Chapter 8- Learning (1st Half) Flashcards
Associative Learning
Learning that certain events occur together. They may be two stimuli (like classical conditioning) or response and its consequence (operant conditioning).
Learning
A relatively permanent change in an organisms behavior due to experience.
Classical conditioning
A type of learning in which an organism comes to associate stimuli. A neural stimulus that signals an unconditioned stimulus provides a response for the unconditioned one.
Behaviorism
The view that psychology (1) should be an objective science that (2) studies behavior without reference to mental processes. Psychologists believe 1 but not 2. John Watson coined this term.
Ivan Pavlov
A Russian psychologist that used dog salivation to study the digestive system of dogs. He used classical conditioning.
Unconditioned Stimulus
In classical condtioning, a stimulus that unconditionally, naturally and automatically, triggers a response.
Unconditioned response
In classical conditioning, the unlearned, natural occurrence response to unconditioned stimulus, such as salvation when food is in the mouth.
Neutral stimulus
Initially produces no specific response other than focusing attention.
Conditioned stimulus
In classical conditioning, an originally irrelevant stimulus that after association with an unconditioned stimulus, comes to trigger a conditioned response.
Conditioned response
In classical conditioning, the learned response to a previously neutral (but now continued) stimulus.
Acquisition
The initial stage in classical conditioning, the phase associating a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus so that the neutral stimulus comes to elicit a conditioned response.
Extinction
The diminishing of a conditioned response; occurs in classical conditioning when an unconditioned stimulus does not follow a conditioned stimulus; occurs in operant conditioning when a response is no longer reinforced.
Spontaneous recovery
The reappearance, after a pause, of an extinguished contained response.
Generalization
The tendency, once a response has been contdioned, for stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus to elicit similar responses.
Discrimination
In classical conditioning, the learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and stimuli that do not signal an unconditioned stimulus.
John Garcia
Researched taste aversion. Used how rats avoided drinking “plastic tasting” water with the sickness from the radiation in the water.
Taste aversion
When a subject associates the taste of a certain food with symptoms caused by toxic or poisonous subject.
Operant conditioning
A type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforced or diminished if followed by a punisher.
Respondent Behavior
Behavior that occurs as an automatic response to some stimulus; Skinners term for behavior learned through classical conditioning. This is involuntary.
Operant behavior
Behavior that operates on the environment, producing consequences (voluntary)
B.F. Skinner
Used the operant chamber (Skinners box). Used behaviorism and operant conditioning.
Edward L. Thorndike
Used law of effect. Said rewarded behavior is likely to recur.
Law of effect
Thorndikes principle that behavior followed by favorable consequences become more likely, and that behavior followed by unfavorable consequences become less likely.
Operant Chamber
A chamber (Skinners Box) containing a bar or key that an animal can manipulate to obtain food or water, with an attached device to record the number of times they hit the bar. Used operant conditioning.
Shaping
An operant conditioning procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior toward closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior, like service animals.
