Learning (7-9%) Flashcards
Types of Psychological Learning
classical conditioning, operant conditioning, cognitive learning
Classical Conditioning
pairing a neutral stimulus with a stimulus to produce a new response (happens automatically)
Unconditioned
unlearned
Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS)
stimulus that will produce UCR
Unconditioned Response (UCR)
automatic response to UCS
Neutral Stimulus (NS)
has nothing to do with UCS/UCR
Learning
any relatively permanent change in behavior that results from experience
-to measure, one performs and then the instructor makes inferences on that performance
-basic to our understanding of behavior
Rote Learning
memorizing information; once memorized you don’t have to think hard to recall (ex. notecards, phone #, address)
Informal Learning
observational learning; learning through experience (75% of all learning done this way)
Formal Learning
occurs in a setting where someone is teaching you directly
Acquisition
In classical conditioning, the initial stage, when one links a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus so that the neutral stimulus begins triggering the conditioned response. In operant conditioning, the strengthening of a reinforced response
Conditioned Stimulus (CS)
learned stimulus (same as NS)
Conditioned Response (CR)
UCR + NS
Generalization
occurs when an animal responds to a similar CS (drools with different bell)
Discrimination
respond differently to different stimuli (don’t drool with different bell)
Extinction
CS is used without UCS and response decreases
Spontaneous Recovery
you think extinction has happened but a after a resting period you still get a reaction (lower in strength)
Aversive Conditioning
conditioning fear
Little Albert
conditioned a 9 month old baby to be afraid of white rats
Taste Aversion
we can become conditioned to avoid food we ate when we got sick
-your brain thinks you were poisoned
Operant Conditioning
learning from the consequences of our behavior
Law of Effect
when behavior is rewarded -> do it again
when behavior is punished -> don’t do it again
Edward Thorndike
-called his work instrumental learning (OC)
-put a cat in a box that had a pole inside that would open the door if tilted
B.F. Skinner
most behaviors are influenced by rewards/punishments
-rats in boxes that had doors and electrical grids and food and all sorts of positive and negative reinforcement
Reinforcer
“bribe” a stimulus that makes a behavior more likely to occur
Reinforcement
act of delivering a reinforcer; increases liklihood of behavior being repeated
Positive Reinforcement
adding something pleasant (social approval, ice cream)
Negative Reinforcement
something is taken away to strengthen behavior (take ibuprofen to get rid of headache, shut off alarm when it goes off)
Escape Learning
process that trains a person to remove or end an unpleasant stimulus
Avoidance Learning
process that trains a person to avoid a situation before it becomes unpleasant
Extinction in Operant Conditioning
ignoring behavior instead of rewarding/punishing
Intrinsic Reinforcer
from within (pride/achievment)
Extrinsic Reinforcer
from the outside (reward/money)
Overjustification Effect
something that was intrinsic becomes extrinsic
Punishment (aversive control)
anything that makes a behavior less likely
3 things to make a punishment most effective
-delivered immediately after bad behavior
-administered consistently
-introduce alternatives (show right behavior)
Positive Punishment
adding something to situation meant to stop behavior (yelling, spanking)
Negative Punishment (omission training)
taking something away that you like to end a behavior (grounded, take away phone)
Primary Punisher
inflicts pain/discomfort (spanking)
Secondary Punisher
negative but not painful (sentences)
Punishments can be bad because…
-side effects (hate mom after getting spanked)
-avoidance of person delivering the punishment
-suppresses rather than eliminating a behavior
Shaping
reinforcing closer and closer to desired behavior (simple)
Chaining
combining learned skills into one activity (swim lessons) (complex)
Response Chain
learning one step at a time (hitting a nail) (complex)
Primary Reinforcer
satisfies basic needs (hunger, thirst, sex)
Secondary Reinforcer
what we have learned to value; can turn into what you want
Generalized Reinforcer
money
Token Economy
rewarding behavior with secondary reinforcment that can be turned into primary reinforcers (prisons, schools, mental hospitals)
Premack Principle
a more probable behavior can be used as a reinforcer for a less probable behavior ( do chores before watching TV)
Continuous Reinforcement
reinforce every time it occurs (more prone to extinction)
Partial Reinforcers
less prone to extinction (ratio vs. interval, fixed vs. variable)
Ratio
time
Interval
specific number of responses
Variable
average (randomized)
Fixed-Ratio
reinforce after a set number of responses/actions
Fixed-Interval
based on time that is fixed
Variable-Ratio
based on a number but that number varies (works the best)
Variable-Interval
based on average per time period
Variable Schedules
work the best (high productivity)
Voluntary
operant conditioning
Automatic
classical conditioning
Observational Learning/Modeling
individual learns behavior by watching others preform behavior
Modeling
- observe
- imitate
Albert Bandura
Social Learning Theory: vicarious reinforcement/punishment; one learns behavior by watching someone receive a reward or punishment
Bo-Bo Doll Study
kids age 3-6 are put in a room to play with toys with an adult
-control group:kids just play with toys and have fun
-experiment group:adults yelled and beat up bobo doll
-taken to new room with cool toys->they have to leave-> angry
-taken back to room played with toys (CG)
-taken back to room ->abusing, hitting, yelling at bobo (EG)
-boys 2x as likely to beat up bobo if they saw an adult male do it
Latent Learning
learning not immediately expressed (no reinforcement)
Cognitive Maps
mental representations of reality
Intermittent Reinforcement
works the best
Insight Learning
had an insight and were suddenly able to solve the problem
Transfer
transfer skills you already have to a new thing
Practice
repetition of a task; best to practice a little at a time than all at once
Learned Helplessness
“learn to give up” if pain comes no matter how hard one tries a person gives up
Learned Laziness
if rewards come without effort, a person never learns to work
Learning Feedback
finding out the results of an action or performance
-without it you may develop a skill incorrectly (talking, interviewing)
Rat Maze Experiment
Group 1: given food every time they finish the maze
Group 2: never given food
Group 3: not given food the first 10 days but thye got food on the 11th day
