Chapter 5: Learning

Question 1

What is learning according to behaviorists?

Answer 1

It is a relatively permanent change in behavior that results from experience

Question 2

What is learning according to cognitive theorists?

Answer 2

The process by which organisms make relatively permanent changes in the way key represent the environment because of experience

Question 3

A simple form of learning in which a neutral stimulus comes to evoke the response usually evoked by another stimulus by being paired repeatedly with the other stimulus

Answer 3

Classical conditioning

Question 4

What is a reflex?

Answer 4

A simple unlearned response to a stimulus

Question 5

What is an environmental condition that elicits a response?

Answer 5

Stimulus

Question 6

What is an unconditioned stimulus (ucs)?a

Answer 6

A stimulus that elicits a response from an organism prior to conditioning

Question 7

What is an unlearned response to an unconditioned stimulus called?

Answer 7

An unconditioned response (ucr)

Question 8

What is an orienting reflex?

Answer 8

An unlearned response in which an organism attends to a stimulus

Question 9

What is A conditioned stimulus (cs)?

Answer 9

A previously neutral stimulus that elicits a conditioned response because it his been paired repeatedly with a stimulus that already elicited that response

Question 10

What is a learned response to a conditioned stimulus referred too as?

Answer 10

A conditioned response (Cr)

Question 11

What is extinction?

Answer 11

The process where stimuli loses their ability to evoke learned responses because the events that followed the stimuli no longer occur ( the learned responses are said to be extinguished.

Question 12

What is spontaneous recovery?

Answer 12

The recurrence of an extinguished response as a function of the passage of time

Question 13

In conditioning, the tendency for a CR to be evoked by stimuli that are similar to the stimulus to which the response was conditioned and is called what?

Answer 13

Generalization

Question 14

What is discrimination?

Answer 14

In conditioning, the tendency for an organism to distinguish between a Cs and a similar stimuli that do not forecast a UCS

Question 15

A classical conditioning procedure in which a previously neutral stimulus comes to elicit the response brought forth by a Cs by being paired repeatedly with that conditioned stimulus is referred to as what?

Answer 15

Counterconditioning

Question 16

What is flooding?

Answer 16

A behavioral fear-reduction technique based on principles of classical conditioning; fear-evoking stimuli (CSS) are presented continuously in the absence of actual harm so that fear-responses (crs) are extinguished.

Question 17

A behavioral fear-reduction technique in which a hierarchy of fear-evoking stimuli is presented while the person remains relaxed

Answer 17

Systematic desensitization

Question 18

Thorndike’s view that pleasant events stamp in responses and unpleasant events stamp them out.

Answer 18

Law of effect

Question 19

What does it mean to be reinforced?

Answer 19

To follow a response with a stimuli that increases the frequency of the response

Question 20

A behavior that operates on, or manipulates, the environment

Answer 20

Operant behavior

Question 21

What is operant conditioning?

Answer 21

A simple form of learning in which an organism learns to engage in behavior because it is reinforced

Question 22

What are operants ?

Answer 22

They are the same as an operant behavior.

Question 23

What is a positive reinforcer?

Answer 23

A reinforcer that when presented increases the frequency of an operant

Question 24

What is a negative reinforcer?

Answer 24

A reinforcer that when removed increases the frequency of an operant

Question 25

What is a primary reinforcer?

Answer 25

An unlearned reinforcer whose effectiveness is based on the biological makeup of the organism and not on learning

Question 26

What is a secondary reinforcer?

Answer 26

A stimulus that gains reinforcement value through association with established reinforcers.

Question 27

What is a conditioned reinforcer?

Answer 27

Another term for a secondary reinforcer

Question 28

What, in operant conditioning, is a stimulus that indicates that reinforcement is available?

Answer 28

Discriminative stimulus

Question 29

What is continuous reinforcement?

Answer 29

A schedule of reinforcement in which every correct response is reinforced

Question 30

What is partial reinforcement?

Answer 30

One of several reinforcement schedules in which responses are reinforced intermittently

Question 31

What is a fixed-interval schedule?

Answer 31

A schedule in whicha fixed amount of time must elapse between the previous and subsequent times that reinforcement is available

Question 32

What is a variable-interval schedule?

Answer 32

A schedule in which a variable amount of time must elapse between the previous one subsequent times that reinforcements is available

Question 33

What is a fixed-ratio schedule?

Answer 33

A schedule in which reinforcement is provided after a fixed number of correct responses

Question 34

What is a variable- ratio schedule

Answer 34

A schedule in which reinforcement is provided after a variable number of correct responses

Question 35

What is shaping?

Answer 35

A procedure for teaching complex behaviors that at first reinforces approximations of the Target behavior

Question 36

What is successive approximations?

Answer 36

Behaviors that are progressively closer to the target behavior

Question 37

A mental representation of the layout of one's environment

Answer 37

Cognitive map

Question 38

Learning that is hidden or concealed

Answer 38

Latent learning

Question 39

The view that learning occurs when stimuli provide information about the likelihood of the occurrence of other stimuli

Answer 39

Contingency theory

Question 40

What is observational learning?

Answer 40

The acquisition of knowledge and skills through the observation of others (who are called models) rather than by the means of direct experience

Question 41

What is a model?

Answer 41

An organism that engages in a response that is then imitated by another organism.