Chapter 6 - Learning

Question 1

acquisition

Answer 1

the initial phase of learning in which a response is established

Question 2

applied behaviour analysis

Answer 2

involves using close observation, prompting, and reinforcement to teach behaviours, often to people who experience difficulties and challenges owing to a developmental condition such as autism

Question 3

avoidance learning

Answer 3

a specific type of negative reinforcement that removes the possibility that a stimulus will occur (eg. not eating a food after it caused an allergic reaction multiple times)

Question 4

chaining

Answer 4

involves linking together two or more shaped behaviours into a more complex action or sequence of actions

Question 5

classical conditioning

Answer 5

a form of associative learning in which an organism learns to associate a neutral stimulus (eg. a sound) with a **biologically relevant stimulus **(eg. food), which results in a change in the response to the previously neutral stimulus

Question 6

conditioned emotional responses

Answer 6

consist of emotional and physiological responses that develop to a specific object or situation

Question 7

conditioned response

Answer 7

(CR) the learned response that occurs to the conditioned stimulus

Question 8

conditioned stimulus

Answer 8

(CS) a once-neutral stimulus that later elicits a conditioned response because it has a history of being **paired ** with an unconditioned stimulus

Question 9

conditioned taste aversion

Answer 9

acquired dislike or disgust for a food or drink because it was paired with illness

Question 10

continuous reinforcement

Answer 10

every response made results in reinforcement

Question 11

discrimination

Answer 11

1 - Pavlovian: occurs when an organism learns to respond to one orginial conditioned stimulus but not to new stimuli that may be similar to the original stimulus
2 - Operant: occurs when an organism learns to respond to one original discriminative stimulus but not to new stimuli that may be similar to the original stimulus
3 - Behaviour that disfavours or disadvantages members of a certain social group in some way

Question 12

discriminative stimulus

Answer 12

a cue or event that indicates that a response, if made, will be reinforced
(eg.child asking for candy @ grandma’s house)

Question 13

escape learning

Answer 13

occurs if a response removes a stimulus that is already present (eg. leaving a noisy room to avoid sound)

Question 14

extinction

Answer 14

1 - In classical conditioning: the loss or weakening of a conditioned response when a conditioned stimulus and unconditioned stimulus no longer occur together
2 - In operant conditioning: the weakening of an operant response when reinforcement is no longer available

Question 15

fixed-interval schedule

Answer 15

reinforces the first response occurring after a set amount of time passes

Question 16

fixed-ratio schedule

Answer 16

reinforcement is delivered after a specific number of responses have been completed

Question 17

generalization

Answer 17

takes place when an operant response occurs in a response to a new stimulus that is similar to the stimulus present during original learning

Question 18

imitation

Answer 18

recreating someone else’s motor behaviour or expression, often to accomplish a specific goal

Question 19

latent inhibition

Answer 19

occurs when a frequent experience with a stimulus before it is paired with a US makes it less likely that conditioning will occur after a single episode of illness

Question 20

latent learning

Answer 20

learning that is not immediately expressed by a response until the organism is reinforced for doing so

Question 21

law of effect

Answer 21

idea that responses followed by satisfacion will occur again in the same situation whereas those that are not followed by satisfaction become less likely

Question 22

learning

Answer 22

a process by which behaviour or knowledge changes as a result of experience

Question 23

negative reinforcement

Answer 23

involves the strengthening of a behaviour because it removes or diminishes a stimulus

Question 24

observational learning

Answer 24

involves changes in behaviour and knowledge that result from watching others

Question 25

operant conditioning

Answer 25

a type of learning in which behaviour is influenced by consequences

Question 26

partial reinforcement

Answer 26

only a certain number of responses are rewarded, or a certain amount of time must pass before reinforcement is available

Question 27

partial reinforcement effect

Answer 27

a phenomenon in which organisms that have been conditioned under partial reinforcement resist extinction longer than those conditioned under continuous reinforcement

Question 28

positive punishment

Answer 28

a process in which a behaviour decreases in frequency because it was followed by a particular, unually unlpeasant, stimulus (eg. spanking, exrta chores)

Question 29

positive reinforcement

Answer 29

the strengthening of behaviour after potential reinforcers such as praise, money, or nourishment follow that behaviour

Question 30

preparedness

Answer 30

the biological predisposition to rapidly learn a response to a particular class of stimuli

Question 31

primary reinforcers

Answer 31

reinforcing stimuli that satisfy basic motivational needs - needs that affect an individual’s ability to survive (and, if possible, reproduce)

Question 32

punisher

Answer 32

a stimulus that is contingent upon a response, and that results in a decrease in behaviour

Question 33

punishment

Answer 33

a process that decreases the future probability of a response

Question 34

reinforcement

Answer 34

a process in which an event or reward that follows a response increases the likelihood of that response occurring again

Question 35

reinforcer

Answer 35

a stimulus that is contingent upon a response, and that increases the probability of that response occurring again

Question 36

schedules of reinforcement

Answer 36

rules that determine when reinforcement is available

Question 37

secondary reinforcers

Answer 37

stimuli that acquire their reinforcing effects only after we learn that they have value

Question 38

shaping

Answer 38

reinforcing successive approximations of a specific operant response (eg baby learning to crawl)

Question 39

spontaneous recovery

Answer 39

the reocccurrence of a previously extinguished conditioned response, typically after some time has passed since extinction

Question 40

unconditioned response (UR)

Answer 40

a reflexive, unlearned reaction to an unconditioned stimulus

Question 41

unconditioned stimulus (US)

Answer 41

a stimulus that elicits a reflexive response without learning

Question 42

variable-interval schedule

Answer 42

the first response is reinforced following a variable amount of time

Question 43

variable-ratio schedule

Answer 43

the number of reponses required to receive reinforcement varies according to an average