ch. 5 - learning Flashcards
learning
the process that produces enduring changes in behavior/knowledge as a result of an experience
conditioning
learning associations between environment and behaviors
Ivan Pavlov
dog salivation experiments, studied classical conditioning
reflex
involuntary, automatic responses to external stimulus
classical conditioning
(pavlonian conditioning) behaviors elicited automatically by a stimulus, learning an association between 2 stimuli
unconditioned stimulus
(UCS) natural stimulus that reflexively produces a response without prior learning
unconditioned response
(UCR) an unlearned, reflexive response
conditioned stimulus
(CS) an originally neutral stimulus that elicits a reflexive response
conditioned response
(CR) a learned reflexive response from a previously neutral stimulus
stimulus generalization
stimuli that are similar (but have never been paired with the UCS) to the CS also elicit the CR
stimulus discrimination
CR is made to one stimulus but not to another similar stimulus
higher-order conditioning
CS functions as a UCS in a new conditioning trial
extinction
a decline in the CR when the CS is repeatedly presented without the UCS
spontaneous recovery
the reappearance of a previously extinguished CS after a period of rest
John B. Watson
thought that it was wrong to study subjective mental processes and should only study behavior (objective), founded behaviorism, later pioneered sex appeal in advertising
behaviorism
all human behavior is from conditioning/learning (from past experiences and environmental influence)
3 natural unconditioned emotion-reflexes
fear, rage, love
Rosalie Rayner
Watson student and assistant in the Little Albert experiments
Little Albert
develop a fear of furry animals in Little Albert by association with a loud clanging noise
sexual turn-ons
sexual responses can inadvertently become classically conditioned (like the smell of a partners cologne)
placebo response
a psychological/physiological reaction to a fake drug
Robert Rescorles
said that classical conditioning was more than a simple learned association between 2 stimuli, the conditioned stimulus must be a reliable signal that predicts the presence of the unconditioned response (tested rats and tones)
taste aversion
exception to general principles of classical conditioning, a classically conditioned dislike for food after becoming ill from the food, violates classical conditioning because learning occurs after 1 pairing and the UCR occurs hours after the presence of the neutral stimulus
John Garcia
produced taste aversions in rats in controlled lab conditions, discovered that rats are more likely to associate a painful stimulus with external stimuli and a taste stimulus with internal stimuli
biological preparedness
organisms are predisposed to associate certain stimuli with certain responses, an association not biologically prepared occurs with great difficulty, taste aversions are very biologically prepared
phobia
an extreme, irrational fear of a specific object/situation, Martin Seligman saw that phobias were selective (not all traumatic events become phobias), humans are more likely to fear ancient threats to their evolutionary ancestors (fear module)
Edward L. Thorndike
investigated animal learning of voluntary behaviors based on their consequences, tested that cats used trial and error to escape a puzzle box (not human reasoning)
law of effect
reponses that lead to satisfaction become strengthened while responses that lead to unpleasantries become weakened (less likely to occur again)
B.F. Skinner
behaviorist, searched for a lawful process to explain the order in behavior (classically conditioning is limited to reflexive behaviors)
operant
an active behavior that operates on the environment to generate a consequence
operant conditioning
changing the probability that a response will repeat by manipulating the consequences
reinforcement
a stimulus/event that occurs after the operant and increases the likelihood that the operant will repeat
positive reinforcement
a reinforcing stimulus is added after the operant (something is added), what constitutes a reinforcing stimulus differs from person to person
negative reinforcement
the operant if followed by the removal or avoidance of an aversive stimulus (something is subtracted)
primary reinforcer
is naturally reinforcing (food, water, warmth, sex, etc.)
conditioned reinforcers (secondary reinforcers)
acquired by association with a primary reinforcer (money, awards, etc.)
punishment
a behavior followed by an aversive consequence which decreases the likelihood that the operant will repeat
positive punishment
a response is followed by the addition of an aversive stimulus
negative punishment
a response is followed by the loss of a reinforcing stimulus
alternatives to punishment
reinforcing an alternate behavior, extinguishing the problem behavior, reinforcing the non-occurrence of the problem behavior, time-out from all positive reinforcement
Premack principle
a preferred activity can be used to reinforce a less preferred activity
discriminative stimuli
a specific stimulus that is more likely to reinforce a particular operant (eg phone ringing often leads to picking up the phone)
operant chamber (Skinner box)
a small cage with a food dispenser automatically records the number of operants performed by the experimental animal
shaping
reinforce successively closer approximations of behavior until the correct behavior is displayed
continuous reinforcement
the most efficient way to strengthen a response is to immediately reinforce every occurrence of the operant
partial reinforcement
responses are only reinforced sometimes (like in real life)
extinction
when a learned response is no longer reinforced, the likelihood of repetition gradually declines
partial reinforcement effect
partially reinforced behavior is more resistant to extinction than continuously reinforced behavior
schedules of reinforcement
specific preset arrangements of partial reinforcement result in different response rates
fixed-ratio schedule
reinforcement is presented after a fixed number of responses, produces increased response rates in burst-pause patterns
variable-ratio schedule
reinforcement is presented after an average number of responses but varies
fixed-interval schedule
reinforcement is presented after the 1st response in a preset time interval, responses increase as the time interval comes near
variable-interval schedule
reinforcement is presented after the 1st response in an average length time interval, moderate/steady rates of response
behavioral modification
the application of operant conditioning learning principles to help develop adaptive behaviors
Edward C. Tolman
believed that cognitive processes were important to learning complex behaviors (tested rats in mazes)
cognitive map
term by Tolman, a mental representation of a (mazes) layout built through experience, can be used to make an alternative route when the usual is blocked
latent learning
term by Tolman, learning is not immediately demonstrated in overt behavior, learning is the acquisition of knowledge not just changes in behavior
Martin Seligman
said that during cognitive conditioning, animals can develop a cognitive expectation that their behavior doesn’t affect their environment
learned helplessness
Seligman term, exposure to an inescapable aversive event will result in passive behavior, the 1st step to overcoming is to create a sense of control
instinctive drift
Brelandterm, natural behaviors interfere with operant behaviors, biologically predispositions to perform natural behaviors are strong enough to overcome a lack of reinforcement (reinforcement is not the sole determinant of behavior)
observational learning
most human learning, learning by observing others actions
Albert Bandura
pioneer of observational learning believed that the process used actively judgemental and constructive cognitive processes, tested groups of kids watching aggressive Bobo doll behavior
