Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Introduction to Learning > Chapter 1 - Intro & History > Flashcards

Chapter 1 - Intro & History Flashcards

1
Q

What is applied behaviour analysis?

A

Basic principles of behaviour are applied to real life issues.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Define behaviour.

A

Any activity of an organism that can be observed or measured.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What is behaviour analysis?

A

The scientific field studying behaviour that arose from Skinner’s radical behaviourism.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What is behaviourism?

A

An approach to psychology that studies the environmental influences on observable behaviour.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What is British Empiricism?

A

The idea that:

  • all knowledge is a function of experience.
  • the mind is composed of a finite set of basic elements which are combined through the principles of association to form our conscious experiences.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Which philosopher is linked to British Empiricism?

A

John Locke

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Define Cognitive Behaviourism.

A

A strand of behaviourism that emphases the use of intervening variables to explain behaviour.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What is another name for cognitive behaviourism?

A

Purposive behaviourism.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What is the cognitive map?

A

A mental image/picture of one’s surroundings.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What is countercontrol?

A

The deliberate manipulation of environmental events to alter their impact on behaviour.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Define empiricism.

A

The assumption that behaviour patterns and knowledge is mostly learned from experience.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What is evolutionary adaptation?

A

An inherited trait that has been shaped through natural selection.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Define functionalism.

A

An approach that assumes the mind has evolved to help us adapt and that the focus of psychology should be on those adaptive processes.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What is Introspection?

A

A technique used to gain an insight into the internal thought processes of an individual by their own accurate descriptions of their conscious thoughts and emotions.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What is latent learning?

A

Learning that occurs in the absence of any observable proof of learning, that only becomes apparent under a different set of conditions.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What is the law of contiguity?

A

Events that occur in close proximity (in time or space) are more readily associated. (thunder and lightning)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What is the law of contrast?

A

Events that are opposite or very different to each other are more likely to be associated. (hot and cold)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What is the law of similarity?

A

Events that are similar in appearance and function are more readily associated. (cars and trucks)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What is the law of frequency?

A

Events that occur together more frequently are more likely to be associated. (a friend + particular perfume)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What is the law of parsimony?

A

The assumption that more simple explanations of events are preferred to more complex ones.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Define learning.

A

An aspect of the environment that causes a relatively permanent change in behaviour.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What is methodological behaviourism?

A

A type of behaviourism that assumes that only directly observable behaviour should be studied.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Define mind-body dualism.

A

The notion that the mind is controlled by free will, whereas the body is ‘separate’ and reacts to external stimulations, producing reflexes.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Define monism.

A

The notion that the mind and body are ‘one’ because the consciousness of the mind is a function of the body.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

Define nativism.

A

The idea or belief that our behaviour is purely inherited. (nature argument)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

What is natural selection?

A

The evolutionary principle stating that organisms that are better suited to their environment are more likely to survive to reproductive age and pass on their superior genes than those that are not. (superior for that particular environment)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

Define Neobehaviourism.

A

A type of behaviourism that emphasises the use of intervening variables to explain and study mental processes.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

Who’s approach is Neobehaviourism?

A

Clark Hull

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

Define radical behaviourism.

A

A type of behaviourism that pays particular attention to the influence of the environment on overt behaviour and rejects the use of internal processes to explain it.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

Who’s approach is radical behaviourism?

A

B.F Skinner

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

What is reciprocal determinism?

A

The idea that environmental events, observable behaviour and mental processes can all influence each other.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

Define social learning theory.

A

A type of behaviourism that emphasises the influence of observational learning and cognitive variables on behaviour.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

What is S-R theory?

A

The assumption that learning involves the establishment of a connection between a stimulus (S) and a response (R).

34
Q

What is structuralism?

A

An approach that assumes that it is possible to determine the structure of the mind by identifying the basic elements that compose it.

35
Q

What does the target behaviour refer to?

A

The behaviour being conditioned.

36
Q

What is observational learning?

A

The act of observing someone else’s behaviour facilitates the development of similar behaviour in oneself (the observer)

37
Q

What type of psychologist was Plato and what did he believe?

A

Nativist - he believed that all of our knowledge is largely inborn.

38
Q

What type of psychologist was Aristotle and what did he believe?

A

Empiricist - believed that knowledge is acquired through experience.

39
Q

Who was the teacher: Plato or Aristotle?

A

Plato.

40
Q

What does contiguity mean?

A

Closeness

41
Q

Who devised the mind-body dualism theory?

A

Rene Descartes, French philosopher.

42
Q

According to Descartes, what is the only way animals can act?

A

In terms of automatic, reflexive behaviours.

43
Q

What were the British Empiricists arguing against when they stated that almost all knowledge is a function of experience?

A

Descartes view that, although he believed the mind has free will, some ideas such as the concepts of time and space, are inborn.

44
Q

What did John Locke propose about newborns?

A

That newborns are born with a blank slate (tabula rasa)

45
Q

Who devised the structuralism approach?

A

Edward Titchener

46
Q

Who was Edward Titchener’s teacher, who’s ideas he promoted?

A

Wilhelm Wundt

47
Q

Which was the main method used by structuralism?

A

Introspection

48
Q

What was the problem with introspection?

A

Too much emphasis on conscious experience as a proper subject matter.

49
Q

Who devised the functionalism approach?

A

William James

50
Q

What method does functionalism use?

A

Introspection, an emphasis on conscious experience - similar to structuralism. Also were not against the use of animal research.

51
Q

What are the three main components to the principle of natural selection?

A
  1. Traits vary within a species and between species.
  2. Many traits are heritable.
  3. Organisms must compete for limited resources.
52
Q

What is the driving force behind evolution?

A

The reproductive advantage that accrues to those individuals possessing traits that are best suited to the environment.

(the reproductive advantage is that those individuals with the inherited, advantageous traits, will be more likely to survive to reproductive age.)

53
Q

Why can it be said that the nature v nurture debate is simplistic, in relation to adaptive behaviours?

A

The ability to learn (nature) can be inherited (nurture).

That is, the trait that codes the variation in the ability to learn new things can itself be inherited so that some individuals may learn more readily, due to the genes they have inherited.

54
Q

What was the main criticism of Psychology by John B Watson in 1913?

A

That the method of introspection was unreliable and that psychological findings had no practical significance. Too much emphasis on conscious experience.

55
Q

What did John B Watson suggest to improve the reliability of behavioural psychology?

A

To make psychology a purely objective science, which only examines observable behaviour and does NOT give any credit to methods investigating internal mental processes.

56
Q

How did John B Watson define behaviourism?

A

A natural science approach to psychology which focusses on the study of environmental influences on observable behaviour.

57
Q

What was Conway Lloyd Morgan concerned about?

A

The way that scientists of his era were attributing human characteristics to non-human animals.

58
Q

Who was Conway Lloyd Morgan?

A

A British physiologist and psychologist.

59
Q

What did Morgan (1984) argue?

A

Whenever possible, one should interpret an animal’s behaviour in terms of lower, more primitive processes, (such as reflexes or habit rather than decision or imagination)

60
Q

What does canon mean? (e.g. Morgan’s Canon)

A

principle

61
Q

Morgan’s Canon is a variation of which law?

A

Law of parsimony

62
Q

What is Watson’s original brand of behaviourism often referred to?

A

Watson’s methodological behaviourism.

63
Q

What did Watson conclude, following extensive observations of infants?

A

That humans only inherit several fundamental reflexes along with three basic emotions - love, rage and fear.

64
Q

What was Watson’s view on the nature v nurture debate?

A

In his original 1913 article, he emphasised the role of both heredity and the environment, but later downplayed the role of heredity (challenges against racism and famous ‘a dozen healthy infants..’ quote)

65
Q

What was one of the first major challenges against Watson’s methodological behaviourism?

A

Hull’s Neobehaviourism

66
Q

What did Hull’s Neobehaviourism theorise?

A

That unobservable events don’t have to be treated like they don’t exist and they can be scientifically measured. E.g. gravity is not directly observable but it’s effect can still be shown, by dropping objects etc.

67
Q

What are intervening variables?

A

Mediating events which intervene between a cause (e.g. food deprivation) and an effect (speed running towards food) and represent the underlying mental process (hunger).

68
Q

What is Neobehaviourism?

A

A brand of behaviourism that utilises intervening variables, in the form of hypothesised physiological processes, to help explain behaviour.

69
Q

What was Clarke Hull’s view on introspection?

A

Not useful as a scientific tool, as subjective experiences are too vague and unreliable.

70
Q

Why can it be said that Watson’s theory of learning is mechanistic?

A

His theory is a type of S-R theory.

71
Q

What type of theory was Clarke Hull’s?

A

An S-R theory.

72
Q

Who was one of Clarke Hull’s major critics?

A

Edward C Tolman

73
Q

Which theory was Edward Tolman responsible for?

A

Cognitive Behaviourism

74
Q

How can Tolman’s cognitive behaviourism be summarised?

A

It stated that Hull’s Neobehaviourism was not broad enough. Assumes that behaviour should be studied in terms of more general, goal-directed patterns of behaviour, rather than long chains of stimulus-response connections.

Also says that the intervening variables that Hull introduced did not have to avoid mental states - could involve expectations and hypotheses, rather than just drives and habits.

75
Q

What is cognitive behaviourism?

A

Utilises intervening variables, usually in the form of hypothesised cognitive processes, to help explain behaviour.

76
Q

What is Tolman’s most famous intervening variable?

A

Cognitive map

77
Q

What is the cognitive map and who suggested that it exists?

A

A mental representation of one’s spatial surroundings, proposed by Tolman

78
Q

What evidence supports the existence of a cognitive map?

A

Tolman and Honzik (1930) - complex maze task. Rats who were rewarded for finding the food box initially found it quicker than the other group, whose box did not contain food.

Then, when the other group’s box contained food on Day 11 (reward introduced) they outperformed the main group in the time taken to find the box.

This showed that the initially non-rewarded rats had encoded their understanding of the maze into their cognitive map.

79
Q

What is latent learning?

A

The occurrence of learning despite the absence of at observable indication of learning and only becomes apparent under a different set of conditions.

80
Q

What is the study of cognitive processes in non-human animals called?

A

Animal cognition or comparative cognition

81
Q

What is another name for cognitive behaviourism?

A

Purposive behaviourism

Introduction to Learning (10 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions