4. Learning Flashcards
Describe the operant conditioning of learning
Operant conditioning, is about the relations between environmental stimuli and our own behavior. is a method of learning that usesrewardsand punishmentto modifybehavior. Through operant conditioning, behavior that is rewarded is likely to be repeated, and behavior that is punished will rarely occur. That is called the law of effect. when we get a satisfying effect in a particular situation become more likely to occur again in that situation, and responses that produce a discomforting effect become less likely to occur again in that situation.
For example, when you are rewarded at work with a performance bonus for exceptional work, you will be inclined to continue performing at a higher level in hopes of receiving another bonus in the future.
Classical conditioning
Classical conditioning involves learning about the conditions that predict that a significant event will occur. A neutral stimulus(the over inflated balloon) followed by an important stimulus (the explosion of the balloon bursting) can now trigger the defensive flinching response by itself. the defensive flinching response has been classical conditioning to the sight of an over infated balloon. to stimuli have become associated with each other. So we can understand that the secuences and timing of the events are important factors of classical conditioning.
Classical conditioning also called Pavlovian conditioning and it is essentially a way to learn cause and effect relations between environmental events.
Unconditional stimulus: it’s a stimulus that provocs naturally reflexive behavior. Like when the smell of the food provocs salivation.
Unconditional response:the reflexive behavior itself. (Salivation)
Conditional stimulus: a neutral stimulus paired with the unconditional stimulus that eventually elicits a response. For example if the smell of food is an unconditional stimulus and the feeling of hunger is theunconditional response. Now, if we heard the sound of a whistle every time we smelled our favorite food, although the whistle is unrelated to the smell of the food, if the sound of the whistle was paired multiple times with the smell, the sound alone would eventually trigger the conditioned response. In this case, the sound of the whistle is the conditioned stimulus.
Conditional response: the behavior elicited by a conditional stimulus. From the example above, feeling hungry, when we hear the sound of the whistle, (conditional stimulus) is the conditional response.
Classical conditioning involves several learning principles including:
Acquisition is the learning phase of classical conditioning, during which the cs gradually increases in frequency or strength.
Two factors that influence the strength of the CR are they intensity of the UCS and the timing of the cs and UCS.
Extinction: what happens to the response if the cs continues to be presented but is no longer followed by the UCS.
Spontaneous recovery: once a CR has been extinguished, it does not disappear from the organism’s behavior permanently.
Generalization: a response produced by a particular CS will also occur when a similar CS is presented.
Discrimination: learning the difference between two or more stimuli
