Learning Flashcards
The process of acquiring new and relatively enduring information or behaviors.
Learning
An organism’s decreasing response to a stimulus with repeated exposure to it.
Habituation
Learning that certain events occur together (as in Classical conditioning) or a response and it’s consequences (as in operant conditioning.)
Associative Learning
Any event or situation that evokes a response.
Stimulus
The acquisition of mental information, whether by observing events, by watching others, or through language.
Cognitive learning
The view that psychology (1) should be an objective science that (2) studies behavior without reference to mental processes.
Behaviorism
In classical conditioning, a stimulus that elicits no response before conditioning.
Neutral stimulus
In classical conditioning, an unlearned, naturally occurring response (such as salivation) to an unconditioned stimulus such as food in the mouth.
Unconditioned response
In classical conditioning, a learned response to a previously neutral (but now conditioned) stimulus (CS).
Conditioned response
In classical conditioning, an originally irrelevant stimulus that, after association with an unconditioned stimulus (US), comes to trigger a conditioned response (CR).
Conditioned stimulus
In classical conditioning, the initial stage, when one links a neutral stimulus and unconditioned stimulus so that the betrayal stimulus begins triggering the conditioned response.
Acquisition
A procedure in which the conditioned stimulus in once conditioning experience is paired with a neutral stimulus, creating a second (often weaker) conditioned stimulus.
High-order conditioning
The diminishing of a conditioned response; occurs in classical conditioning when an unconditioned stimulus (US) does not follow a conditioned stimulus; occurs in operant conditioning when a response is no longer reinforced
Extinction
The reappearance, after a pause, of an extinguished conditioned response
Spontaneous recovery
The tendency, once a response has been conditioned, for stimulus and stimuli that do not signal an unconditioned stimulus to elicit a response.
Discrimination
The tendency, once a response has been conditioned, for stimuli similar to conditioned stimulus to elicit similar responses.
Generalization
A type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforcer or diminished if followed by a punisher.
Operant conditioning
Thorndike’s principle that behaviors followed by a favorable consequence become more likely, and that behaviors followed by unfavorable consequences become less likely.
Low of effect
In operant conditioning research, a chamber (also known as a skinner box) containing a bar or key that an animal can manipulate to obtain food or water reinforcer.
Operant chamber
In operant conditioning, any event that strengthens the behavior it follows.
Reinforcement
An operant conditioning procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior toward closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior.
Shaping
In operant conditioning, a stimulus that elicits a response after association with reinforcement (in contrast to related stimulus not associated with reinforcement.)
Discriminative stimulus
Increasing behaviors by presenting positive reinforcers. A _______ _______ is any stimulus that, when presented after a response strengthens the response.
Positive reinforcement
Increasing behaviors by stopping or reducing negative stimuli. A _____ _____ is any stimulus that, when removed after a response, strengthens the response.
Negative reinforcement
An innately reinforcing stimulus, such as one that satisfies a biological need.
Primary reinforcer
A stimulus that gains it reinforcing power through its association with a primary reinforcement; also known as a secondary reinforcer.
Conditioned reinforcer
A pattern that defines how often a desired response will be reinforced.
Reinforcement schedule
Reinforcing the desired response every time it occurs.
Continuous reinforcement
Reinforcing a response only part of the time; results in slow acquisition of a response but much greater resistance to extinction than does continuous reinforcement.
Partial (intermittent) reinforcement
In operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified number of responses.
Fixed-ratio schedule
In operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses.
Variable-ratio schedule
In operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified number of time has elapsed.
Fixed-interval schedule
In operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals.
Variable-interval schedule
An event that tends to decrease the behavior that it follows.
Punishment
A mental representation of the layout of one’s environment. For example, after exploring a maze, rats act as if they have learned a _____ _____ of it.
Cognitive map
Learning that occurs but is not apparent until there is incentive to demonstrate it.
Latent learning
A sudden realization of a problem’s solution; contrasts with strategy-based solutions.
Insight
A desire to perform a behavior effectively for its own sake.
Intrinsic motivation
A desire to perform a behavior to receive rewards or avoid threatened punishment.
Extrinsic motivation
Alleviating stress using emotional, cognitive, or behavioral methods.
Coping
Attempting to alleviate stress directly-by changing of the stressor or the way we interact with that stressor.
Problem-focused coping
Attempting to alleviate stress by avoiding or ignoring a stressor and attending to emotional needs related to one’s stress reaction.
Emotional-focused coping
The helplessness and passive resignation an animal or human learns when unable to avoid repeated aversive events.
Learned helplessness
The perception that chance of outside forces beyond personal control determine our fate.
External locus of control
The perception that you control your own fate.
Internal locus of control
The ability to control impulses and delay short-term gratification for greater long-term rewards.
Self-control
Learning by observing others. Also called social learning.
Observational learning
The process of observing and imitating specific behavior.
Modeling
Frontal lobe neurons that scientists slid s fire when performing certain actions or when observing another doing so. The brain’s mirroring of another’s actions may enable imitation and empathy.
Mirror neurons
Positive, constructive, helpful behavior. The opposite if antisocial behavior.
Prosocial behavior
