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5BBA2040 Psychology I > L2: Instrumental Conditioning > Flashcards

L2: Instrumental Conditioning Flashcards

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1
Q

What is Instrumental Conditioning also known as?

A

Operant Conditioning

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2
Q

What are the two main types of associative learning?

A

Classical Conditioning and Instrumental Conditioning

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3
Q

Describe Classical Conditioning

A
  • an organism learns to associate a neutral stimulus (conditioned stimulus) with an unconditioned stimulus that naturally elicits a reflex response.
  • over time, the neutral stimulus alone can trigger the reflex response
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4
Q

How is Instrumental Conditioning different from Classical Conditioning?

A
  • Instrumental Conditioning involves learning how to control the environment to acquire desirable outcomes/avoid undesirable ones.
  • the animal’s behavior is instrumental in obtaining what it wants
  • unlike Classical Conditioning, which is reflexive, Instrumental Conditioning focuses on voluntary behaviors and their consequences
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5
Q

Define Reinforcement in the context of Instrumental Conditioning

A
  • refers to the consequences of behavior that increase the likelihood of that behavior being repeated
  • a reinforcer is something the animal wants, and it is contingent on the organism’s behavior
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6
Q

How does a reinforcer differ from a reward?

A
  • a consequence that follows a behaviour and increases the likelihood of that behaviour being repeated.
  • It is contingent on the behaviour.
  • whereas, a reward is something given for a worthy accomplishment, but it may not be directly contingent on the specific behaviour
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7
Q

According to Edward Thorndike’s Law of Effect, what happens to behaviors that lead to satisfying outcomes or unsatisfying outcomes?

A
  • Behaviors that lead to satisfying outcomes will be strengthened (stamped in)
  • while behaviors that lead to unsatisfying outcomes will be weakened (stamped out)
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8
Q

Describe B.F. Skinner’s contribution to Instrumental Conditioning

A
  • B.F. Skinner developed the concept of Operant Conditioning, which involves learning through the consequences of behaviour
  • emphasized that the consequences of behaviour affect the probability of its recurrence in the future
  • Skinner’s experiments with pigeons & rats in controlled environments (Skinner box) revealed the importance of punishment & reinforcement in shaping behaviour
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9
Q

What is shaping in the context of Instrumental Conditioning?

A
  • refers to the reinforcement of successive approximations to a final desired behavior
  • involves reinforcing behaviours that are closer & closer to the target behavior until the desired behavior is achieved
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10
Q

What is the purpose of discrimination training in Instrumental Conditioning?

A
  • discrimination training curbs generalization and helps organisms differentiate between stimuli that predict reinforcement and those that don’t
  • e.g, a child learning to pet a friendly dog but not an unfamiliar aggressive dog demonstrates discrimination training
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11
Q

What are Conditioned Reinforcers in Instrumental Conditioning?

A
  • secondary reinforcers that gain their reinforcing properties through classical conditioning
  • they increase the generalizability of instrumental conditioning and contribute to maintaining behaviors.
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12
Q

What factors decrease the likelihood of behavior in Instrumental Conditioning?

A
  • punishment, which must be immediate, inevitable, and severe
  • punishment is not effective in the long run, and it may lead to undesired side effects such as fear and aggression
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13
Q

What are Schedules of Reinforcement in Instrumental Conditioning?

A
  • refer to the patterns in which reinforcers are delivered following a behaviour.
  • Examples include Variable Ratio (e.g., slot machines) and Fixed Interval (e.g., snail mail delivery)
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14
Q

What is the Premack Principle, and how was it tested in an experiment by David Premack?

A
  • states that if one activity occurs more frequently than another, it can be used to reinforce the less frequent activity
  • David Premack tested this principle in an experiment with first-grade children, using manipulator-eater contingencies
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15
Q

According to the Disequilibrium Hypothesis, what makes a specific activity reinforcing or punishing?

A
  • states that any activity can be a reinforcer if a contingency schedule restricts an animal’s access to that activity
  • if the activity is below baseline, it can be used to reinforce another activity
  • If the activity exceeds the baseline, it becomes a punisher
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16
Q

What are the biological constraints in Instrumental Conditioning?

A
  • refer to the innate predispositions that limit an organism’s ability to acquire certain behaviours.
  • e.g, raccoons dropping coins in a piggy bank (instinctive drift) or humans acquiring certain fears more readily (snakes, heights).
17
Q

What is Escape and Avoidance Learning in Instrumental Conditioning?

A
  • Escape Learning involves making a response that terminates an aversive event
  • while Avoidance Learning prevents the aversive event from occurring in the first place
  • After Avoidance Learning, the conditioned response is fear, which helps to avoid the aversive stimulus
18
Q

What role do cognitive factors play in Instrumental Conditioning?

A
  • occurs only when the organism perceives a contingency between its response and the outcome
  • Seligman’s Learned Helplessness experiment demonstrated that animals only learn when they perceive control over reinforcement
19
Q

What is Observational Learning, and how is it guided?

A
  • involves learning from observing the behaviour of others and the consequences they face (rewarded/punished)
  • guided by the principles of instrumental conditioning, where reinforcement is vicarious
20
Q

What did Bandura’s Bobo Doll experiment demonstrate about Observational Learning?

A
  • Bandura’s Bobo Doll experiment showed that children observing an adult model behaving aggressively were more likely to imitate aggressive actions
  • Observational learning also extends to exposure to aggressive behaviour in media, such as violent television and video games
21
Q

What are Mirror Neurons, and how do they relate to Observational Learning?

A
  • are active in the motor cortex of monkeys and humans when they observe/execute an action
  • they play a role in observational learning by allowing the observed action to be directly mapped into a motor pattern for execution at a later time
22
Q

What is addiction, and what are its characteristics?

A
  • involves repeated powerful motivation to engage in an activity, such as taking drugs
  • It is acquired through repeated engagement in the activity and leads to potential harm to mental and physical health, neglecting personal and professional responsibilities, and overdose
23
Q

What are the criteria for Substance Use Disorders according to DSM-IV and DSM-V?

A
  • The criteria for Substance Use Disorders include Initiation (experimentation and desire), Regular use (want and habit), and Addiction (need, cessation, relapse)
  • Positive mood states and reduction of anxiety are often associated with initiation and regular use
24
Q

How do tolerance and withdrawal effects contribute to addiction?

A
  • Tolerance and withdrawal effects are signs of addiction
  • They occur when the body adapts to the drug’s presence and requires higher doses to achieve the same effects
  • Withdrawal symptoms may lead to a cycle of drug use to avoid negative feelings
25
Q

What makes some psychoactive drugs more addictive than others?

A
  • their ability to activate the incentive and pleasure systems in the brain
  • the presence of tolerance and withdrawal effects
  • and long-lasting changes in brain incentive systems leading to cravings even after withdrawal
26
Q

Can behavioral addictions be as powerful as drug addictions?

A
  • Yes, behavioral addictions can be as powerful as drug addictions
  • Engaging in certain activities can become compulsive and all-consuming, leading to harmful consequences even without involving drugs
27
Q

Can behavioral addictions be as powerful as drug addictions?

A
  • Yes, behavioral addictions can be as powerful as drug addictions
  • Engaging in certain activities can become compulsive and all-consuming, leading to harmful consequences even without involving drugs

5BBA2040 Psychology I (10 decks)

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