Learning Flashcards
Define learning
a process by which experience produces a relatively enduring change in an organism’s behavior or capabilities
What are the types of basic learning processes
Non-associative learning
Classical conditioning
Operant conditioning
Observational learning
Define non-associative learning
response to repeated stimuli
What is classical conditioning
Learning the association between events and what they signal
e.g. the sight or smell of a particular food causes nausea because it caused stomach upset in the past.
What is Observational learning
Learning from others (imitational modeling of others)
e.g. An infant learns to make and understand facial expressions
What is Operant conditioning
Learning one thing leads to another (learning consequences of behaviours)
involves reinforcement
Define classical conditioning
A process that creates and association between a naturally existing stimulus and a previous neutral one
What is Pavlov’s dogs study used to demonstrate and describe it
Study on Classical conditioning.
Ringing bell initially produced no response in dogs. Tone was then associated with food, to condition dog to tone. After conditioning, dog salivated in presence of tone, in absence of food.
What is Watson & Raynor (1920) Little Albert Experiment study used to demonstrate and describe it
Study on conditioning/fear learning.
Rat initially produced no response on baby. Rat was then associated with loud noise, to condition baby to rat. After conditioning, baby cried in presence of rat, in absence of loud noise.
What is an unconditioned stimulus (UCS)
A stimulus that elicits a reflexive or innate response (the UCR) without prior learning
What is a conditioned stimulus (CS)
A stimulus that, through association with a UCS, comes to elicit a conditioned response similar to the original UCR
What is an unconditioned response (UCR)
A reflexive or innate response that is elicited by a stimulus (the UCS) without prior learning
What is a conditioned response (CR)
A response elicited by a conditioned stimulus
What is stimulus generalisation
A tendency to respond to stimuli that are similar, but not identical, to a conditioned stimulus- will elicit CR but in a weaker form
What is stimulus discrimination
The ability to respond differently to various stimuli
What is extinction
A process in which the CS is presented repeatedly in the absence of the UCS, causing the CR to weaken and eventually disappear
When is classical conditioning strongest
There are repeated CS-UCS pairings
The UCS is more intense
The sequence involves forward pairing (i.e. CS -> UCS)
The time interval between the CS and UCS is short
What is the social learning theory
We observe the behaviours of others and the consequences of those behaviours.
Vicarious reinforcement - If their behaviours are reinforced we tend to imitate the behaviours
Occurs before direct practice is allowed
When are people more likely to imitate others’ behaviour
Seen to be rewarded
High status (e.g. Medical consultant)
Similar to us (e.g. colleagues)
Friendly (e.g. peers)
What does the Bandura (1961) Bobo Doll Experiment demonstrate and describe it
Study on observational learning
Children watched adults aggressively beat up a toy doll (for no apparent reason)
When allowed to play with the doll themselves, the children imitated the adults and aggressively beat up the doll themselves
Define operant conditioning
Occurs before direct practice is allowed)
What is Thorndike’s Law of Effect
A response followed by a satisfying consequence will be more likely to occur.
A response followed by an aversive consequence will become less likely to occur
Compare reinforcement to the reinforcer
Reinforcement – a response is strengthened by the outcome that follows it
Reinforcer – the outcome that increases the frequency of a response
What is the difference between the primary and secondary reinforcer
Primary Reinforcer – stimuli, such as food and water, that an organism naturally finds reinforcing because they satisfy biological needs
Secondary Reinforcer – stimuli that acquire reinforcing properties through their association with primary reinforcers
Compare punishment to the punisher
Punishment – a response is weakened by an outcome that follows it
Punisher – a consequence that weakens (decreases) the frequency of a response
What is operant extinction
the weakening an eventual disappearance of a response because it is no longer reinforced
What is positive reinforcement
occurs when a response is strengthened by the subsequent presentation of a reinforcer
What is negative reinforcement
occurs when a response is strengthened by the removal (or avoidance) of an aversive stimulus
What are the schedules of reinforcement
Continuous reinforcement Fixed Interval Schedule Variable Interval Schedule Fixed Ratio Schedule Variable Ratio Schedule
Describe the continuous reinforcement schedule
reinforcement after each response
produces more rapid learning than partial reinforcement
extinguish more rapidly than partially reinforced responses
Describe the fixed interval schedule of reinforcement
Reinforcement occurs after fixed time interval (activity increases as deadline nears)
Describe the variable interval schedule of reinforcement
the time interval varies at random around an average (steady activity results)
Describe the fixed ratio schedule of reinforcement
reinforcement is given after a fixed number of responses (activity slows after reinforcement and then picks up)
Describe the variable ratio schedule of reinforcement
reinforcement is given after a variable number of responses, all centred around an average (this gives the greatest activity of all the schedules)
