Learning Flashcards
Learning
A relatively permanent change in behaviour due to experience
Classical Conditioning
A procedure during which an animal or person learns to associate a reflex response with a new stimulus
Classical Conditioning schedule
The steps in the procedure to condition a new response
Unconditioned stimulus (UCS)
The stimulus that produces a reflex response, such as the food for Pavlov’s dog
Unconditioned response (UCR)
The reflex response to an unconditioned stimulus, such as Pavlov’s dog’s salivation
Conditioned stimulus (CS)
A new stimulus presented with the UCS, such as the bell in Pavlov’s experiment
Conditioned response (CR)
The response that is learnt; it now occurs when the CS is presented, such as Pavlov’s dog’s salivation
Extinction
A conditioned response dies out
Spontaneous recovery
A conditioned response that has disappeared suddenly appears again
Generalisation
The conditioned response is produced when a similar stimulus to the original conditioned stimulus is presented
Discrimination
(with reference to conditioning) the conditioned response is only produced when a specific stimulus is presented
Operant conditioning
Learning due to the consequences of behaviour, through positive reinforcement or negative reinforcement
Law of Effect
Behaviours that are followed by rewards are usually repeated; those that are punished are not usually repeated
Punishment
A stimulus that weakens behaviour because it is unpleasant and we try to avoid it
Reinforcement
A consequence of behaviour that encourages or strengthens a behaviour. This might be seen as a reward
Positive reinforcement
A reward or pleasant consequence that increases the likelihood that a behaviour or action will be repeated
Negative reinforcement
When an unpleasant experience is removed after a behaviour or action has been made. This increases the likelihood of that behaviour or action being repeated
Behaviour shaping
Changing behaviour in small steps
Phobia
A persistent and irrational fear of an object, activity or situation. The typical symptoms are intense feelings of fear and anxiety to avoid the object, activity or situation
Flooding
A treatment for phobias that involves the immediate exposure of the person to the feared object, activity or event, until there is no fear response
Systematic desensitisation
A treatment for phobias in which the person is taught to relax and then is gradually exposed to the feared object, activity or event
Hierarchy of fears
A series of feared events ranked from least frightening to most frightening
Aversion therapy
A treatment for addictions, such as drug and alcohol dependency, which makes the addict have an extremely negative reaction to the addictive substance
Primary reinforcer
A reward, such as food or water, that the animal or person needs in order to survive
Secondary reinforcer
A reward, such as money or a token, that the animal or person can exchange for a primary reinforcer
