Chapter 5 - Learning, Memory, and Behavior Flashcards
What is nonassociative learning?
repeated exposure to one type of stimulus
What are the two types of nonassociative learning?
- habituation
- sensitization
What is habituation?
A person learns to tune out a stimulus they have experienced repeatedly.
What is dishabituation?
After a person has been habituated to a given stimulus, and the stimulus is removed, they are no longer accustomed to the stimulus.
What is sensitization?
There is an increase in responsiveness due to either a repeated application of a stimulus or a particularly aversie or noxious stimulus.
What is associative learning?
One event, object, or action is directly connected with another.
What are the two categories of associative learning?
- classical conditioning
- operant conditioning
What is classical conditioning?
Respondent conditioning: Two stimuli are paired in such a way that the response to one of the stimuli changes.
What is the best historical example of classical conditioning?
Pavlov’s dog salivating at the ringing of a bell in the absence of food, after associating it with the presentation of food.
What is a neutral stimulus?
It is a stimulus that does not elicit any intrinsic response (sound of the bell at the beginning of Pavlov’s experiment).
What is an unconditioned stimulus (US)?
A stimulus that elicits an unconditioned response (UR) - biological, not learned. In Pavlov’s experiment, this was the food and salivation.
What is a conditioned stimulus (CS)?
It is an originally neutral stimulus that is paired with an unconditioned stimulus until it can produce the conditioned response withouth the unconditioned stimulus. This was the bell.
What is a conditioned response?
It is the learned response to the conditioned stimulus. It is the same as the unconditioned response, but now occurs without the unconditioned stimulus. This was salivating at the sound of the bell.
Define acquisition
the process of learning the conditioned response (the time when the food and bell were paired in Pavlov’s experiment)
Define extinction
The conditioned and unconditioned stimuli are no longer paired, so the conditioned response eventually stops occuring.
Define spontaneous recovery
An extinct conditioned response occurs again when the conditioned stimulus is presented after some period of time.
Define generalization
Stimuli other than the original conditioned stimulus elicit the conditioned response (other bells)
Define discrimination
The conditioned stimulus is differentiated from other stimuli, so the conditioned stimulus only occures for conditioned stimuli (only that bell that was used in the experiment).
What is operant conditioning?
using reinforcement and punishment to mold behavior and eventually cause associative learning
What is the best historical experiment of operant conditioning?
B.F. Skinner’s box
In Skinner’s experiment, what his positive reinforcement?
The food pellet was a positive reinforcer for the rat because it caused the rat to repeat the desired behavior (pushing the lever).
In Skinner’s experiment, what was his negative reinforcement?
Electric shock was a negative reinforcer for the rat because it caused the rat to repeat the desired behavior (pushing lever) to remove the undesirable stimulus (shock).
Which brain structure is believed to be most important in positive conditioning?
hippocampus
Which brain structure is believed to be most important in negative conditioning?
amygdala