EXAM 3: CHAPTER 7 Flashcards
Learning
A process by which experience produces a relatively enduring change in behavior or capabilities
Two categories of learning:
- Associative learning: Learning formed between two or more stimulus (eg. Cringing at the sound of a dental drill because you associate the sound with the pain)
- Non-associative learning: Learning that does not involve forming associations between stimuli
Two categories of non-associative learning:
- Habituation: Weakening of response to a stimulus after repeated presentation (eg. Cat seeing you as a threat and is scared, but overtime becomes friendly because they don’t see you as a threat)
- Sensitization: A strong stimulus that results in increased responsiveness (eg. Cat knocks over a lamp and you feel startled. Later on, you might freak out at another auditory stimuli like ringing of cellphone)
Dishabituation
Learning whereby there is a recovery of attention to the following habituation. (eg. Accidentally stepping on the cat’s tail and is now seeing you as a threat once again)
Two categories of associative learning:
- Classical conditioning
- Operant conditioning
Classical conditioning
Associative learning between two previously unrelated stimuli that results in a learned response (eg. Cringing at the sound of thunder, but then later on cringing at the sight of lightening because you associate it with the sound)
Natural reflex
An automatic involuntary response that typically occurs without learning
Ivan Pavlov (3)
- Studied salivary reflex with dogs. He noticed that dogs were salivating even when the food itself wasn’t present, but began to when lab assistants arrived, which signaled for food
- Studied digestive system for two decades
- Won Nobel Prize in physiology
4 basic components of classical conditioning:
- Unconditioned stimulus (US): Stimulus that on its own elicits a response
- Unconditioned response (UR): Physical response elicited by an unconditioned stimulus; does not need to be learned
- Conditioned stimulus (CS): Neutral stimulus that eventually elicits the same response as an unconditioned stimulus with which it has been paired
- Conditioned response (CR): Physical response elicited by a conditioned stimulus; acquired through experience and is usually same as unconditioned response
4 basic components of classical conditioning in Pavlov’s dog experiment:
- US: Meat powder
- UR: To salivate
- CS: Lab assistant
- CR: Salivation
Examples of classical conditioning (4):
- Feeling anxious at the sight of police car, even if you do nothing wrong
- Thinking of an ex when you smell cologne
- Veterans who feel frightened when they smell fuel
- Sexually abused child who sees a male
Stimulus generalization
What occurs when stimuli similar to the original conditioned stimulus trigger the same conditioned response
Stimulus discrimination
Loss of generalization. Learns to respond to only one tone
Extinction
The gradual weakening of a conditioned response resulting in a behavior stopping, or going extinct, over time
Spontaneous recovery
Re-emergence of a conditioned response sometime after extinction has occurred
Drug use
Begins when individual experiences the effects of a drug as pleasurable
Drug dependency
Involves the psychological and physiological experiences that occurs as the individual continues to use the drug
Withdrawal
Psychological and physical discomfort and distress experienced when body is deprived of that substance it has adapted to
Tolerance
Involves a number of factors, including possible changes at the cellular level in response to the drug
John B Watson beliefs
Believes that human emotions and environment plays an important role in shaping individuals
Little Albert experiment
Conducted by John B Watson to see if little albert would fear rats when associated with a hammer noise. This resulted in little Albert to also fear of other fluffy animals like rabbits
Phobias
Persistent, irrational or obsessive fear of a specific object or situation that may arise as a result of a fear conditioning
Systematic desensitization
Exposure therapy. Process used to condition the extinction of phobias
Phobia activation in the brain
involve abnormal activity in the amygdala
Conditioned taste aversion
Learning an association between a particular food and subsequent stomach illness (eg. Eating chips at the beach and then feeling ill later on due to heat. But now you cant bare to eat chips)
Arachnophobia
Fear of spiders
Operant conditioning
Form of associative learning where behavior is modified depending on consequences
Puzzlebox
Experiment conducted by Edward Thorndike to create a cage which placed a hungry cat with an attempt to escape