Learning

Question 1

What is classical or Pavlovian conditioning?

Answer 1

Classical conditioning is the process by which an organism learns a new association between two stimuli—a neutral stimulus and one that already evokes a reflexive response.

Question 2

What is unconditioned stimulus?

Answer 2

Unconditioned stimulus is an event that automatically elicits an unconditioned response.

Question 3

What is unconditioned response?

Answer 3

Unconditioned response is the action that the unconditioned stimulus elicits, and is automatically produced

Question 4

What is acquisition?

Answer 4

Acquisition is the process that establishes or strengthens a conditioned response, and is a phase of classical conditioning where the unconditioned and conditioned stimulus are paired together.

Question 5

What is extinction?

Answer 5

Extinction is to extinguish or decrease a classically conditioned response by repeatedly presenting the conditioned stimulus without the unconditioned stimulus (i.e. the CS no longer predicts the UCS).

Question 6

What is spontaneous recovery?

Answer 6

Spontaneous recovery is a temporary return of an extinguished response after some time, with exposure to the conditioned stimulus.

Question 7

What is stimulus generalisation?

Answer 7

Stimulus generalisation is the extension of a conditioned response from the conditioned stimulus to other similar stimuli.

Question 8

What is stimulus discrimination?

Answer 8

Stimulus discrimination is when we realise and respond differently to similar stimuli.

Question 9

What’s the benefit of discrimination training?

Answer 9

Discrimination training enhances sensitivity to sensory cues.

Question 10

What is the blocking effect?

Answer 10

The blocking effect occurs when the previously established association to one stimulus blocks the formation of an association to the added stimulus.

Question 11

Define reinforcement.

Answer 11

Reinforcement is the process of increasing the future probability of the most recent response.

Question 12

What is operant or instrumental conditioning?

Answer 12

Operant or instrumental conditioning is the process of changing behaviour by providing a reinforcer after a response, thus making behaviour dependent on its consequences.

Question 13

What’s the difference between visceral and skeletal responses?

Answer 13

Visceral responses is the response of internal organs (e.g. salivation, digestion), and is effected mostly through classical conditioning

Skeletal responses (e.g. movements of leg muscles, arm muscles) is stimulated through operant conditioning.

Question 14

What’s the difference between primary and secondary reinforcers?

Answer 14

Primary reinforcers, or unconditioned reinforcers, reinforce because of their own properties and satisfy biological needs. e.g. food, water

Secondary reinforcers, or conditioned reinforcers, reinforce by association with primary reinforcers. e.g. money, success

Question 15

What is the discriminative stimulus?

Answer 15

The discriminative stimulus is the stimulus that indicates which response is appropriate or inappropriate.

Question 16

What is stimulus control?

Answer 16

Stimulus control is the ability of a stimulus to encourage some responses and discourage others.

Question 17

What’s the difference between chaining and shaping behaviour?

Answer 17

Chaining happens when we reinforce each behaviour with the opportunity to engage in the next one

Shaping happens when we establish a new response by reinforcing successive approximations to it.

Question 18

What’s the difference between continuous and intermittent/partial reinforcement?

Answer 18

Continuous reinforcement is the procedure to provide reinforcement (reward/punishment) for every correct response.

Intermittent reinforcement is reinforcement for some responses and not for others.

Question 19

What are the different schedules of reinforcement?

Answer 19

Continuous reinforcement - reinforcement for every correct response
Fixed ratio - reinforcement only after the completion of a fixed number of correct responses.
Fixed interval - reinforcement for the first response after a specific/fixed time interval since the previous reinforcer

Variable ratio - reinforcement occurs after an average number of correct responses
Variable interval - reinforcement is available after a variable amount of time since the previous reinforcer

Question 20

What is conditioned taste aversion?

Answer 20

Conditioned taste aversion occurs when we associate a food with illness.

Question 21

What is the social-learning theory?

Answer 21

The social-learning theory, e.g. observational learning, suggests that we learn about behaviour by observing the behaviour of others.

Question 22

What is vicarious reinforcement or vicarious punishment?

Answer 22

Vicarious reinforcement or punishment occurs by substituting someone else’s experience for your own.

Question 23

What is conditioned stimulus?

Answer 23

Conditioned stimulus is an originally neutral stimulus that elicits a behaviour after being paired with an unconditioned stimulus.

Question 24

What is conditioned response?

Answer 24

Conditioned response is a response elicited by the conditioned stimulus.

Question 25

What is second-order / higher order conditioning?

Answer 25

Second-order conditioning is the pairing of a neutral stimulus with the conditioned stimulus to create another conditioned stimulus, although it leads to a weaker conditioned response. and is more likely to show extinction.

Question 26

What is Thorndike’s Law of Effect?

Answer 26

The Law of Effect suggests that a satisfying result strengthens or increases a particular behaviour.

Question 27

What are the three types of consequences in operant conditioning?

Answer 27

1. Neutral consequence - no change in behaviour patterns
2. Reinforcement - presentation or removal of a stimulus increases the likelihood of a response
3. Punishment - presentation or removal of a stimulus decreases the likelihood of a response

Question 27

Explain positive and negative reinforcement and punishment.

Answer 27

Positive reinforcement: addition of stimulus increases likelihood of behaviour
Negative reinforcement: removal of stimulus increases likelihood of behaviour.

Positive punishment: addition of stimulus decreases likelihood of behaviour.
Negative reinforcement: removal of stimulus decreases likelihood of behaviour.

Question 28

What is shaping?

Answer 28

Shaping is the reinforcement of behavioural tendencies in a desired direction, and uses successive approximation to reinforce responses that are increasingly similar to the desired behaviour.

Question 28

What are the four key components to observational learning?

Answer 28

1. Attention - to be aware of another’s behaviour and consequences
2. Retention - to have the capacity to store/ retrieve what you have observed
3. Reproduction - to behaviourally imitate what has been stored in memory
4. Motivation - the individual is driven by the belief that the behaviour will bring about a desired response

Question 29

What is the diffusion chain in social learning?

Answer 29

The diffusion chain suggests that when individuals learn a behaviour through observation, they become models for others to learn the behaviour.