5 Learning

Question 1

Learning

Answer 1

The process by which experience or practice results in a relatively permanent change in behavior in the presence of well-defined stimuli

Question 2

Conditioning

Answer 2

The acquisition of specific patterns of behavior in the presence of well-defined stimuli

Question 3

Classical (Pavlovian) conditioning

Answer 3

The type of learning in which a response naturally elicited by one stimulus comes to be elicited by a different, formerly neutral stimulus

Question 4

Unconditioned stimulus (US)

Answer 4

A stimulus that invariably causes an organism to respond in a specific way

Question 5

Unconditioned response (UR)

Answer 5

A response that takes place in an organism whenever an unconditioned stimulus occurs

Question 6

Conditioned stimulus (CS)

Answer 6

An originally neutral stimulus that is paired with an unconditioned stimulus and eventually produces the desired response in an organism when presented alone

Question 7

Conditioned response (CR)

Answer 7

After conditioning, the response an organism produces when only a conditioned stimulus is presented

Question 8

Desensitization therapy

Answer 8

A conditioning technique designed to gradually reduce anxiety about a particular object or situation

Question 9

Conditioned food (taste) aversion

Answer 9

Conditioned avoidance of certain foods even if there is only one pairing of conditioned and unconditioned stimuli

Question 10

Operant behavior

Answer 10

Behavior designed to operate on the environment in a way that will gain something desired or avoid something unpleasant

Question 11

Operant or instrumental conditioning

Answer 11

The type of learning in which behaviors are emitted (in the presence of specific stimuli) to earn rewards or avoid punishments

Question 12

Reinforcer

Answer 12

A stimulus that follows a behavior and increases the likelihood that the behavior will be repeated

Question 13

Punisher

Answer 13

A stimulus that follows a behavior and decreases the likelihood that the behavior will be repeated

Question 14

Law of effect

Answer 14

Thorndike’s theory that behavior consistently rewarded will be “stamped in” as learned behavior, and behavior that brings about discomfort will be “stamped out” (principle of reinforcement)

Question 15

Positive reinforcer

Answer 15

Any event whose presence increases the likelihood that ongoing behavior will recur

Question 16

Negative reinforcer

Answer 16

any event whose reduction or termination increases the likelihood that ongoing behavior will recur

Question 17

Punishment

Answer 17

Any event whose presence decreases the likelihood that ongoing behavior will recur

Question 18

Avoidance training

Answer 18

learning a desirable behavior to prevent the occurrence of something unpleasant such as punishment

Question 19

Learned helplessness

Answer 19

Failure to take steps to avoid or escape from an unpleasant or aversive stimulus that occurs as a result of previous exposure to unavoidable or painful stimuli

Question 20

Biofeedback

Answer 20

a technique that uses monitoring devices to provide precise information about internal processes, such as heart rate or blood pressure, to teach people to gain voluntary control over these functions

Question 21

Neurofeedback

Answer 21

a biofeedback technique that monitors brain waves using an EEG to teach people to gain voluntary control over their brain wave activity

Question 22

Response acquisition

Answer 22

“building phase” of conditioning during which the likelihood or strength of the desired response increases

Question 23

Intermittent pairing

Answer 23

pairing the conditioned stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus on only a portion of the learning trials- not as effective

Question 24

Skinner box

Answer 24

a box often used in operant conditioning of animals, which limits the available response and thus increases the likelihood that the desired response will occur

Question 25

Shaping

Answer 25

reinforcing successive approximations to a desired behavior

Question 26

Extinction

Answer 26

a decrease in the strength of frequency of a learned response because of failure to continue pairing the US and CS (classical conditioning) or withholding of reinforcement (operant conditioning)

Question 27

Spontaneous recovery

Answer 27

the reappearance of an extinguished response after the passage of time, without further training

Question 28

Stimulus generalization

Answer 28

transfer of a learned response to different but similar stimuli

Question 29

Stimulus discrimination

Answer 29

learning to respond to only one stimulus and to inhibit the response to all other stimuli

Question 30

Response generalization

Answer 30

giving a response that is somewhat different from the response originally learned to that stimulus (does not occur in classical conditioning)

Question 31

Higher-order conditioning

Answer 31

conditioning based on previous learning; the conditioned stimulus serves as an unconditioned stimulus for further training

Question 32

Primary reinforcer

Answer 32

a reinforcer that is rewarding in itself: food, water, sex

Question 33

Secondary reinforcer

Answer 33

a reinforcer whose value is acquired through association with other primary or secondary reinforcers

Question 34

Contingency

Answer 34

reliable “if-then” relationship between two events such as a CS and US

Question 35

Blocking

Answer 35

process whereby prior conditioning prevents conditioning to a second stimulus even when the two stimuli are presented simultaneously

Question 36

Schedule of reinforcement

Answer 36

operant conditioning; rule for determining when and how often reinforcers will be delivered

Question 37

Fixed-interval schedule

Answer 37

correct response reinforced after fixed length of time

Question 38

variable-interval schedule

Answer 38

correct response reinforced after varying lengths of time

Question 39

fixed-ratio schedule

Answer 39

correct response reinforced after fixed number of correct responses

Question 40

variable-ration schedule

Answer 40

correct response reinforced after variable number of correct responses

Question 41

Cognitive learning

Answer 41

learning that depends on mental processes that are not directly observable

Question 42

Latent learning

Answer 42

learning that is not immediately reflected in a behavior change

Question 43

Cognitive map

Answer 43

learned mental image of a spatial environment that may be called on to solve problems when stimuli in the environment change

Question 44

Insight

Answer 44

learning that occurs rapidly as a result of understanding all the elements of a problem

Question 45

Learning set

Answer 45

ability to become increasingly more effective in solving problems as more problems are solved

Question 46

social learning theory

Answer 46

a view of learning that emphasizes the ability to learn by observing a model or receiving instructions, without firsthand experience by the learner

Question 47

Observational (vicarious) learning

Answer 47

learning by observing other people’s behavior

Question 48

Vicarious reinforcement and punishment

Answer 48

reinforcement or punishment experienced by models that affects the willingness of others to perform the behaviors they learned by observing those models