Chapter 7

Question 1

what is learning?

Answer 1

a lasting change as a result of practice, study or experience

Question 2

what are the 2 types of learning?

Answer 2

1.) associative - 2 or more stimuli become linked
2.) non-associative learning - repeated exposure to only a single stimulus or event

Question 3

2 types of associative learning

Answer 3

classical conditioning, operant conditioning

Question 4

what is classical conditioning?

Answer 4

associating stimulus with each other (two stimuli co-occur = first stimulus can signal the arrival of a second stimulus)

Question 5

what is operant conditioning?

Answer 5

associating responses with consequences (learn what consequences are likely to occur after a response)

Question 6

2 types of non-associative learning

Answer 6

habituation, sensitization

Question 7

what is habituation?

Answer 7

a decrease in the response to a stimulus after repeated exposure

Question 8

what is sensitization?

Answer 8

an increase in the response to a stimulus after repeated exposure

Question 9

what was Ivan Pavlovs discovery?

Answer 9

while studying digestion in dogs, he discovered that salvation came to be triggered by a neutral stimuli that reliably predicted the food such as:
- seeing the food or dish
- seeing the person who usually brought the food
- hearing that person’s footsteps

Question 10

neutral stimulus

Answer 10

a stimulus that at first elicits no response

Question 11

unconditioned stimulus

Answer 11

a stimulus that leads to an automatic response

Question 12

unconditioned response

Answer 12

naturally occurring response that follows the unconditioned stimulus

Question 13

conditioned stimulus

Answer 13

a stimulus that can eventually trigger a conditioned (automatic) response, formerly the neutral stimulus

Question 14

conditioned response

Answer 14

behaviour that does not come naturally, but must be learned by the individual by pairing a neutral stimulus with a potent stimulus

Question 15

acquistion

Answer 15

the initial stage of learning/conditioning (after CS and US are pair, the strength of CR grow)

Question 16

extinction

Answer 16

the diminishing of a conditioned response (if the US stops appearing after the CS, then the CR decreases)

Question 17

spontaneous recovery

Answer 17

a return of the CR despite no further conditioning (likely to occur after rest)

Question 18

stimulus generalization

Answer 18

tendency to have conditioned responses triggered by similar/ related stimuli

Question 19

stimulus discrimmination

Answer 19

learned ability to only respond to specific stimulus, preventing generalization

Question 20

higher order conditioning

Answer 20

when a previously conditioned stimulus function as if it were a US for further conditioning

Question 21

reinforced behaviour

Answer 21

more likely to be tried again

Question 22

punished behaviour

Answer 22

less likely to be tried again in the future

Question 23

what is Thorndikes Law of Effect?

Answer 23

states that behaviours that are followed by favourable consequences became more likely, whereas behaviours followed by unfavourable consequences become less likely

Question 24

what is a punishment?

Answer 24

refers to any feedback from the environment that makes a behaviour less likely to recur

Question 25

positive punishment

Answer 25

you add something unpleasant

Question 26

negative punishment

Answer 26

you take away something pleasant/desired

Question 27

what is reinforcement?

Answer 27

refers to any feedback from the environment that makes a behaviour likely to reoccur

Question 28

positive reinforcement

Answer 28

adding something desirable

Question 29

negative reinforcement

Answer 29

taking away something unpleasant

Question 30

what is continuous reinforcement?

Answer 30

• subject is reward every time they perform the target behaviour
• the behaviour is learned very quickly but also stop quicklier if reinforcement is no longer delivered

Question 31

what is partial/intermittent reinforcement?

Answer 31

• subject is rewarded only some of the time for doing target behaviour
• the behaviour takes longer to learn, but will persist longer without reward

Question 32

4 different types of partial/intermittent reinforcement

Answer 32

1.) fixed interval = reinforcement delivered for the first response after a specific amount of time has passed
2.) variable interval = reinforcement delivered for the first response after a variable amount of time has passed
3.) fxed ratio = reinforcement delivered after a specific number of responses are made
4.) variable ratio = reinforcement delivered after a variable number of responses have been made

Question 33

what is shaping?

Answer 33

a rewarding successive approximations to the behaviour is a way to train a new behaviour

Question 34

what is observational learning?

Answer 34

• learning that occurs by observing the behaviour of a model
• learn how to do things, when to do things etc.

Question 35

what was the result of Bandura’s bobo doll experiment?

Answer 35

• children who watched an adult act aggressively toward the doll were more likely to behave aggressively than children who didn’t watch the adult act aggressively

Question 36

what is latent learning?

Answer 36

learning that occurs without reinforcement and isn’t expressed in behaviour until reinforcement is available

Question 37

what is insight learning?

Answer 37

a sudden realization of a solution to a problem or leap in understanding new concepts

Question 38

how does timing facilitate learning?

Answer 38

• multiple exposures separate by time facilitates learning
• massed studying is ineffective compared to spaced studying

Question 39

what is the context effect?

Answer 39

• studying in several different locations facilitates learning

Question 40

how does awareness and attention facilitate learning?

Answer 40

• attention can be driven by a “pop out” effect if one stimulus is is noticeably different from the rest
• attention can be driven by active searching with more complicated stimuli
• attention can get in the way with stimuli that can be interpreted in 2 ways