If Individuals Are Asked to Rate the Effectiveness of Condoms

question 57

Multiple Choice

If individuals are asked to rate the effectiveness of condoms in preventing the transmission of HIV (the virus that causes AIDS) , they would be most likely to rate a condom as effective if they were told:

• A) that the condom has a 95 percent success rate in protecting against the HIV.
• B) that only 5 condom users out of every 100 are not protected against the HIV.
• C) that the condom has a 5 percent failure rate in protecting against the HIV.
• D) It does not matter, because all of the options above describe the same statistical effectiveness.

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Definitions:

Contingencies

Events or conditions that may occur but are dependent on other occurrences or conditions.

Backward Conditioning

A form of learning where a conditioned stimulus is presented after the unconditioned stimulus, usually less effective or confused with no learning.

Higher Order Conditioning

A form of learning in which a stimulus is first made meaningful or significant through classical conditioning and then used itself as a basis for learning about some new stimulus.

Primary Reinforcers

Innate reinforcing stimuli that satisfy basic biological needs or desires, such as food, water, and sleep, without learning.