Chapter 5- Learning

Question 1

Learning

Answer 1

A relatively permanent change in behavior, knowledge, capability, or attitude that is acquired through experience and cannot be attributed to illness, injury, or maturation.

Question 2

Classical Conditioning

Answer 2

A type of learning though which an organism learns to associate one stimulus with another. May also be referred to as respondent conditioning or Pavlovian conditioning.

Question 3

Stimulus

Answer 3

Any event or object in the environment to which an organism responds.

Question 4

Ivan Pavlov

Answer 4

(1849-1936) Organized and directed research in physiology at the Institute of Experiemental Medicine in St. Petersburg, Russia from 1891-1936, Performed experiments about classical conditioning which involved analyzing the response of dogs, food, and sounds.

Question 5

Reflex

Answer 5

An involuntary response to a particular stimulus, such as the eyeblink response to a puff of air or salivation when food is placed in the mouth.

Question 6

Two kinds of Reflexes

Answer 6

1. conditioned- learned response to stimulus

2. unconditioned- inborn, automatic, unlearned response to stimulus

Question 7

Conditioned Reflexes

Answer 7

Learned involuntary responses

Question 8

Unconditioned Response (UR)

Answer 8

A response that is elicited by an unconditioned stimulus without prior learning.

Question 9

Unconditioned Stimulus (US)

Answer 9

A stimulus that elicits a specific unconditioned response without prior learning.

Question 10

Conditioned Stimulus (CS)

Answer 10

A neutral stimulus that, after repeated pairing with an unconditioned stimulus, becomes associated with it and elicits a conditioned response.

Question 11

Conditioned Response (CR)

Answer 11

The learned response that comes to be elicited by a conditioned stimulus as a result of its repeated pairing with an unconditioned stimulus.

Question 12

Higher-order conditioning

Answer 12

Conditioning that occurs when conditioned stimuli are linked together to form a series of signals.

Question 13

Extinction

Answer 13

In classical conditioning, the weakening and eventual disappearance of the conditioned response as a result to a repeated presentation of the conditioned stimulus without the unconditioned stimulus.

Question 14

Spontaneous Recovery

Answer 14

The reappearance of an extinguished response (in a weaker form) when an organism is exposed to the original conditioned stimulus following a rest period.

Question 15

Generalization

Answer 15

In classical conditioning, the tendency to make a conditioned response to a stimulus that is similar to the original conditioned stimulus

Question 16

Discrimination

Answer 16

The learned ability to distinguish between similar stimuli so that the conditioned response occurs only to the original conditioned stimulus but not to similar stimuli

Question 17

John Watson & Roslie Rayner

Answer 17

In 1919, they conducted a famous study to prove that fear could be classically conditioned. Little Albert was a healthy and emotionally stable 11-month-year-old infant. When tested, he showed no fear except of the loud noise Watson made by striking a hammer against a steel bar against his head. In the lab, Little Albert was introduced to a white rat. Everytime Little Albert reached for the rat, Watson would make a loud noise. Eventually, Little Albert jumped at the sight of the rat alone. After 5 days, Little Albert’s fear was generalized to a rabbit, dog, a seal coat, Watson’s hair, and Santa Claus’ beard.

Question 18

Taste aversions

Answer 18

Intense dislike and/or avoidance of particular foods that been associated with nausea and discomfort.