Class 4 - Learning Flashcards
Learning
process of acquiring through experience new and enduring information or behaviors
Habituation
decreasing responsiveness with repeated exposure to a stimulus
Associative learning
learning that certain events occur together
Stimulus
any event or situation that evokes a response
Cognitive learning
acquisition of mental information, whether by observation or through language
Behaviorism
studies behavior without reference to mental processes
Types of learnings
- classical conditioning
- operant condition
- cognitive learning
Classical conditioning
a type of learning in which we link two or more stimuli
Neutral stimulus
a stimulus that elicits no response before classical conditioning
Unconditioned response
response to the unconditioned stimulus
Unconditional stimulus
the already “learned” stimulus that should stimulate conditioned stimulus
Conditioned response
response to the conditioned stimulus
Conditioned stimulus
the “learned” stimulus
Result of classical conditioning
a stimulus turned from neutral stimulus to a conditioned stimulus with the help of the unconditioned stimulus
Acquisition
the initial learning of the stimulus-response relationship
Higher-Order conditioning
conditioned stimulus is paired with a new neutral stimulus, creating a second (weaker) conditioned stimulus
Extinction
diminishing of conditioned response; unconditioned stimulus does not follow conditioned stimulus
Spontaneous recovery
the reappearance, after a pause, of an extinguished (weakened) conditioned response
Generalization
the tendency for stimuli similar to conditioned stimulus to elicit similar responses
Discrimination
the learned ability to distinguish between conditioned stimulus that do not signal unconditioned stimulus
operant conditioning
a type of learning in which a behavior becomes more likely to recur if followed by a reinforcer or less likely to recur if followed by a punisher
Law of effect
behaviors followed by favorable consequences become more likely, and behaviors followed by unfavorable consequences become less likely
Skinner box
contains a bar or key that an animal can manipulate to obtain a food or water reinforcer; attached devices record the rate of bar pressing or key pecking
Reinforcement
any event that strengthens the behavior it follows
Shaping
reinforcers guide behavior toward closer approximations of the desired behavior
Discriminative stimulus
a stimulus associated with reinforcement that elicits a response
Positive reinforcement
increase behavior by presenting positive reinforcers
Negative reinforcement
increasing behavior by reducing aversive stimulus
Positive punishment
decreasing behavior by adding negative consequences
Negative punishment
decreasing behavior by removing the negative consequences
Primary reinforcer
an innately reinforcing stimulus; one that satisfies a biological need
Secondary reinforcer
a stimulus that gains its reinforcing power through its association with a primary reinforce
Fixed-ratio schedule
give reinforcement for a certain amount of times that the act was performed (number)
Variable-ratio schedule
give reinforcement randomly when the act was performed (number)
Fixed-interval schedule
give reinforcement for a period of time that the act was performed (time)
Variable-interval schedule
give reinforcement for a random period of time that the act was performed (time)
Biological constraints on conditioning
a biological limit on conditioning
Cognition’s influence on conditioning
associate an object with another
Instinctive drift
learned behavior tend to gradually revert to biologically predisposed patterns
Instinctive drift
learned behavior tend to gradually revert to biologically predisposed patterns
Cognitive map
a mental representation of the layout of one’s environment
Latent learning
learning that is not apparent until there is an incentive to demonstrate it
Insight
a sudden realization of a problem’s solution
Intrinsic motivation
a desire to perform a behavior effectively for its own sake
Extrinsic motivation
desire to perform behavior to receive rewards or avoid punishment
Problem-focused coping
attempting to alleviate stress directly
Emotion-focused coping
attempting to alleviate stress by avoiding stressor
Personal control
our sense of controlling our environment rather than feeling helpless
Learned helplessness
passive resignation when unable to avoid repeated aversive events
External locus of control
perception that fate is determined by things beyond personal control
Internal locus of control
perception that we control our own fate
Observational learning
learning by observing others; aka social learning
Modeling
the process of observing and imitating a specific behavior
Mirror neurons
frontal lobe neurons that are believed to fire when we perform certain actions or observe another doing so
Prosocial behavior
positive, constructive, helpful behavior
Influences on Learning
- Biological influences (gene, unconditioned responses)
- Psychological influences (previous experiences, discrimination, generalization)
- Social-cultural influences (culturally learned preferences)
