeybee dance and human gestures (e.g., gesture for "come here")? What role could stimulus equivalence play in communication by gestures? (p. 332)
- Discuss the emergence of iconic signing and the contingencies that support this behavior. (p. 333)
- Discuss the evolution of speech sounds, pointing to Skinner's (1986) analysis. What were three important steps in the evolution of speech sounds? (p. 333)
- How did the evolution of speech sounds contribute to verbal behavior? Discuss verbal behavior and the coordination of action. Why does the listener provide reinforcement for the speaker's behavior? How could ways of speaking be selected by social reinforcement? (p. 334)
- What is a cultural practice? Use the Roman phalanx to show the function of a cultural practice. Discuss how operants and practices are selected by consequences. (p. 335)
- What is meant by a metacontingency? Give an example of a metacontingency based on education, science, and a technologically advanced culture. Why isn't the "best" educational practice always adopted? (p. 336)
- Outline the origin of a food taboo for a troop of baboons in a zoo enclosure. How was the taboo transmitted? What maintained the cultural practice? Discuss Harris's (Harris, 1974) functional analysis of the origin and transmission of human cultural taboos. (p. 336)
- Discuss cultural evolution in terms of adoption of innovations and metacontingencies. Cite examples of innovation by the infant Imo in a troop of Japanese macaque monkeys.
- How can cultural practices (e.g., transcription of books) remain unchanged over many generations? Discuss innovation and cultural evolution. (p. 338)