Learning Flashcards
What is learning?
A relatively permanent change in behaviour as the result of experience
-Skinner
What is memory?
The faculty of the mind by which it retains the knowledge of previous thoughts, impressions, or events
Are reflexive responses sufficient to achieve adaptation?
They are sufficient enough to sustain basic forms of survival but complex and changing environments require specific adaptations
What is neural plasticity?
The brains ability to change continuously throughout life
What does plasticity mean for learning?
Plasticity sustains learning
Learning depends on the plasticity of the circuits within the brain - the ability of neurons to make lasting changes in the efficacy of their synaptic transmission
Explain Hebbian synapses
Hebbs law: neurons that fire together wore together
Pathways in the brain are formed and reinforced through repetition
What is habituation?
The process by which we respond less strongly overtime to repeated stimuli
What is an example of habituation?
Aplysia: Touch in same spot repeatedly and begins to ignore the stimulus
In this case it is a decrease in the release of neurotransmitters serotonin
What is sensitisation?
Something aversive about the stimulus that we don’t like and therefore we become more reactive to it
Some cases of repeated exposure lead to sensitisation responding more strongly over time it is likely when the stimulus is dangerous, irritating or both
What did Carlson propose to be the 4 main types of learning?
Perceptual
Motor
Relational
Stimulus-response learning
What is perceptual learning?
Refers to the capacity to learn to recognise and learn about stimuli perceived previously and differentiate them from other similar similar
The main function is to identify and categorise similar such as objects and contexts
What is motor learning?
Motor learning is a special type of stimulus response learning because it requires both exteroceptive sensory stimulation and propioceptive sensory simulation
It requires feedback between the environment and the actions we perform
What is relational learning
(S-S)
Includes various forms of learning that is required to establish specific associations between stimuli
What is stimulus response learning?
(S-R)
1st to the capacity to perform a learned behaviour in response to a specific stimulus with which the behaviour has been associated previously
They can beat me reflexes of complex sequences of actions
What is trace conditioning?
The unconditioned stimulus (UCS) and conditioned stimulus (CS) are presented separately with an interval of time in between
What is delay conditioning?
In delay conditioning, the unconditioned stimulus (US) immediately follows or coterminates with the conditioned stimulus (CS)
Do you need to be conscious to learn by classical conditioning
No it does not require consciousness and can occur even among people who are in a vegetative state
What are the three stages of classical conditioning
Acquisition extinction and spontaneous recovery
What is acquisition
Is a learning phase during which conditioned response is established
What is extinction
Gradual reduction and eventual elimination of the condition response after the condition stimulus is presented repeatedly without the unconditioned stimulus
What is spontaneous recovery
In a phenomena whereby a seemingly extinct condition response reappears if the condition stimulus is it present again
Extinction does not delete memories they seem to become dormant and can be reinstated
What is renewal affect
Occurs when we extinguisher response in a setting different from the one the animal acquired it when we restore the animal to the original setting the response often appears
What is stimulus generalisation
Process by which conditioned stimuli similar but not identical to the original elicit a conditioned response
What is stimulus discrimination
Is the ability to differentiate between a conditioned stimulus another stimulated not been paired
Classical conditioning & drugs?
Conditioned place preference: explains positive effective reactions to stimuli and places previously paired with drugs
Reinstatement/relapse: drug seeking behaviour can be elicited by cues previously paired with drugs through Pavlovian conditioning
What is operant conditioning?
We learn through the consequences of our actions
What does operant behaviour depend on?
Skeletal muscles to carry out behaviours
Responses are based in the limbic system as linked to reward
What does classical conditioning behaviour depend on?
Autonomic nervous system - not consciously directed
What is the law of effect?
If a response, in the presence of a stimulus, is followed by a satisfying state of affairs, the bond between the stimulus and response will be strengthened.
What is reinforcement?
Any outcome that strengthens the probability of a response
Differs from reward. An action in response to a behaviour
Explain schedules of reinforcement
Continuous reinforcement: reinforce every time
Partial reinforcement: reinforced only some of the time
What does skinner suggest about reinforcement schedules?
Continuous allows animals to learn new things quickly.
Partial leads to a greater resistance towards extinction.
Interval vs ratio?
Interval is a period of time - can be fixed or variable
Ratio means after a certain amount of responses - can be fixed or variable
What is S-O-R learning?
Stimulus - organism - response
Internal evaluation of consequences are incorporated
Observational learning?
Vicarious learning - learning by watching others - learning without direct reinforcement
What did Albert Bandura do?
The bobo doll experiment.
Found that children who watched an adult being aggressive were more aggressive themselves.
What is the hummingbird experiment?
A tutor bird was placed in with novice birds and by watching the tutor they learned to use the feeder
