Title: Chapter 07
Course: Exploring Psychology and Christian Faith Test Bank

Q: Using the argument from chapter 7 on learning, explain how behaviorism could be understood as not being a threat to the notion of responsible limited agency.

Q: Describe some of the ways the Christians have tried to reconcile or respond to the “challenge” of behaviorism. What do the authors think is the best approach for dealing with the dilemma?

Q: Describe one specific study which weakens any argument for the “connectionist” view of learning (for either classical or operant conditioning) and explain how it makes the connectionist view less reasonable.

Q: Outline at least three key differences between the cognitive view of learning and the traditional behaviorist view.

Q: In what ways is the cognitive view fairly compatible with biblical descriptions of human nature and in what way(s) might it still not match completely?

Q: According to Moes and Tellinghuisen, why are classical and operant learning theories significant for Christians?
- Virtually all Christian psychologists embrace Skinner’s view of human nature as biblical.
- The Bible is clear that humans don’t learn through any form of association.
- They also represent worldviews about human nature that challenge a biblical understanding of human nature.
- They represent “low level” mechanisms that we can easily transcend.
A: They also represent worldviews about human nature that challenge a biblical understanding of human nature.

Q: In a study described in chapter 7, one group was told that “the intelligent thing is to be conditioned” while a second group was told the opposite (i.e., to not be conditioned). What happened?
- In fact only intelligent people were conditioned.
- In fact only unintelligent people were conditioned.
- The first group was conditioned more easily than the second group.
- The second group was conditioned more easily than the first group.
A: The first group was conditioned more easily than the second group.

Q: In a study described in chapter 7, one group was told that “the intelligent thing is to be conditioned” while a second group was told the opposite (i.e., to not be conditioned). What did this study illustrate?
- That high intelligence is a requirement for classical conditioning to work.
- That “agency” and free will apply to operant but not classical conditioning.
- That “attitudes” about classical conditioning have no impact on the results.
- That people are not simply conditioned against their will by passive connections.
A: That people are not simply conditioned against their will by passive connections.

Q: Studies on the “overjustification effect” found that when one child was given a larger reward for doing homework than a second child, the first child . . .
- developed a stronger “connection” between the reward and the behavior.
- was more likely than the second child to faithfully continue doing homework.
- was less likely than the second child to faithfully continue doing homework.
- developed a stronger sense of justice and balance.
A: was less likely than the second child to faithfully continue doing homework.

Q: Which of the following statements would be most compatible with a cognitive understanding of learning?
- Learning equals performance.
- Learning is a passive process.
- Animals and humans share the same basic learning mechanisms.
- Knowledge is organized; we form knowledge structures or knowledge schemas.
A: Knowledge is organized; we form knowledge structures or knowledge schemas.

Q: According to Moes and Tellinghuisen, one major difference between current cognitive views and a biblical worldview is that with the cognitive view . . .
- very little attention is given to the issue of relationality.
- too much emphasis is placed on free will.
- most from this perspective are still unwilling to use the word “mind.”
- no credibility is given to the idea of being embodied.
A: very little attention is given to the issue of relationality.

Q: According to Moes and Tellinghuisen, one application for the “revised” understanding of classical and operant conditioning is that . . .
- we should only use these techniques on intelligent adults—never children.
- we want to do more than just change the outward behavior.
- the cognitive understanding of learning is 100 percent compatible with biblical perspectives on human nature.
- these approaches—revised or not—pose a real threat to a biblical view of persons.
A: we want to do more than just change the outward behavior.

Q: Early behaviorists were convinced that . . .
- learning was an active process of mentally organizing information into larger concepts.
- they had uncovered the basic building blocks of all forms of learning.
- humans and animals learn in very different ways.
- we analyze, contemplate, and emotionally evaluate significant events.
A: they had uncovered the basic building blocks of all forms of learning.

Q: According to Moes and Tellinghuisen, behaviorists went beyond studying the laws of learning and concluded that human behavior . . .
- often demonstrates our meaning-seeking tendency.
- is guided by an evil nature.
- demonstrates personal responsibility and “agency.”
- is ultimately determined by the environment.
A: is ultimately determined by the environment.

Q: According to Moes and Tellinghuisen, what makes the behaviorist challenge to a Christian worldview “even more troubling?”
- Studies show that classical and operant conditioning can be very effective.
- The optimism of the early behaviorists has held true; we have eliminated most crimes.
- It appears we need to be consciously aware of classical conditioning in order for it to work.
- Science appears to have proven that we don’t have free will.
A: Studies show that classical and operant conditioning can be very effective.

Q: The famous psychologist B. F. Skinner once suggested that behaviorism was very compatible with what religious view or concept?
- The views of Jacob H. Arminius, who taught that we have complete free will.
- The concept of original sin and our tendency to be evil.
- The views of Jonathan Edwards, who placed a strong emphasis on our complete dependence on a sovereign God.
- The concept of “perseverance of the saints.”
A: The views of Jonathan Edwards, who placed a strong emphasis on our complete dependence on a sovereign God.

Q: According to Moes and Tellinghuisen, one possible solution to the “dilemma” of behaviorism vs. a Christian worldview is to look carefully at what?
- New Testament passages that deal with the concept of soul.
- Biblical concepts of “transcendence.”
- Psychological research over the past thirty years.
- The philosophical views of John Locke.
A: Psychological research over the past thirty years.

Q: In the first “blocking” study described in chapter 7, Clarissa learned to associate coffee with a headache (i.e., UCS). Why didn’t she learn to associate the additional or “second” neutral stimulus (i.e., artificial sweetener) with the headache?
- The sweetener is redundant with the coffee and provides no new information about the headache.
- The sweetener is too sweet, and it blocks out the taste of the coffee.
- The headache blocks out her awareness of new things.
- The sweetener actually reduces her headache.
A: The sweetener is redundant with the coffee and provides no new information about the headache.

Q: In the first “blocking” study described in chapter 7, Clarissa learned to associate coffee with a headache (i.e., UCS). In the second study, she learned to associate the taste of artificial sweetener with the headache only if what happened?
- The headache stayed the same.
- The sweetener was much sweeter.
- The headache was worse than without the sweetener.
- Clarissa was given strong rewards to stop using sweetener.
A: The headache was worse than without the sweetener.

Q: The “blocking” studies described in chapter 7 illustrated what?
- That Pavlov was essentially correct; apparently we passively make simple connections in our brain between two events that occur close in time.
- That forming associations is a lot more complicated than was assumed by many behaviorists.
- That classical conditioning always requires conscious awareness.
- The environment has very little impact on how or what we learn.
A: That forming associations is a lot more complicated than was assumed by many behaviorists.