Ch. 10 & Ch.11 Flashcards
(44 cards)
Thorndike
Law of effect
Operant conditioning
A kind of learning in which an animal or human performs some behavior and the following consequence (reward or punishment) increases or decreases the chance that an animal or human will again perform that same behavior
Law of effect
States that behaviors followed by positive consequences are strengthened, while behaviors followed by negative consequences are weakened
BF Skinner
Operant conditioning
Operant response
A response that can be modified by its consequences and is a meaningful unit of ongoing behavior that can be easily measured
Shaping
A procedure in which an experimenter successively reinforces behaviors that lead up to or approximate the desired behavior
Superstitious behavior
A behavior that increases in frequency because it’s occurrence is accidentally paired with the delivery of a reinforcer
Primary reinforcer
A stimulus, such as food, water or sex, that is innately satisfying and requires no learning on the part of the subjects to become pleasurable
Secondary reinforcer
Any stimulus that has acquired it’s reinforcing power through experience
Schedule of reinforcement
Refers to a program or rule that determines how and when the occurrence of a response will be followed by a reinforcer
Continuous reinforcement
Means that every occurrence of the operant response results in delivery of the reinforcer
Partial reinforcement
Refers to a situation in which responding is reinforced only some of the time
Fixed-ratio schedule
Means that a reinforcer occurs only after a fixed number of responses are made by the subject
Fixed-interval schedule
Means that a reinforcer occurs following the first response that occurs after a fixed interval of time
Variable-ratio schedule
Means that a reinforcer is delivered after an average hunger of correct responses has occurred
Variable-interval schedule
Means that a reinforcer occurs following the first correct response after an average amount of time has passed
Edward tolman
Says that we make cognitive maps which are mental representation in the brain of the layout of an environment and it’s features
Social cognitive learning
Results from watching, imitating, and modeling and does not require the observer to preform any observable behavior or receive any observable reward
Learning-performance distinction
Means that learning may occur but may not always be measured by, or immediately evident in, performance
Köhler
Insight in animals
Insight
A mental process marked by sudden and unexpected solution to a problem: a phenomenon often called the ah-ha experience
Biological factors
Refer to innate tendencies or predispositions that may either facilitate or inhibit certain kinds of learning
Encoding
Refers to making mental representation of information so that it can be placed into our memories
Storing
The process of placing encoded information into relatively permanent mental storage