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MCAT - Behavioral Science > Learning and Memory > Flashcards

Learning and Memory Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the definition of learning?

A

The way in which we acquire new behaviors

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2
Q

What is the repeated exposure to the same stimulus can cause a decrease in response?

A

Habituation

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3
Q

What is the name a of stimulus too weak to elicit a response?

A

Subthreshold stimulus

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4
Q

What is the reverse processes of habituation?

A

Dishabituation

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5
Q

Is dishabituation temporary or not?

A

Temporary

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6
Q

What dishabituation refers to?

A

A change in response of a stimulus that you were habituated to (can be caused by a second stimulus, but doesn’t refer to the new stimulus, but to the original one)

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7
Q

What are the 2 types of learning?

A

Associative learning
Observational learning

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8
Q

What is an associative learning?

A

The creation of a pairing, either between 2 stimuli or between a behaviour and a response

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9
Q

What are the types of associative learning?

A

Classical conditioning
Operant conditioning

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10
Q

What is a classical conditioning?

A

Association between 2 unrelated stimuli by taking advantage of biological or instinctual response
(ex. Pavlov and the dog)

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11
Q

What is the basis for which a classical conditioning can work?

A

An unconditioned stimulus: One stimulus need to cause an innate or reflexive physiological response (or an unconditioned response)
For example: we start to salivate when we smell bread baking in the oven

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12
Q

What are neutral stimuli?

A

A stimulus that doesn’t create an innate or reflexive physiological response

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13
Q

What is the Pavlov’s experiment in summary?

A

A dog was conditioned to salivate whenever he heard a certain bell ringing.
Unconditioned stimulus: meat (causing salivation)
Neutral stimulus: ringing of a bell
Pavlov rang the bell before giving meat to the dog, after a while, the dog started to salivate even without the meat

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14
Q

What is the name of the process of turning a neutral stimulus to a conditioned stimulus while using an unconditioned stimulus?

A

Acquisition

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15
Q

What is a conditioned stimulus?

A

A formally neutral stimulus that is now causing a reflexive reaction (a conditioned response)

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16
Q

What does extinction refer to as?

A

The loss of a conditioned response

17
Q

What would happen to the conditioned response if the unconditioned stimulus isn’t presented repeatedly?

A

Extinction

18
Q

Is extinction permanent?

A

No, the conditioned response can happen again if the subject if presented with an extinct conditioned stimulus.
The condition response will be weaker than before and the phenomenon is called spontaneous recovery

19
Q

What is spontaneous recovery?

A

The phenomenon of a weaker conditioned response happening again if the subject if presented with an extinct conditioned stimulus.

20
Q

What is the name of the phenomenon by which a stimulus similar to a conditioned stimulus can cause the same conditioned response?

A

Generalization

21
Q

What is the opposite of generalization?

A

Discrimination (or stimuli discrimination)
The subject learns to distinguish between similar conditioned stimulus

22
Q

What is an operant conditioning?

A

The ways in which consequences of voluntary behaviours change the frequency of those behaviors

23
Q

Who is the father of behaviorism?

A

B. F. Skinner

24
Q

What are the possible relationships between stimulus and behavior in operant conditioning?

A

Positive reinforcement: increase the frequency of a behavior by adding a positive consequence
Negative reinforcement: increase the frequency of a behavior because it is removing something unpleasant
Positive punishment: adds an unpleasant consequence to reduce the frequency of a behavior
Negative punishment: Remove a stimulus in order to reduce the frequency of a behavior

25
Q

What is a reinforcement?

A

Process of increasing the frequency of a behavior

26
Q

What type of reinforcement can be divided in escape learning and avoidance learning?

A

Negative reinforcement

27
Q

What is an escape learning?

A

When the unpleasant stimulus occurs and the negative reinforcement happens in order to escape the stimulus

28
Q

What is an avoidance learning?

A

The desired behavior is displayed in order to avoid the presence of the unpleasant stimulus (the stimulus doesn’t occur)

29
Q

What is a discriminative stimulus?

A

A stimulus that indicates that the reward is potentially coming

30
Q

What is the definition of a punishment?

A

Reducing the occurrence of a behavior

31
Q

What is an aversive conditioning?

A

Sometime refers to a positive punishment, because it involves using something unpleasant to discourage a behavior

32
Q

What are the 2 key factors in reinforcement schedule?

A

If the scheduled is fixed or variable
If the schedule is based on a ration or an interval

33
Q

What are the 4 schedules of the reinforcement schedule?

A

Fixed-ratio (FR) schedule - after a specific number of performances
Variable-ratio (VR) schedule - after a varying number of performances but the average is constant
Fixed-interval (FI) schedule - After a specific time period
Variable-interval (VI) schedule - After a varying time period

34
Q

What type of schedule is a continuous reinforcement?

A

Fixed-ratio

35
Q

What type of schedule is the fastest to learning a new behavior?

A

Variable-ratio

36
Q

What usually happens with a fixe schedule?

A

A brief moment of no response from the subject after a stimulus (because they know it will take x time to get the reward

37
Q

What is the process of shaping in operant conditioning?

A

Rewarding increasingly specific behaviours in order to get closer to the desire goal (in steps)
You get a reward on the step 1, but after a while when you are at step 5, you won’t get a reward at everytime you pass the step 1

38
Q

What is a latent learning?

A

Learning that occurs without a reward but that is spontaneously demonstrated once a reward is introduced

39
Q
A

MCAT - Behavioral Science (6 decks)

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