Chapter 5 Learning and Conditioning Flashcards
Behaviorism
The systematic approach to learning behavior in humans and animals
Pavlov and Classical conditioning
Pavlov discovered that a bell would cause his dogs to salivate. Classical conditioning is process of using a neutral stimulus to elicit a existing behavior to occur
Neutral stimulus
A stimulus that does not cause any elicit behavior or response
Unconditioned stimulus
A stimulus that elicits a behavior which is innate (or not learned) to the animal or human
Conditioned stimulus
A learned stimulus which elicits a reflexive behavior which previously did not
Unconditioned response
A response which is not learned which is triggered by a stimulus
Conditioned response
A learned reflexive response to a previously neutral stimulus
Extinction
The decline or disappearance of a conditioned response. This is typically if the conditioned response is not accompanied by the conditioned stimulus. It is not unlearned.
Spontaneous recovery
The reappearance of the conditioned response after a period of non-exposure to the conditioned stimulus.
Higher order conditioning
The concept that a previously conditioned stimulus can act as an unconditioned stimulus for a neutral stimulus. I.E. Using a ticking metronome to produce salivation. Then adding a black square until the black square could produce salvation
Generalization
The researchers observed that the boy experienced stimulus generalization by showing fear in response to similar stimuli including a dog, a rabbit, a fur coat, a white Santa Claus beard, and even Watson’s own hair.
Discrimination
In classical conditioning, discrimination is the ability to differentiate between a conditioned stimulus and other stimuli that have not been paired with an unconditioned stimulus.
Watson’s research: Conditioned emotional responses and “Little Albert”
This was a cruel experiment where they trained a baby to become scared of furry animals by making a very scared gong sound behind the baby.
Taste aversion
Feeling sick from looking at a stimuli after eating the stimuli that caused sickness. It turns out certain stimuli and responses have stronger associations that originally thought. This due to biological preparedness. Food / internal. Pain / external.
Operant conditioning
behavior is shaped and maintained by it’s consequences
Primary reinforcers vs conditioned/secondary reinforcers
Primary reinforcers are biological. Food, drink, and pleasure are the principal examples of primary reinforcers. But, most human reinforcers are secondary, or conditioned. Examples include money, grades in schools, and tokens.
Thorndike’s puzzle box
Animals would have to perform a task to get out of the box
Law of Effect
The result will encourage or discourage something from happening again
Skinner box
A small cage with a food dispenser. He would make animals perform a specific task under specific conditions to obtain food
Reinforcement
A consequence which encourages a behavior to happen again
Partial Reinforcement effect
This would cause extinction to take much longer to occur.
Schedules of reinforcement
Fixed time or fixed ratio forms of scheduled reinforcement
Punishment
A form of consequence that lowers the frequency of a specific behavior.
A process in which a behavior is followed by an aversive consequence that decreases the likelihood of the behavior’s being repeated.
Two types of reinforcement
Positive / Negative -
Positive is doing something to add or gain a positive stimulus. Hit a nice backhand to get a compliment. Get good grades to get on the honor roll. Do something for extra credit. Work hard to get bonus check.
Negative is doing something to remove an aversive stimulus. Back up HD to avoid losing data. Use cream to avoid itching. Take aspirin to avoid headache. Add battery to avoid smoke beep.
Two types of punishment
Positive / Negative -
Positive Punishment
Stop stealing to avoid getting a felony.
Stop lying to avoid getting grounded
Stop hitting people to avoid getting yelled
Negative Punishment
Stop stealing to avoid losing your job
Stop lying to avoid losing your girlfriend
Stop drinking and driving to avoid losing your car
Shaping
Using reinforcement until the correct behavior is performed
Observational learning
Learning by observing the actions of others
Bandura’s cognitive theory
attention, memory, motor skills, and motivation (ammm)
