Learning

Question 1

A) What is learning?
B) Two facts about it?

Answer 1

A) The acquisition of new knowledge, kills, or responses that result in a relatively permanent change in the learner
B) Helps us adapt to environment
Based on experience

Question 2

A) Define reflexes
B) 3 facts

Answer 2

A) Very quick reactions, simple motor/neural responses
B) Localized (e.g. hand or knee)
-Sensory organ experiences spike, gets sent to spinal cord (CNS) and instead of sending to brain, sends message to motor neuron to contract muscle to pull away
-Serves evolutionary functions (evolution favours species with faster reflexes)

Question 3

A) Define instincts
B) 2 Facts

Answer 3

A) Complex behaviours, triggered by broad range of events
B) involve higher brain centres
E.g. a dog shaking after getting

Question 4

A) What is associative learning?
B) What is classical conditioning?

Answer 4

A) Making connections between stimuli or events that occur together in the environment
B) A type of learning whereby a neutral stimulus produces a response after being paired with a stimulus that naturally produces that response

Question 5

Define:
A) Unconditioned stimulus
B) Unconditioned response
C) Neutral stimulus
D) Conditioned stimulus
E) Conditioned response

Answer 5

A) Stimulus that naturally causes a response (e.g. happy music)
B) A natural response in response to the stimulus (happiness in relation to happy music)
C) Does not naturally cause a given response (classroom)
D) Once neutral stimulus is paired with unconditioned stimulus, so neutral stimulus elicits a response (classroom after conditioning with happy music)
E) The response in relation to the neutral stimulus/conditioned stimulus (happiness in relation to classroom after conditioning)

Question 6

A) Define Acquisition?
B) 3 facts

Answer 6

A) Learn to associate neutral stimulus with unconditioned stimulus. During this time, the neutral stimulus starts to create the response.
B) The closer the pairing is to each other (NS & UCS), the faster the learning
-When involving an aversive (negative) condition, thing you want to avoid, longer time lags can still lead to learning
-Serves an evolutionary purpose: prepared learning

Question 7

A) Define Extinction?
B) What is spontaneous recovery?

Answer 7

A) A decrease in the conditioned response when the unconditioned stimulus is no longer present with the conditioned stimulus
B) A brief resurgence of the conditioned response to the conditioned stimulus

Question 8

A) Define Generalization
B) Define Discrimination
C) Example of how they are related

Answer 8

A) When a conditioned response is evoked by a stimulus that is similar to the original conditioned stimulus
B) When a conditioned response is not evoked by a stimulus that is similar to original stimulus OR when a weakened conditioned response evoked by a stimulus that is similar to the original stimulus
C) You associate drinking coffee with smoking a cig. Coffee flavoured cake can lead to craving (generalization) but craving is not as strong as when drinking coffee (discrimination)

Question 9

What is the Law of Effect?

Answer 9

Behaviours followed by a positive outcome are likely to be repeated. Behaviours followed by a negative outcome are unlikely to be repeated.

Question 10

For operant conditioning,
Define:
A) Reinforcer
B) Punisher
C) when do they work the best?

Answer 10

A) Anything that increases the likelihood that a target behaviour will be repeated
B) Anything that decreases the likelihood that a target behaviour will be repeated
C) Work best when they immediately follow the behaviour (longer delay = less effective, e.g. dieting doesn’t work)

Question 11

In reference to reinforcers/punishers,
What are the two sub-categories?

Answer 11

1) Positive: when something is added (e.g. getting candy, speeding ticket)
2) Negative: when something is taken away (e.g. not getting sunburn, having phone taken)

Question 12

Give example for:
A) Positive reinforcement (adding positive)
B) Positive punishment (adding negative)
C) Negative reinforcement (taking away negative)
D) Negative punishment (taking away positive)

Answer 12

A) Candy reward
B) More homework
C) Stopping annoying car noise when seatbelt is put on
D) Changing wifi password

Question 13

A) What is a primary reinforcer?
B) Examples?

Answer 13

A) Innate reinforcing qualities; itself is enough; does not lose quality; biologically important
B) Water, sex

Question 14

A) What is a secondary reinforcer?
B) Examples?

Answer 14

A) Only reinforcing when linked to a primary reinforcer, often classically conditioned
B) Cookie FOR praise, bedtime ritual (done FOR sleep)

Question 15

A) What is a primary punisher?
b) Examples?

Answer 15

A) Innate punishing qualities
B) Pain, discomfort, hunger

Question 16

A) What is a secondary punisher
B) Example

Answer 16

A) Only punishing when linked to a primary punisher
B) Speeding ticket

Question 17

A) What is shaping?
B) Example?

Answer 17

A) A type of learning that results from reinforcement of successive steps to a final behaviour
B) Skinner first reinforced small behaviours, then reinforced bigger turns, until the bird did a full turn

Question 18

A) What is a fixed-ratio reinforcement?
B) Example?

Answer 18

A) Ratio- has to do with the number of behaviours completed
B) Every two questions, I give you candy

Question 19

A) What is a fixed-interval reinforcement?
B) Example?

Answer 19

A) Interval- amount of time passed before next reinforcement
B) After two minutes have passed, I give candy when a question has been answered

Question 20

What is intermittent reinforcement effect?

Answer 20

Behaviour is more resistant to extinction when reinforcement is discontinuous (not predictable)

Question 21

A) What is Latent Learning?
B) How did Tolman’s mice maze demonstrate it?

Answer 21

A) Learning that takes place but is not observable until the organism is called upon to demonstrate it
B) Had mice run ten times through the maze (half mice were always rewarded, half were never rewarded). Those rewarded appeared to learn and complete the maze faster, but days later, when reward was at the end of the maze for all mice they all finished at the exact same time.

Question 22

A) What is the Social Learning Theory of Observational Learning?
B) How did Bandura’s experiment contribute to it?

Answer 22

A) There is a cognitive component to learning. Behaviours that are seen to be rewarded are repeated and vice versa. Observed rewards/punishments are known as vicarious.
B) Children sees adult behave, those that see adult get punished for negative behaviour will refrain from doing it. Those that saw no punishment will do the negative behaviour.

Question 23

What are the three models of observational learning?

Answer 23

1) Live Model: live demonstration (e.g. seeing classmate get a cookie)
2) Verbal Model: behaviour is explained (e.g. explaining how to kick a soccer ball)
3) Symbolic Model: model that demonstrates behaviour in books/movies/YouTube

Question 24

What are the 4 aspects of Observational Learning that one must have?

Answer 24

1) Attention
2) Retention
3) Reproduction
4) Motivation