BIOLOGICAL:LEARNING THEORY Flashcards
learning
the process by which experience produces an enduring and adaptive change in behaviour
habituation
decrease in the strength of a response to a repeated stimulus
decreases arousal to conserve energy
sensitisation
increase in the strength of a response to a repeated stimulus
increases arousal for interests and survival
classical conditioning (Pavlov's dogs)
learn to associate two stimulus such that one stimulus comes to elicit a reopen that was originally elect only by the other stimulus
Acquisition
when the response is learnt
unconditioned stimulus
elicits a reflective or innate response
unconditioned response
a reflective or innate response that is elicited
conditioned stimulus
through association to the unconditioned stimulus, cones to an elicit, conditioned response and becomes more repaid when the unconditioned stimulus is more intense
conditioned response
a response elicit by a conditioned stimulus
simultaneous pairing
conditioned stimulus and unconditioned stimulus are present at the same time
backward pairing
unconditioned stimulus then the conditioned stimulus
forward short delay
conditioned stimulus then a short delay then the unconditioned stimulus joins
forward trace pairing
conditioned stimulus starts then stops and then the unconditioned stimulus
classical conditioning is a its strongest when
4 things
- conditioned stimulus and unconditioned stimulus pairings are repeated
- when the unconditioned stimulus is more intense
- when using forward pairing
- when there is a short time interval between the unconditioned stimulus and conditioned stimulus
extinction
the conditioned stimulus is presented in the absence of the unconditioned stimulus causing the conditioned response to weaken and eventually disappear (it is not unlearned but inhibited)
spontaneous recovery
reappearance of an extinguished conditioned response after a rest period and without new learning trials
temporal contiguity
the conditioned stimulus and unconditioned stimulus presented close together in time so that the conditioned stimulus predicts the unconditioned stimulus = the unconditioned stimulus is contingent on the conditioned stimulus
stimulus generalisation
stimuli similar to initial conditioned stimulus with elicited. conditioned response (survival)
discrimination
when a conditioned response occurs to one stimulus but not others (conserves energy)
higher-order conditioning
a neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus after being piers with an already establishes conditioned stimulus -the conditioned response is weather and extinguishes more rapidly
Three methods of acquiring and overcoming fear in practise:
Exposure therapies-allows extinction
Systematic desensitisation- relax techniques and gradual exposure
Flooding - immediate exposure
operant conditioning
Skinner
learning in which behaviour is influences but the consequences that follow it
Thorndike’s law of effect
(instrumental learning/ operant)
and example
a response followed by satisfying consequences will become more likely to occur, the opposite for annoying consequences (puzzle box)
reinforcement
response is strengthened by an outcome that follows it
punishment
response is weakened by the following outcome
discriminative stimulus
almost prediction
signal that a particular response will now produce certain consequences
positive reinforcement
response is strengthened by the subsequent presentation of a stimulus
primary reinforcers
such as food and water that an organism naturally finds reinforcing because they satisfy biological needs
secondary rienforcers
acquire reinforcing properties through their association with primary reinforcers
negative rienforcement
a response strengthened by the removal of an aversive stimulus
operant extinction
weakening and eventual disappearance of a response because it is no longer reinforced
positive punishment
aversive punishment /punishment by application
response is weakened by the subsequent presentation of a stimulus
negative punishment
response cost
response is weakened by the removal of a stimulus
shaping
method of successive approximations
rienforcing successive approximations towards a final response
chaining
develops a sequence of responses by reinforcing each response with the opportunity to perform the next response
operant generalisation
an operant response occurs to a new antecedent stimulus or situation that is similar to the original one
operant discrimination
an operant response will occur to one antecedent stimulus but not another
what purpose is stimulus control?
behaviour is only influences by stimuli that has been discriminated
continuous reinforcement
every response is reinforced
partial reinforcement
and 4 types
on a proportion of the responses of a particular type is reinforced
- ratio schedules
- fixed (number) schedules
- interval (time)schedules
- variable (number) schedules
escape conditioning
learnt repose that terminated an aversive stimulus
avoidance conditioning
the organism learns a response too avoid an aversive stimulus
biological prepardness
animals are biologically pre-disposed to learn some associations more easily than others
conditioned taste aversion
a conditioned response where taste of food becomes disgusting and repulsive (e.g. during pregnancy)
Relational frame theory
lent language though interactions with the environment
cognition and conditioning - insight
the sudden perception of a useful relationship that helps to solve a problem
latent learning
learning that is not demonstrated until later, when there is an incentive to perform
expectancy models
how well the conditioned stimulus predicts the appearance of the unconditioned stimulus
Rescorla-Wagner theory
the strength of conditioning is determines by haw surprising the unconditioned stimulus is
latent inhibition (time but more importantly the fact its on its own)
weakening of classical conditioning due to the prior presentation of the conditioned stimulus on its own
attentional theories of classical conditioning
strength of conditioning is determines by how much attention is paid to the conditions stimulus during the learning
observational learning
learning that occurs by observing the behaviour of a model
social cognitive learning theory
people learn by observing the behaviour models and acquiring the belief that they can produce behaviours to influence events in their lives
self efficacy
people’s beliefs that they have the capability to perform behaviours that will produce a desired outcome-motivational factor
the Hebb rule
learning through connections
neural network models
memory
each memory is reprinted by unique patterns of interconnected and simultaneously activated nodes
offline leanring or consolidation
certain learned skills are observable after we have been asleep- active processes in our brains consolidate what we have learnt whilst we sleep
what happens in late adulthood?
exposure to stimulating environments and new learning opportunities seems to slow declines in brain functioning
The law of Exercise
when one response becomes sufficiently more frequent and recent than other possible responses, it will become the presiosne most likely to be elicited by the situation
whenever a response reduced the level of a drive…
… the stimulus response association was strengthened
Modern associative learning theory
events
A-> B
A-> no B
A and B are unrelated
