Learning & Conditioning MCQ Quiz | Behavioral Sciences

Welcome to the Learning & Conditioning quiz for MBBS students. This quiz is designed to test your understanding of fundamental concepts in behavioral sciences, a critical component of your medical curriculum. You will be presented with 25 multiple-choice questions covering classical conditioning, operant conditioning, observational learning, and their clinical applications, such as systematic desensitization and aversion therapy. Each question is crafted to reflect the level of knowledge expected in your professional exams. After submitting your answers, you will see your score and a detailed review of each question. For your convenience and future revision, you can also download a PDF copy of all questions along with their correct answers. Good luck!

1. In Pavlov’s classic experiment, the bell, after being repeatedly paired with food, became a(n):

2. A resident receives praise from a senior doctor for a well-prepared case presentation, which increases the likelihood of the resident preparing well in the future. This is an example of:

3. A patient on a morphine PCA (Patient-Controlled Analgesia) pump can press a button to receive a dose, but only after a 10-minute lockout period has passed. This is which reinforcement schedule?

4. A child who previously received attention for throwing tantrums is now ignored by parents when a tantrum occurs. The tantrums gradually decrease. This process is known as:

5. A medical student learns how to perform a lumbar puncture by carefully watching a senior resident perform the procedure. This form of learning is best described as:

6. Taking an anxiolytic medication to alleviate the symptoms of a panic attack is an example of:

7. A therapeutic technique for treating phobias that involves pairing relaxation with a hierarchy of anxiety-provoking stimuli is called:

8. A patient develops a phobia of needles after a painful injection. They later start to fear other sharp objects like pens and knives. This is an example of:

9. A medical intern is reprimanded by an attending physician for being late to rounds, which decreases the intern’s lateness in the future. This is an example of:

10. Gambling on a slot machine is highly addictive primarily because it operates on a:

11. A patient with chronic pain who feels that no treatment can alleviate their suffering may stop trying to find relief. This state is best described by the concept of:

12. A clinician prescribes disulfiram to a patient with alcohol use disorder, which causes severe nausea when alcohol is consumed. This therapeutic approach is a form of:

13. A student attends all anatomy lectures but does not actively study. Just before the exam, they realize they know the location of most major arteries. This learning is called:

14. A technique where a patient is given real-time information about physiological processes (like heart rate) to learn to control them voluntarily is known as:

15. A therapist helps a post-stroke patient regain speech by first rewarding any vocalization, then word-like sounds, and finally complete words. This process is called:

16. A patient’s fear of elevators, which had been extinguished through therapy, suddenly reappears for a short time a month later. This phenomenon is called:

17. A teenager’s driving privileges are taken away for a week because they broke their curfew. This is an example of:

18. A medical student observes a classmate being criticized for not knowing a patient’s lab values and consequently makes sure to be extra prepared the next day. This is an example of:

19. In classical conditioning, a stimulus that naturally and automatically triggers a response without any prior learning is a(n):

20. In a psychiatric ward, patients earn points for good hygiene, which they can exchange for privileges. This system is an example of:

21. After struggling with a complex diagnostic problem, a doctor suddenly has a moment of realization. This “Aha!” moment is characteristic of:

22. A dog learns to salivate to a specific high-pitched bell but not to a low-pitched horn. The dog is demonstrating:

23. A therapy for phobias that involves intense, prolonged exposure to the feared object or situation until the anxiety subsides is known as:

24. A person with social anxiety leaves a crowded party to reduce their discomfort. This is an example of ______ learning.

25. The principle that behaviors followed by favorable consequences become more likely, and behaviors followed by unfavorable consequences become less likely, is known as: