Your browser either doesn't support Javascript or it is turned off. Please enable Javascript in your browser or download a Javascript enabled browser.




GRE Psychology Strategy Session

Strategy Session


Topic: Roman Numeral Strategy

Which of the following types of operant conditioning increases the probability of a particular response?

I. Positive reinforcement
II. Negative reinforcement
III. Punishment
(A) I only
(B) II only
(C) III only
(D) I and II only
(E) II and III only

Relax. Even if you don't know the answer, there's a proven method to solve this problem called the Roman Numeral Strategy.

Only positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement increase the probability of a particular response. The key to correctly answering this question was to remember that negative reinforcement is not the same as punishment and that in negative reinforcement the response removes something, or the threat of something, that is undesirable to the behaver. Roman numeral options I and II both increase the probability of a particular response, and answer choice (D) is the correct one.

If you did not know the correct answer, you could have used Roman Numeral Strategy to help you eliminate answer choices. In other words, consider those answer choices which do include options you are sure should be included in the correct choice and eliminate those answer choices that include options you are sure should not be included to narrow down your choices.

Topic: Answer the easiest questions first

Easy questions are worth as many points as hard questions. On your first pass through th test, answer all the questions that are easiest for you. Understand which areas you know best, and seek out theses questions right from the start. Skip questions that are tough or time-consuming during your first pass through the test.

Topic: Make (at least) two passes through the test

This means making the quick decision to skip those questions that give you trouble. When you come across a tough question, circle in in your test booklet, and move on. Don't waste valuable time on hard questions early in the exam, especially when there may be easier questions ahead that you have not seen yet. The time you waste on one tough or confusing question could be better spent answering three or four easy questions that appear later in the test. Once you've knocked down all the easy questions and banked those points, you can return to the trickier questions on your second pass through the test.

COMMUNITY
Join the Kaplan Community
and get more features. It's FREE!