Chapter 6: Learning (Exam 2) Flashcards
Unlearned Behaviors
instincts, reflexes
Reflex
a motor or neural reaction to a specific stimulus in the environment
Instinct
an innate behavior that is triggered by a broader range of events
Learning
permanent change in behavior or knowledge that results from experience
Observational Learning
learning by watching others and then initiating what they do
Operant Conditioning
organisms learn to associate a behavior and its consequences
Classical Conditioning
or: Pavlonian Conditioning
organisms learn to associate events, or stimuli, that repeatedly happen together
Unconditioned Stimulus
a stimulus that elicits a reflexive response in an organism
Pavlov’s Dog: the food
Unconditioned Response
natural/unlearned reaction to a given stimulus
Pavlov’s Dog: prior to the experiment, the dog drools at the sight of food
Neural Stimulus
stimulus that does not naturally elicit a response
Pavlov’s Dog: prior the experiment, the bell ringing
Conditioned Stimulus
stimulus that elicits a response after repeatedly being paired with an unconditioned stimulus
Pavlov’s Dog: the bell, as it is paired with the food (the unconditioned stimulus) during the experiment
Conditioned Response
behavior caused by the conditioned stimulus
Pavlov’s Dog: after the experiment, the dog drools when it hears the bell ring
Reinforcement
increasing behavior
Positive Reinforcement
desirable stimulus is added to increase the likelihood of a behavior
e.g. getting a paycheck, getting a high grade on a test
Negative Reinforcement
undesirable stimulus is removed to increase the likelihood of a behavior
e.g. getting up in the morning to turn off an alarm clock
Punishment
decreasing behavior
Positive Punishment
undesirable stimulus is added to decrease the likelihood of a behavior
e.g. a parent spanking or giving chores to a disobedient child
Negative Punishment
desirable stimulus is removed to decrease the likelihood of a behavior
e.g. taking away a cellphone
Fixed Interval
reinforcement is delivered at predictable time intervals
e.g. students leave a class when the bell rings
Variable Interval
reinforcement is delivered at unpredictable time intervals
e.g. mail can be delivered at 1 PM or 3 PM
Fixed Ratio
reinforcement is delivered after a predictable number of responses
e.g. one recieves a quarter for every soda returned
Variable Ratio
reinforcement is delivered after an unpredictable number of responses
e.g. slot machines pay of after a random number of plays
Acquisition
initial period of learning
Extinction
decrease of the conditioned response
Recovery
when extinguished, or extinct behavior, returns after a resting period
Stimulus Discrimination
when an organism learns to respond differently to various stimuli that are similar
Model
individuals performing the imitated behavior
Bandura’s Social Learning Theory (SLT)
states that observational learning is more than just imitating
According to SLT, what happens during observational learning?
- One learns a new response.
- One chooses to imitate the modeling depending on what they saw happen to the model.
- One learns a general rule that can be applied to other situations.
Steps in the Modeling Process
- Attention
- Retention
- Reproduction
- Motivation
Attention
to focus on what the model is doing
Retention
to remember what was observed
Reproduction
to perform a behavior that was observed and committed to memory
Motivation
the want to copy a behavior is dependent on the motivation to do so
Prosocial Effects
used to encourage acceptable behavior
models should do exactly what they want their learners to do
Antisocial Effects
aggressive or negative behaviors will be copied, which explains why children who are victims of abuse are likely to become abusers when they are older
