Janie Is a 3-Month-Old Infant Participating in an Experiment

question 98

Multiple Choice

Janie is a 3-month-old infant participating in an experiment. She's lying in her crib with one end of a ribbon tied to her foot and the other end tied to a mobile dangling over her crib. She quickly learns that she controls the movement of the mobile with her kicking. One week later, the researchers return, tie the ribbon to her foot and hang the mobile above her crib. Immediately, Janie starts vigorously kicking. What does this experiment demonstrate?

• A) Three-month-olds can remember things for at least a week.
• B) Three-month-olds can relearn the kicking strategy very quickly at the second test.
• C) Kicking behavior is very easy to learn.
• D) Mobiles are very interesting to 3-month-olds.

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Definitions:

Classical Conditioning

A learning process that occurs through associations between an environmental stimulus and a naturally occurring stimulus.

Unconditioned Stimulus

A stimulus that naturally triggers a response without any prior learning.

Classical Conditioning

A learning process that occurs when two stimuli are repeatedly paired: a response which is at first elicited by the second stimulus is eventually elicited by the first stimulus alone.

Behaviorists

Psychologists who focus on observable behaviors and the ways in which they're learned, rather than on emotions or thoughts.