Chapter 7: Learning - Modules 21/22/23

Question 1

our capacity to learn new behaviours that help us cope in a changing world

Answer 1

adaptability

Question 2

process of acquiring, through experience, new and relatively enduring information or behaviours

Answer 2

learning

Question 3

learning to expect and prepare for certain events
associating two stimuli together
ex. you hear lightning, you expect thunder

Answer 3

classical conditioning

Question 4

learn to repeat acts that bring rewards as well as learning to avoid acts that bring unwanted results
ex. you study for a test, get an A
ex. you don’t study for a test, fail

Answer 4

operant conditioning

Question 5

learning associations in an environment, the process of association
has two subdivisions: classical and operant

Answer 5

conditioning/associative learning

Question 6

the study of observable behaviour, idea of experience shaping growth, Watson and Skinner
the view that (1) psychology should be a objective science (2) studies behaviour without reference to mental processes

Answer 6

Behaviourism

Question 7

any event/situation that envokes a response

Answer 7

stimulus

Question 8

operates on environment, producing a consequence

Answer 8

operant behaviours

Question 9

acquisition of mental information by watching/observing events or by language

Answer 9

cognitive learning

Question 10

learning from others’ experiences
“monkey see, monkey do”

Answer 10

observational learning

Question 11

a stimulus that elicits no response before conditioning

Answer 11

neutral stimulus (NS)

Question 12

an unlearned, naturally occuring response (ie. salivation) to an unconditioned stimulus (ie. food in the mouth)

Answer 12

unconditioned response

Question 13

a stimulus that unconditionally - naturally and automatically - triggers an unconditional response

Answer 13

unconditioned stimulus (US)

Question 14

a learned response to a previously neutral stimulus

Answer 14

conditioned response (CR)

Question 15

an originally neutral stimulus that, after association with an unconditioned stimulus comes to trigger a conditioned response

Answer 15

conditioned stimulus (CS)

Question 16

the initial stage when one links a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus so that the neutral stimulus begins triggering the unconditioned stimulus

Answer 16

acquisition

Question 17

a procedure in which the conditioned stimulus in one conditioning experience is paired with a new neutral stimulus, creating a second (often weaker) conditioned stimulus
ex. a tone predicts food but a light predicts the tone

Answer 17

higher-order conditioning

Question 18

the diminishing of a conditioned response
when an unconditioned stimulus doesn’t follow a conditioned stimulus
(a response is no longer being reinforced)

Answer 18

extinction

Question 19

the reappearance of a weakened CR after a pause

Answer 19

spontaneous recovery

Question 20

the tendency, once a response has been conditioned, for stimuli similar to the CS to elicit similiar responses
when responses learned in one situation, occur in other, similar situations

Answer 20

generalizations

Question 21

in classical conditioning, the learned ability to distinguish between a CS and a similar stimuli that do not signal a US
ability to distinguish responses that are reinforced from similar responses that are not reinforced

Answer 21

discrimination

Question 22

Thorndike’s principle that behaviors followed by favorable consequences become more likely and that behaviors followed by unfavorable consequences become less likely

Answer 22

the law of effect

Question 23

contains a bar or a key that an animal can manipulate to obtain a food or water reinforcer where attached devices record the animals state of bar pressing or key pecking
aka Skinner Box

Answer 23

operant chamber

Question 24

any event that strengthens the behaviour it follows

Answer 24

concept of reinforcement

Question 25

an operant conditioning procedure which reinforces guide behaviour toward closer and closer approximations of the desired behaviour

Answer 25

shaping

Question 26

signals that a response will be reinforced, ability to discriminate between two o more stimuli

Answer 26

discriminative stimuli

Question 27

increasing behaviours by presenting a pleasurable stimulus, when PRESENTED AFTER a response, strengthens the response

Answer 27

positive reinforcement

Question 28

increasing behaviours by stopping or reducing an aversive stimulus, when REMOVED AFTER a response, strengthens a response
not a punishment

Answer 28

negative reinforcement

Question 29

an innately reinforcing stimulus, unlearned
ex. one that satisfies a biological need

Answer 29

primary reinforcers

Question 30

gains its reinforcing power through its association with a primary reinforcer
aka secondary reinforcers

Answer 30

conditioned reinforcers

Question 31

a pattern that defines how often a desires response will be reinforced

Answer 31

reinforcement schedules

Question 32

reinforcing desired response every time it occurs

Answer 32

continuous reinforcement schedule

Question 33

reinforcing a response only part of the time, results in slower acquisition of a response but much greater resistance to extinction

Answer 33

partial/intermittent reinforcement schedules

Question 34

a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified number of responses

Answer 34

fixed-ratio schedules

Question 35

a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses
ex. gambling

Answer 35

variable-ratio schedules

Question 36

reinforces a response after a specific time has elapsed
ex. checking mail when delivery time is closer

Answer 36

fixed-interval schedules

Question 37

reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals, persistent

Answer 37

variable-interval schedules

Question 38

any consequence that decreases the frequency of the behaviour it follows

Answer 38

punisher

Question 39

punishing by adding an unpleasant stimulus

Answer 39

positive punishment

Question 40

punishing by removing a rewarding stimulus

Answer 40

negative punishment

Question 41

a biological predisposition to learn associations that have survival value
such as between taste and nausea

Answer 41

preparedness

Question 42

the avoiding of a negative stimulus after tasting it

Answer 42

taste aversion

Question 43

the tendency of learned behaviour to gradually revert to biologically predisposed patterns

Answer 43

instinctive drift

Question 44

a mental representation of the layout of ones environment

Answer 44

cognitive map

Question 45

learning that occurs but is not apparent until there is an incentive to demonstrate it

Answer 45

latant learning

Question 46

the process of observing and imitating a specific behaviour

Answer 46

modeling

Question 47

frontal lobe neurons that some scientists believe fire wen we perform certain actions or observe another doing so, the brains mirroring of another action may enable imitation and empathy
“monkey see, monkey do:

Answer 47

mirror neurons

Question 48

the ability of a child to enable their empathy and their ability to infer another mental state

Answer 48

theory of mind

Question 49

positive, constructive, helpful behaviour, the opposite of antisocial behaviour

Answer 49

prosocial behaviours

Question 50

negative, destructive, harmful behaviour, the opposite of prosocial behaviours

Answer 50

antisocial behaviours