An Instructor Watched the Reactions of Various Students While She

question 31

Multiple Choice

An instructor watched the reactions of various students while she lectured on a topic. One student was doodling, another was text messaging on his cell phone, and another looked as if she was writing out her grocery list. Why were these people having a hard time paying attention?

• A) Students do not have to achieve active listening skills in order to make good grades.
• B) There is a significant gap between the rate at which people listen and the rate at which they think.
• C) Today's students actually multitask in a way that makes listening less important.
• D) Today's students communicate digitally rather than verbally.

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Definitions:

Reinforcement

In psychology, a process in which a behavior is made more likely to occur in the future by its consequences.

Specific Number

A distinct or precisely identified quantity, often used in mathematical or statistical contexts.

Randomly Varying

Describes a process or phenomenon that changes unpredictably, without a discernible pattern or order.

Fixed-interval Schedule

A type of conditioning reinforcement schedule where rewards are provided after a specified time interval has passed.