LCT10: Learning and Conditioning Flashcards
Behaviorism
a school of thought that emphasized observable behavior and learning through interactions with the environment
- everything you are is the result of experiences
Psychologist associated with behaviorism
John Watson
B.F. Skinner
Anti-Mentalism
internal emotions and feelings are vague and unscientific
- unobservable = not important to science (according to behaviorists)
Three Ways of Learning
1) Habituation
2) Classical Conditioning
3) Operant Conditioning
Habituation
simplest form of learning, critically adaptive and important - not permanent
Classical Conditioning
a type of learning in which an organism comes to associate one stimulus with another
Unconditioned
natural, innate response
Conditioned
learned through association
Most of the time…
conditioned and unconditioned response are the same
Acquisition
the formation of learned response
Extinction
weakening or elimination of a learned response (CR)
Spontaneous Recovery
reappearance of a learned response after an apparent extinction
Learning to Fear
a person can learn to fear just about anything if it is paired with something that elicits pain, surprise, or embarrassment
Phobia
acquired fear, out of proportion to the real threat
Taste Aversion Learning
learning i not simply due to contiguous pairing of stimuli - it is also affected by biological factors
Conditioned taste Aversion
link between taste (or smell) and illness, easily produced
Biological Preparedness
fear responses (Seligman) - organisms are genetically prepared to fear certain objects
Cognitive Perspective
focuses on how expectations and prediction impact classical conditioning
Classical conditioning is an association between…
unconditioned stimulus and conditioned stimulus
Operant Conditioning
learning the relationships between actions and rewards or punishments (to learn what works and what doesn’t - B.F. Skinner)
Classical vs. Operant
Classical - passive associational process that does not take into account when organisms enlarge in instrumental behavior
Operant - the learning process in which an action’s consequences determine the likelihood that the action will be performed again
Law of Effect
Behavoirs followed by positive outcomes are strengthened, and behaviors followed by negative outcomes are weakened
Psychologist associated with the Law of Effect
Edward L. Thorndike
“Skinner Box”
an apparatus used to study the effects of reinforcement on behavior or lab animals
Reinforcement
increases the probability of a behavior occurring again (strengthens the response)
Punishment
decreases the probability of a behavior occurring again (weakens the response)
Reinforcer
a stimulus that occurs after a response and increases the likelihood that a response will be repeated
Two types of Reinforcers
Primary and Secondary
Primary Reinforcer
those satisfying basic biological needs
Secondary Reinforcer
those that do not satisfy basic biological needs and are learned through classical conditioning
Two types of Reinforcements
Positive and Negative
Positive Reinforcement
increase response with positive stimulus (often reward)
Negative Reinforcement
increases response with removal of negative stimulus (ointment on bites, seatbelt buzzer)
Reinforcement is something that will…
always increase the response : can be positive or negative
Shaping
reinforcements used to gradually guide an animal or person toward a behavior
Two Kinds of Punishment
Positive and Negative
Positive Punishment
decreases the response by giving unpleasant stimulus (yelling, shock)
Negative Punishment
decrease the response by removing a desired stimulus (taking privileges)
Both kinds of punishments…
decrease the response
Ratio
reinforcement after a certain number of times a response is produced
Interval
after a period of time, reinforcement is available
Fixed
reinforcement given on a set schedule, at every # of responses or every time period
Variable
reinforcement given at different rates of times
Example of Variable Ratio
a slot machine pays off on average every few pulls, but you never know which pull will pay
Example of Fixed Ratio
you are paid each time you complete a chore
Example of Variable Interval
you listen to the radio to hear your favorite song, you do not know when you will hear it.
Example of Fixed Interval
when quizzes are scheduled at fixed intervals, students study only when the quiz is to be administered (the grade is the reinforcer)
Partial-Reinforcement Effect
greater persistence of behavior under partial reinforcement than under continuous reinforcement
What schedule is most associated with persistence of behavior?
Variable Ratio
Critiques of Operant Conditioning
- biology constrains learning
- learning can occur without reinforcement
Instinctive Drift
conditioning is most effective if it is consistent with predispositions
Latent Learning
learning that takes place without reinforcement
Insight Learning
in problem-solving, solution emerges suddenly, with no clear antecedent
Observational Learning
learning that occurs after watching another perform a behavior
Modeling
imitation of observed behavior
Vicarious Reinforcement
whether a model is reinforced or punished determines whether the observer imitates
Vicarious Learning
learning the consequences of an action by watching other being rewarded or punished for it
Mirror Neurons
neurons that are activated when one observes another engaging in an action and when one performs the action that was observed
Pleasure Centers
areas in brain that produce pleasure when stimulated
Long-term potentiation (LTP)
the strengthening of synaptic connections so that postsynaptic neurons are more easily activated
