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Psychology > Chapter 6 - Learning > Flashcards

Chapter 6 - Learning Flashcards

1
Q

What is learning?

A

Any relatively durable change in behaviour or knowledge that is due to experience.

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2
Q

What is conditioning?

Ivan Pavlov

A

Involves learning connections between events that occur in an organisms environment.

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3
Q

What are phobias?

A

Irrational fears of specific objects or situations.

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4
Q

What is classic conditioning?

A

A type of learning in which a stimulus acquires the capacity to evoke a response that was originally evoked by another stimulus.

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5
Q

What is an unconditioned association?

A

Two stimuli that did not have to be paired through conditioning.

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6
Q

What is an unconditioned stimulus?

A

A stimulus that evokes an unconditioned response without previous conditioning.

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7
Q

What is an unconditioned response?

A

An unlearned reaction to an unconditioned stimulus that occurs without previous conditioning.

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8
Q

What is a conditioned association?

A

Established through conditioning.

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9
Q

What is a conditioned stimulus?

A

A previously neutral stimulus that has, through conditioning, acquired the capacity to evoke a conditioned response.

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10
Q

What is a conditioned response?

A

A learned reaction to a conditioned stimulus that occurs because of a previous conditioning.

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11
Q

What is a psychic reflex?

A

The conditioned reflex. Said to be elicited because they are automatic and involuntary.

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12
Q

What is evaluative conditioning?

A

Refers to the changes in the liking of a stimulus that result from pairing that stimulus with other positive or negative stimuli.

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13
Q

What is Acquisition?

A

Refers to the initial stage of learning something.

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14
Q

What is stimulus contiguity?

A

Stimuli that are contiguous if they occur together in time and space.

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15
Q

What is extinction?

A

The gradual weakening and disappearance of a conditioned response tendency.

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16
Q

What is spontaneous recovery?

A

The reappearance of an extinguished response after a period of non-exposure to conditioned stimulus.

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17
Q

What is the renewal effect?

A

If a response is extinguished in a different environment than it was acquired, the extinguished response will reappear if the animal is returned to the original environment where acquisition took place.

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18
Q

What is stimulus generalization?

A

Occurs when an organism that has learned a response to a specific stimulus responds in the same way to new stimuli that are similar to the original stimulus.

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19
Q

What is stimulus discrimination?

A

Occurs when an organism that has learned a response to a specific stimulus does not respond in the same way to new stimuli that are similar to the original stimulus.

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20
Q

What is higher-order conditioning?

A

A conditioned stimulus functions as if it were an unconditioned stimulus.

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21
Q

What is preparedness?

A

Involves a species-specific predisposition to be conditioned in certain ways and not others.

22
Q

What is operant conditioning?

A

A form of learning in which responses come to be controlled by their consequences.

BF Skinner

23
Q

What is the law of effect?

A

A response in the presence of a stimulus leads to satisfying effects, the association between the stimulus and the response is strengthened.

24
Q

What is reinforcement ?

A

Occurs when an event following a response increases an organisms tendency to make that response.

25
Q

What is a operant/skinner box?

A

A small enclosure in which an animal can make a specific response that is recorded while the consequences of the response are systematically controlled.

26
Q

What are reinforcement contingencies?

A

Circumstances or rules that determine whether responses lead to the presentation of reinforcers.

27
Q

What is a cumulative recorder?

A

Creates a graphic record of responding and reinforcement in a Skinner box as a function of time.

28
Q

What are primary reinforcers?

A

Events that are inherently reinforcing because they satisfy biological needs.

29
Q

What are secondary, or conditioned, reinforcers?

A

Events that acquire reinforcing qualities by being associated with primary reinforcers.

30
Q

What is shaping?

A

Consists of reinforcement of closer and closer approximations of a desired response.

31
Q

What is resistance to extinction?

A

Occurs when an organism continues to make a response after delivery of the reinforcer has been terminated.

32
Q

What is discriminative stimuli?

A

Cues that influence operant behaviour by indicating the probable consequences (reinforcement or non-reinforcement) of a response.

33
Q

What is a schedule of reinforcement?

A

Determines which occurrences of a specific response result in the presentation of a reinforcer.

34
Q

What is continuous reinforcement?

A

Occurs when every instance of a designated response is reinforced.

35
Q

What is intermittent, partial reinforcement?

A

Occurs when a designated response is reinforced only some of the time.

36
Q

What is a fixed ratio schedule?

A

The reinforcer is given after a fixed number of non-reinforced responses.

37
Q

What is a variable-ratio schedule?

A

The reinforcer is given after a variable number of non-reinforced responses.

38
Q

What is a fixed-interval schedule?

A

The reinforcer is given for the first response that occurs after a fixed time interval has elapsed.

39
Q

Explain positive reinforcement?

A

Occurs when a response is strengthened because it is followed by the presentation of a rewarding stimulus.

40
Q

Explain negative reinforcement.

A

Occurs when a response is strengthened because it is followed by a removal of an aversive (unpleasant) stimulus.

41
Q

Explain escape learning.

A

An organism acquires a response that decreases or ends some aversive stimulation.

42
Q

Explain avoidance learning.

A

An organism acquires a response that prevents some aversive stimulation from occurring.

43
Q

Explain punishment.

A

Occurs when an event following a response weakens the tendency to make that response.

44
Q

What is latent learning?

A

Learning that is not apparent from behaviour when it first occurs.

45
Q

What is Instinctive drift?

A

Occurs when an animals innate response tendencies interfere with conditioning processes.

46
Q

What is observational learning?

A

Occurs when an organisms responding is influenced by the observation of others, who are called models.

47
Q

Bandura had identified 4 key processes in Observational learning

A

Attention - learn through observation, pay attention to another persons behaviour and its consequences

Retention: must store in your memory a mental representation if what you have witnessed.

Reproduction: depends on your ability to reproduce the response by converting your stored mental images into overt behaviour.

Motivation : your motivation depends on whether you encounter a situation jn which you believe that the response is likely to pay off for you.

48
Q

What are mirror neurons.

A

Neurons that are activated by performing an actjon or seeing another monkey or person perform the same action.

49
Q

Explain Behaviour Modification.

A

A systematic approach to changing behaviour through the application of the principles of conditioning.

50
Q

Explain Antecedents.

A

Events that typically precede the target response.

51
Q

What is it called when an organism acquires a behaviour that prevents the occurrence of an aversive events.

A

Avoidance learning.

Psychology (4 decks)

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