Learning Flashcards
What is learning?
This is any relatively permanent change in behavior brought about by experience or practice.
What happens with learning?
When people learn anything, some part of their brain is physically changed to record what they have learned.
What is maturation?
Unlike learning, it is a change that is the result of a genetic blueprint. A change due to biology, not experience.
For example, a child will not learn how to walk; but their nervous system, muscle strength, and sense of balance will give the physical possibility to do so.
Ivan Pavlov
Came up with the theory of classical conditioning.
Classical conditioning
- This is the pairing or association of two stimuli to learn a conditioned behavior.
- This is learning to make an involuntary response to a stimulus other than the natural stimulus which normally produces a response.
What is the definition of a Reflex, Stimulus and Response?
Reflex: this is an unlearned, involuntary response that is not under personal control or choice (it is biology).
Stimulus: this is an object,event or experience that causes a response.
Response: the reaction of an organism.
Unconditioned Stimulus
This is the original, the naturally occurring stimulus. The object or experience that triggers an involuntary response.
Unconditioned Response
This is the automatic and involuntary response to the unconditioned stimulus - it is biology and occurs because of genetic wiring in the nervous system.
Neutral Stimulus
An object event or experience that would originally have no effect in triggering a response.
*only triggers a response when paired with UCS enough times.
Conditioned Stimulus
This is the object, event or experience that was previously neutral.
- conditioned = learned
- unconditioned = unlearned
Conditioned Response
This is the response given to the CS - it is not as strong as the UCR, but it is essentially the same response.
Acquisition
This is the repeated pairing of the NS and UCS
Stimulus Generalization
This is the tendency to respond to a stimulus that is only similar to the original conditioned stimulus with the conditioned response.
Stimulus Discrimination
This is the tendency to stop making generalized responses to a stimulus that is similar to the original conditioned stimulus because the similar stimulus is never paired with the US.
Extinction
This is when the learned response begins to weaken due to the absence of the CS being repeatedly presented in the absence of the UCS.
Operant Conditioning
- The learning of voluntary behavior through the effects of pleasant and unpleasant consequences to responses.
- Learning that depends on the consequences (applies to voluntary behavior).
Involuntary Behavior and Voluntary behavior?
- In classical conditioning the response/behavior are involuntary - like the dogs salivating.
- In operant conditioning, the behavior is voluntary - a dog choosing to sit.
Thorndike’s law of effect
- If a response is followed by a pleasurable consequence, it will tend to be repeated.
- If a response is followed by an unpleasant consequence, it will tend not to be repeated.
B.F. Skinner
Behaviorist that came up with the term operant conditioning (any behavior that s voluntary). He saw that learning depended on what happened after the response: the consequence.
Reinforcement
Any event/stimulus, that when following a response, increases the probability that the response will occur again.
Primary & Secondary Reinforcer
Primary reinforcer: any reinforcer that is naturally reinforcing by meeting a basic biological need, such as hunger, thirst, or touch.
secondary reinforcer: any reinforcer that becomes reinforcing after being paired with a primary reinforcer, such as praise, tokens, or GOLD STARS!
Positive reinforcement
The reinforcement of a response by the addition or experience of a pleasurable stimulus.
**Increases the likelihood of a desired behavior through the use of praise and rewards.
Negative reinforcement
The reinforcement of a response by the removal or avoidance of an unpleasant stimulus.
**Increases the likelihood of a desired behavior through removing, reducing or preventing an unpleasant stimulus from occurring (creates a positive consequence)
Partial Reinforcement Effect
A response that is reinforced after some, but not all correct responses - tends to be very resistant to extinction.
Continuous Reinforcement
Reinforcement of each and every correct response (desired behavior)
Fixed Interval Schedule of Reinforcement
The interval of time that must pass before the reinforcement becomes possible is always the same.
**The time interval at which the reinforcement is enforced is the same.
Variable Interval Schedule of Reinforcement
The interval of time that must pass before reinforcement becomes possible is different for each trial /event.
Fixed Ratio Schedule Reinforcement
The number of responses required for reinforcement is always the same.
Variable Ratio Schedule of Reinforcement
The schedule of reinforcement in which the number of responses required for reinforcement is different for each trial or event.
Punishment
Any event or object that, when following a response, makes the response less likely to happen again.
**decreases the likelihood of an undesired behavior
Types of Punishment
- Punishment by application (positive) - the punishment of a response by the addition of an unpleasant stimulus.
- Punishment by removal (negative) - the punishment of a response by the removal of a pleasurable stimulus.
Severe Punishment
- May cause avoidance of punisher instead of the behavior being punished.
- May encourage lying to avoid punishment.
- Creates fear and anxiety.
Effective Punishment
- Punishment should immediately follow the behavior it is mean to punish.
- Punishment should be consistent.
- Punishment of the wrong behavior should be paired, whenever possible, with reinforcement of the right behavior.
Observational Learning
Learning new behavior by watching a model perform that behavior (can be desirable or not desirable)
- *Bobo Doll
- *4 elements of observational learning: Attention, Memory, Imitation and Desire
