Chapter 6: Learning Flashcards
What is learning
Process by which behavior or knowledge changes as a result of an experience
What are the 2 types of learning
1) Classical Conditioning
2) Operant Conditioning
What is classical conditoning
Learning through assosiation
How does classical conditioning form
Pavlovian conditioning
Process that results from the pairing of stimuli
Def. classical conditioning
Form of associative learning in which an organism learns to associate a neutral stimulus (ex. sound) with a biologically relevant stimulus (eg. food), which results in change in the response to a previously neutral stimulus (eg. salivation)
Who came up w classical conditioning
Pavlov
Def. Unconditioned stimulus
Unconditioned stimulus (US) - stimulus that naturally elicits a reflective response without learning
Def. Unconditioned response
Unconditioned response (UR) - reflexive, unlearned reaction to an unconditioned stimulus
Def. conditioned stimulus
Conditioned stimulus (CS) - once-neutral stimulus that elicits a conditioned response because it has a history of being paired with an unconditioned stimulus
Def. conditioned response
Conditioned response (CR) - learned response that occurs to the conditioned stimulus
What is the evolutionary function of the CR
UR and CR can be different responses: The evolutionary function of the CR can be seen as a way for the organism to interact adaptively with the US
What is Hebbs Rule
States when a week convection between neurons is stimulated at the same time as a strong connection, the week connection becomes strengthened
“What fires together wires together”
Explain how Hebbs Rule explains classical conditioning
Over repeated conditioning trials, the connection can become strong enough that the CS comes to trigger the CR
Exp. Acquisition
Acquisition - pairing a bell with food will make the dog salivate at the bell alone
Exp. Extinction
Extinction - If you stop pairing sound with food after a while, sound stops triggering food
Exp. Sponatnous Recovery
Spontaneous Recovery - After a rest period, if animal is exposed to sound again, animal will produce salvation again
Def. generalization
Generalization - process which a response that initially occurs to specific stimulus, also occurs to different but similar stimuli
Def. Discimination
Discrimination - when an organism learns to respond to 1 original stimulus, but now a new stimulus that may be similar to
Exp. Little Albert Experiment
Every time baby Albert was exposed to a bunny, people would make a loud bang
Little Albert cried every time he saw bunnies
Explain conditioned taste aversions
Commonly if a person has food poisoning after eating a food, they have an aversion to it forever
