Learning and Memory

Question 1

a decrease in response to a stimulus caused by repeated exposure

Answer 1

habituation

Question 2

recovery of a response to a stimulus after habituation has occurred, often caused by introduction of a second stimulus

Answer 2

dishabituation

Question 3

a way of pairing together stimuli and responses, or behaviors and consequences

Answer 3

associative learning

Question 4

when an unconditioned stimulus (that produces an instinctive, unconditioned response) is paired with a neutral stimulus; with repetition neutral stimulus becomes conditioned stimulus that produces conditioned response

Answer 4

classical conditioning

Question 5

loss of conditioned response

Answer 5

extinction

Question 6

stimulus similar to conditioned stimulus can also produce conditioned response

Answer 6

generalization

Question 7

when behavior is changed through the use of consequences and rewards

Answer 7

operant conditioning

Question 8

increases the likelihood of a behavior

Answer 8

reinforcement

Question 9

adding a positive consequence or incentive after desired behavior

Answer 9

positive reinforcer

Question 10

removing something unpleasant after desired behavior

Answer 10

negative reinforcer

Question 11

animal displays desired behavior to escape unpleasant stimulus

Answer 11

escape learning

Question 12

animal displays desired behavior in anticipation of unpleasant stimulus

Answer 12

avoidance learning

Question 13

decreases the likelihood of a behavior

Answer 13

punishment

Question 14

adds unpleasant consequence in response to behavior to reduce that behavior

Answer 14

positive punishment

Question 15

removal of a stimulus in order to cause reduction of a behavior

Answer 15

negative punishment

Question 16

can determine rates behaviors are acquired, two key factors: fixed vs variable and ratio vs interval

Answer 16

reinforcement schedule

Question 17

reinforces a behavior after a specific number of performances of that behavior; 2nd most effective

Answer 17

fixed-ratio (FR) schedule

Question 18

reinforces behavior after a varying number of performances of that behavior; most effective

Answer 18

variable-ratio (VR) schedule

Question 19

reinforces first instance of behavior after a specified time period has elapsed; 4th most effective

Answer 19

fixed-interval (FI) schedule

Question 20

reinforces a behavior the first time it is performed after a varying interval of time; 3rd most effective

Answer 20

variable-interval (VI) schedule

Question 21

acquisition of behavior by watching others

Answer 21

observational learning (modeling)

Question 22

process of putting new information into memory

Answer 22

encoding

Question 23

information gained without any effort, passive

Answer 23

automatic processing

Question 24

when we must actively work to gain information

Answer 24

controlled (effortful) processing

Question 25

putting information into meaningful context, strongest method of encoding (visual is weakest)

Answer 25

semantic encoding

Question 26

associating each item on list with route through building already memorized

Answer 26

method of loci

Question 27

associates numbers with items as base, then new list items are paired with previously memorized base items

Answer 27

peg-word system

Question 28

first and most fleeting kind of memory storage, preserves information in original sensory form, generally lasts less than a second

Answer 28

sensory memory

Question 29

second longest lasting kind of memory; fades quickly, lasts about 30 seconds without rehearsal

Answer 29

short-term memory

Question 30

short-term memory capacity

Answer 30

5 to 9 items; George Miller’s “Magical Number 7 ± 2”

Question 31

sensory and short-term memory are based on _______

Answer 31

neurotransmitter activity

Question 32

holds all of the information that a person is using at a certain time; is a combination of sensory, short term, and long term memories that the person is actively manipulating to achieve a task

Answer 32

working memory

Question 33

longest lasting kind of memory; requires elaborative rehearsal and is the result of increased neuronal activity

Answer 33

long-term memory

Question 34

memory that stores facts and stories

Answer 34

explicit (declarative) memory

Question 35

memory that stores skills and conditioning effects

Answer 35

implicit (nondeclarative) memory

Question 36

process of demonstrating that something learned has been retained, related to recall

Answer 36

retrieval

Question 37

retrieval and statement of previously learned information

Answer 37

recall

Question 38

process of merely identifying piece of previously learned information

Answer 38

recognition

Question 39

interconnected network the brain organizes ideas into

Answer 39

semantic network

Question 40

can occur though disorders (such as Alzheimer’s disease, Korsakoff’s syndrome, or agnosia), decay, or interference

Answer 40

memory loss

Question 41

neural connections form rapidly in response to stimuli as the brain develops, decreases as we age

Answer 41

neuroplasticity

Question 42

strengthening of neural connections through repeated use, responsible for conversion of short-term to long-term memory

Answer 42

long-term potentiation

Question 43

the idea that a familiar stimulus takes longer to aquire meaning than an unfamiliar stimulus

Answer 43

latent inhibition

Question 44

occurs when the details of an event are correctly remembered, but the origin or context of the information (the “source”) is incorrectly attributed

Answer 44

source monitoring error

Question 45

a pattern of thought or behavior that organizes categories of information and the relationships among them

Answer 45

schema

Question 46

the use of something unpleasant, or a punishment, to stop an unwanted behavior

Answer 46

aversive conditioning