Learning Flashcards
Skinner & Thorndike
- operant conditioning
- behaviours are initially emitted randomly
- eventually, behaviours that are followed by pleasurable consequences will occur more, and behaviours followed by unpleasant consequences will occur less
Pavlov & Watson
- classical conditioning
- we learn new responses when things are connected or paired
unconditioned response
universal (all species respond the same way)
conditioned response
a learned response
backward conditioning (classical conditioning)
the unconditioned response precedes the neutral stimulus
(example - meat powder first, then the bell tone)
*no learning will occur, ineffective.
Suggests the contingency of stimuli is what accounts for classical cond.
standard conditioning
the conditioned stimulus precedes the unconditioned stimulus by a short interval (0.5 seconds) and overlaps
stimulus generalization
the subject automatically generalizes from a conditioned stimulus to another similar neutral stimulus (ex. Lil Albert startle response to other furry creatures not just white rats).
So.. (bell) CS»CR (salivation) but in this case similar stimuli to CS (doorbell) also»CR (salivation) without ever being paired with US (meat powder)
response generalization
performing a behaviour that is similar to but not identical to the one that has been previously reinforced
classical extinction
occurs by repeatedly presenting the conditioned stimulus without the unconditioned stimulus
(example - the bell tone is repeatedly presented without the meat)
operant extinction (operant conditioning; behavioural contrast and extinction burst)
stopping the reinforcement of a behaviour that has been previously reinforced
Can lead to extinction burst (temp increase)
Also when 2 behaviours are being reinforced and reinforcement stops for one behaviour. The one that is still reinforced will increase»_space; behavioural contrast
spontaneous recovery (classical, internal inhibition)
during extinction trials, following a rest period, the conditioned response to the conditioned stimulus often briefly reappears
Why? Physiological processes involved in extinction INHIBIT the association (they don’t eliminate them). Pavlov dubbed this internal inhibition*
response/extinction burst (operant conditioning)
during operant extinction, at first, withholding reinforcement will usually result in an increase in the behaviour
stimulus discrimination
an animal learns to discriminate between two similar stimulus because one has been paired with the unconditioned stimulus and the other has not. OPPOSITE of stimulus generalization.
(example - a 500Hz tone vs. 100Hz tone)
If discrimination is too hard/stimuli are too similar»_space; experimental neurosis (due to conflict bw excitatory and inhibitory processes in CNS)
experimental neurosis
if stimulus discriminations are too difficult (500Hz vs. 450Hz), this can result in experimental neurosis
higher order conditioning
a deliberate process in which a conditioned stimulus (CS) is paired with a neutral stimulus that is typically unrelated, until eventually the new stimulus also becomes a conditioned stimulus
(example - pairing meat powder with the bell tone and then a flashing light as well)
*when it involves a second CS= second order, when it involves a 3rd CS= third order
*different than stimulus generalization because it is INTENTIONAL
reinforcement
increases the target behaviour, brings the subject into a more desirable state
punishment
decreases the target behaviour, brings the subject into a less desirable state
positive reinforcement
REWARD
- after the target behaviour is performed, something of value is given to the subject
example: a child is praised after they make their bed
negative reinforcement
RELIEF
- after the target behaviour is performed, something annoying or aversive is removed
example: fastening your seat belt to make the dinging sound stop
positive punishment
PAIN
- after the target behaviour is performed, something aversive is added
example: a child is scolded after they spit
negative punishment
LOSS
- after the target behaviour is performed, something valuable is removed
example: a child loses TV time after swearing
continuous reinforcement
reinforcing every occurrence of the behaviour
intermittent reinforcement
the subject is not reinforced for every occurrence of the behaviour, instead it is scheduled
fixed interval
reinforcement occurs the first time the behaviour is performed after the fixed time interval has elapsed
example: once every 15 minutes
*results in a response rate that is low
variable interval
reinforcement occurs the first time the target behaviour is emitted after a variable, unpredictable interval time has elapsed
example: once at 15 minutes, then at 10 minutes, then at 20 minutes
*results in a response rate that is low-moderate
fixed ratio
reinforcement occurs after a certain unchanging number of responses are emitted
example: after every 10 times the behaviour occurs
*results in a rate of responding that is moderate-high
variable ratio
reinforcement occurs after an unpredictable number of responses are emitted
- another way it can be worded: number of resp’s between reinforcers with the number varying unpredictably from trial to trial. Key word: unpredictable
example: slot machines
- results in the greatest operant strength
superstitious behaviour
- results from accidental reinforcement or non-contingent reinforcement
- reinforcement is applied in an arbitrary and inconsistent fashion that is not linked to the emission of the target behaviour
example: wearing “lucky socks” because one time something lucky happened to you while you were wearing them
pseudoconditioning
- occurs accidentally
- a neutral stimulus that was not deliberately paired with either the unconditioned stimulus or conditioned stimulus comes to elicit the conditioned response
chaining
stringing together specific behaviours to accomplish a goal
shaping
teaching a subject to emit a desired behaviour by providing reinforcement as the person gets closer and closer to the desired behaviour