Learning Flashcards
What is learning?
Relatively permanent change in an organism as a result of experience
4 types of learning
Classical conditioning, operant conditioning, observational learning, complex learning
What is imprinting and what 2 terms is it also known as?
Phase-sensitive learning, occurs at a particular age/stage of life, rapid and independent of consequences of behavior. AKA modeling or social learning
What is the Law of Effect and who’s law is it?
The idea that the consequences of a behavior determine whether it is likely or not for the behavior to be repeated. Thorndike’s Law
How was the Law of Effect first studied?
Cats were placed in a box and needed to step on a pedal to lift a gate that would free them. In successful trials, the cats would learn that the pedal was associated with their freedom and show that by stepping on the pedal.
What is the Little Albert study and who conducted it?
Watson and Raynor hypothesized that some phobias are learned. Little Albert was a baby who was presented objects that he was initially not afraid of (white rat, fire, dog, etc.). Watson began pairing the objects with a loud noise to startle Albert. Watson then reintroduced the stimuli without the noise, and Albert produced a fear response. Watson and Raynor never reversed the phobias.
Who contributed greatly to classical conditioning with his dog study? What was the study?
Ivan Pavlov put dogs in a controlled room and learned that if he turned a light on right before he served the dogs food, the dogs would learn to salivate when the light turned on, even before they were served food. The dogs connected light with being served food.
What are primary reinforcers and some examples?
Satisfy a biological need. Ex: food, water, shelter
What are secondary reinforcers and examples?
Symbols, linked to a primary reinforcer, don;t all hold the same value. Ex: money
Generalization for classical conditioning
When a CR learned from one stimulus is brought up when introduced to stimuli with similar characteristics
Discrimination for classical conditioning
differential responses to the CS and things that are not the CS (an organism learns to only respond to the CS)
Extinction for classical conditioning and an example
Presenting the CS without the UCS. Example: presenting a tone without the food in Pavlov’s dog experiment.
Reinforcement
Anything that increases a behavior
Punishment
Anything that decreases a behavior
Positive punishment
Adding something to the environment to decrease behavior