Chapter 6 - Learning

Question 1

Unconditioned stimulus (UCS)

Answer 1

stimulus that elicits reflexive response e.g. food

Question 2

Unconditioned response (UCR)

Answer 2

natural reaction to a stimulus e.g. drooling

Question 3

Neutral stimulus (NS)

Answer 3

stimulus that elicits nothing e.g. sound of a bell PRIOR to conditioning

Question 4

Conditioned stimulus

Answer 4

stimulus that elicits a response after being repeatedly paired with an unconditioned stimulus e.g. sound of bell PROCEEDING conditioning

Question 5

Conditioned response

Answer 5

behavior caused by the conditioned stimulus e.g. dog drools when hears bell

Question 6

Higher-order conditioning (second-order conditioning)

Answer 6

the use of one conditioned stimulus to condition another stimulus

Question 7

acquisition

Answer 7

when an organism learns to connect a neutral stimulus (bell) with an unconditioned stimulus (food)

Question 8

extinction

Answer 8

decrease in the conditioned response when unconditioned stimulus is no longer presented with the conditioned stimulus

Question 9

spontaneous recovery

Answer 9

return of a previously extinct conditioned response following a rest period

Question 10

stimulus discrimination

Answer 10

when a subject learns to respond differently to various similar stimuli

Question 11

stimulus generalization

Answer 11

organism demonstrating conditioned response to stimuli that are similar (opposite of stimulus discrimination)

Question 12

operant conditioning

Answer 12

organisms learn to associate a behavior & what happens because of it

Question 13

law of effect

Answer 13

behaviors that have satisfying consequences are more likely to be repeated, and vice versa

Question 14

positive reinforcement

Answer 14

desirable stimulus added to increase a behavior

Question 15

negative reinforcement

Answer 15

undesirable stimulus removed to increase a behavior

Question 16

punishment is NOT

Answer 16

negative reinforcement

Question 17

reinforcement, even when negative, _____ a behavior

Answer 17

increases

Question 18

punishment ALWAYS _______ a behavior

Answer 18

decreases

Question 19

positive punishment

Answer 19

add undesirable stimulus to decrease a behavior

Question 20

negative punishment

Answer 20

remove pleasant stimulus to decrease a behavior

Question 21

shaping

Answer 21

instead of rewarding only the target behavior, also rewarding successive approximations of target behavior

Question 22

Primary reinforcer

Answer 22

unlearned reinforcers that are innately reinforcing e.g. water, food, sleep, shelter, sex, etc.

Question 23

secondary reinforcer

Answer 23

no inherent value & only has reinforcing qualities when paired w/ primary reinforcer e.g. praise “great shot!” linked to primary reinforcer

Question 24

Continuous reinforcement

Answer 24

when an organism receives a reinforcer each time it displays a behavior

Question 25

Partial reinforcement (intermittent reinforcement)

Answer 25

organism does NOT get reinforced every time they perform the desired behavior.

Question 26

Fixed interval

Answer 26

reinforcement delivered at predictable time intervals

Question 27

variable interval

Answer 27

reinforcement delivered at unpredictable time intervals

Question 28

fixed ratio

Answer 28

reinforcement delivered after a predictable number of responses

Question 29

variable ratio

Answer 29

reinforcement delivered after an unpredictable number of responses

Question 30

radical behaviorism

Answer 30

considered the mind a “black box” & therefore something not to be studied

Question 31

cognitive map

Answer 31

mental picture

Question 32

latent learning

Answer 32

learning that occurs but is not observable in behavior until there’s a reason to demonstrate it e.g. riding to school w/ parents and learning the route, but never driving to prove that you learned it.

Question 33

observational learning

Answer 33

watching others and imitating

Question 34

model

Answer 34

individual performing imitated behavior

Question 35

observational learning involves a specific type of neuron called a _________

Answer 35

mirror neuron

Question 36

vicarious reinforcement

Answer 36

if you saw a model get reinforced for their behavior, you will be motivated to imitate