learning

Question 1

learning

Answer 1

a relatively permanent change in an organism that occurs as a result of experiences in the environment

Question 2

introspection

Answer 2

people’s verbal reports of their own sensations, images and feelings

Question 3

habituation

Answer 3

a decrease in behavioural response when a stimulus is presented repeatedly

Question 4

instinctive drift

Answer 4

tendency for animals to go back to their innate behaviours after reinforcement

Question 5

classical conditioning

Answer 5

• ivan pavlov
• a systematic procedure through which associations and responses to specific stimuli are learned
• key characteristic is to use of an originally neutral stimulus to elicit a response (acquisition process)

Question 6

components of classical conditioning

Answer 6

unconditioned stimulus - stimulus that elicits response without conditioning
unconditioned response- natural response to UCS
conditioned stimulus - a neutral stimulus through repeated associations w/ a UCS is able to generate a response
conditioned response - response to CS

Question 7

classical conditioning applications

Answer 7

1. higher order conditioning- neutral stimulus takes on conditioned properties through pairings with conditioned stimulus
2. stimulus generalization - conditioned response becomes associated with a stimulus that is similar to the conditioned stimulus
3. stimulus distinction- organism learns to respond only to a specific stimulus
4. extinction- conditioned stimulus no longer generates the conditioned response
5. spontaneous recovery- conditioned response reappears after a passage of time
6. aversive conditioning - using an undesirable stimulus to to stop behaviour (taste aversion)

Question 8

operant conditioning

Answer 8

• thorndlike and . skinner

- the probability a behaviour will increase or decrease depends on the reinforcement or punishment that follows

Question 9

Thorndlike’s Law of Effect

Answer 9

response followed by satisfying consequences becomes more probable than a response followed by dissatisfying consequences

Question 10

two ways operant conditioning differs from classical conditioning

Answer 10

• behaviour is voluntary rather than reflexive

- consequences follow rather than simultaneously occurring with behaviour

Question 11

reinforcer

Answer 11

stimuli that when made contingent on a behaviour increases the chance of that behaviour

Question 12

punisher

Answer 12

stimuli that when made contingent on a behaviour, decreases the chance of that behaviour

Question 13

key variables for operant conditioning

Answer 13

strength of consequences - the greater the reward, the harder, longer and faster a person will complete the task
timing - the shorter the interval the greater the likelihood the behaviour will be learned
reinforcement schedules - how frequent or consistent reinforcers//punishers are applied

Question 14

observational learning

Answer 14

learning that occurs as a function of observing classical or operant conditioning in others
-also referred to as “social learning theory”

Question 15

modelling

Answer 15

process that includes imitation but also an observers who matches his/her behaviour to a model through an internal representation of that behaviour

Question 16

key variables for observational learning

Answer 16

type and power of model - models similar to learner, model the learner aspires to become and the model learner considers powerful
learner’s personality and degree of independence - increased critical thinking and independence reduces observational learning
the situation - similarity and familiarity of the situation can differentially influence observational learning