Learning Flashcards
acquisition
the process that establishes or strengthens a conditioned response
behaviourism
the position that psychology should concern itself only with what people and other animals do, and the circumstances in which they do it
blocking effect
the previously established association to one stimulus blocks the formation of an association to the added stimulus
classical conditioning
van Pavlov discovered classical conditioning, the process by which an association forms between a neutral stimulus (the conditioned stimulus) and one that initially evokes a reflexive response (the unconditioned stimulus). The result is a new response (the conditioned response) to the conditioned stimulus
conditioned response
whatever response the conditioned stimulus elicits as a result of the conditioning procedure
conditioned stimulus
response to something depends on the preceding conditions → pairing the CS with the UCS
discrimination
to respond differently to stimuli that predict different outcomes
The process of it follows the extinction or suppression of stimulus generalisation until the target response is only elicited by the target stimulus
drug tolerance
users of certain drugs experience progressively weaker effects after taking the drugs repeatedly
extinction
It is to extinguish a classically conditioned response, repeatedly present the conditioned stimulus without the unconditioned stimulus
spontaneous recovery
it is a temporary return of an extinguished response after a delay
stimulus generalisation
it is the extension of a conditioned response from the training stimulus to a similar stimuli
stimulus-response psychology
the attempt to explain a behaviour in terms of how each stimulus triggers a response
unconditioned reflex
Automatic connections between a stimulus such as food and a response such as secreting digestive juices
unconditioned response
the action that the unconditioned stimulus elicits
unconditioned stimulus
an event that automatically elicits an unconditioned response
what is the basis for classical conditioning?
Pavlov believed that conditioning occurred because presenting two stimuli close to each other in time developed a connection between their brain representations. Later research showed that animals do not treat the conditioned stimulus as if it were the unconditioned stimulus. Also, being close in time is not enough. Learning occurs if the first stimulus predicts the second stimulus.
Applied behaviour analysis
a psychologist removes reinforcement for unwanted behaviours and provides reinforcement for more acceptable behaviours
chaining
assuming you want to train an animal to go through a sequence of actions. You should chain the behaviours, reinforcing each one with the opportunity to engage in the next behaviour.
continuous reinforcement
provide reinforcement for every correct response
discrimination
if reinforcement occurs for responding to one stimulus and not another, yielding a response to one stimulus and not another
discriminative stimulus
a stimulus that indicates which response is appropriate or inappropriate
Disequilibrium principle of reinforcement
anything that prevents an activity produces disequilibrium, and an opportunity to return to equilibrium is reinforcing
extinction
it occurs if responses stop producing reinforcements
fixed-interval schedule
it provides reinforcement for the first response after a specific time interval
intermittent/partial reinforcement
reinforcement for some responses and not for others
Law of Effect
of several responses made to the same situation, those which are accompanied or closely followed by satisfaction to the animal will, other things being equal, be more firmly connected with the situation, so that, when it recurs, they will be more likely to recur.
Learning curve
it is a graph of the changes in behaviour that occur over the course of learning
negative reinforcment
It refers to a situation when an individual takes action to remove something the individual does not like. It is also referred to as escape or avoidance learning.
Like taking medicine to cure a stomach ache
operant conditioning
it is the process of changing behaviour by providing a reinforcer after a response
positive reinforcement
giving or presenting something to the individual that he likes
primary reinforcer
they are reinforcing because of their own properties
punishment
it decreases the probability of a response
reinforcement
it is the consequence that increases the future probability of the most recent response
schedule of reinforcement
it is the rules for the delivery of reinforcement
secondary reinforcer
they became reinforcing by association with something else. It is learned
shaping
establishing a new response by reinforcing successive approximations to it
skeletal responses/reinforcer
Responses like movements of leg muscles, arm muscles, etc
stimulus control
the ability of a stimulus to encourage some responses and discourage others
stimulus generalisation
the more similar a new stimulus is to the original reinforced stimulus, the more likely is the same response
variable-interval schedule
reinforcement is available after a variable amount of time
variable-interval ratio schedule
reinforcement occurs after a variable number of correct responses that varies around a mean value
visceral responses
Responses of internal organs like salivation and digestion
What are the schedules of reinforcement?
In a ratio schedule of reinforcement, an individual is given reinforcement after a fixed or variable number of responses.
In an interval schedule of reinforcement, an individual is given reinforcement after a fixed or variable period of time.
conditioned taste aversion
associating a food with illness.
animals, including people, learning to avoid foods, especially unfamiliar ones, if they become ill afterward. This type of learning occurs reliable after a single pairing, even with a long delay between the food and the illness. Illness is associated much more strongly with foods than other stimuli
preparedness
the concept that evolution has prepared us to learn some associations more easily than others
self-efficacy
the belief of being able to perform the task successfully
sensitive period
someone learns most readily during this period in their first year of lifeo
social-learning approach
we learn about many behaviours by observing the behaviours of others (imitation)
vicarious reinforcement/punishment
you learn by substituting someone else’s experience for your own
birdsong learning
Infant birds of some species must hear their songs during a sensitive period early in life if they are to develop a fully normal song the following spring. During the early learning, the bird makes no response and receives no reinforcement.
what is self-reinforcement and self-punishment?
Once people have decided to try to imitate a certain behaviour, they set goals for themselves and sometimes provide their own reinforcements.
