Learning - Chapter 6

Question 1

Learning

Answer 1

Any relatively permanent change in behaviour as a result of practice or experience. Changes due to growth or maturation are not learning

There are 3 general kinds of learning
Classical conditioning
Operant conditioning
Cognitive learning

Question 2

Class Conditioning

Answer 2

People (and animals) acquire certain behaviors through classical conditioning

Learning process in which associations are made between an unconditioned stimulus and a neutral stimulus

The work of Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936)

Question 3

Ivan Pavlov

Answer 3

Russian physiologist first described classical conditioning in 1899

Mainly interested in the role of salivary secretion (the flow of salivation in the dogs mouth as a reflex response to food)

Question 4

What did Pablo observe?

Answer 4

Pavlov observed that the dogs salivated not only at the sight of the food, but also at the sight or sound of the lab tech who had been preparing the food

Stimuli Based on Pavlov’s Experiment:
(US) Unconditioned Stimulus - food
(UR) Unconditioned Response - saliva
(NS) Neutral Stimulus - bell
(CS) Conditioned Stimulus - bell
(CR) Conditioned Response - salivate to bell

The salivation becomes associated with, and conditioned to, a new stimulus

Question 5

Stimulus

Answer 5

A stimulus is any event or object that elicits a response from an organism

Question 6

Neutral Stimulus

Answer 6

Initially does not elicit a response

Question 7

Unconditioned stimulus (UCS)

Answer 7

Elicits a predictable response without training

Question 8

Unconditioned Stimulus (UCR)

Answer 8

Automatic or natural research to a stimulus without training

Question 9

Conditioned Stimulus (CS)

Answer 9

A stimulus is any event or object that elicits a response from an organism

Elicits a response due to being paired with an UCS

Question 10

Conditioned Response (CR)

Answer 10

The learned reaction to a CS

Question 11

John Watson

Answer 11

Behaviourism

Developed a conditioned emotional response through the following experiment:
- White rat (NS) + loud bang (UCS) startle response (CR)
- Conditioned baby Albert to fear white rat

Question 12

Watson’s Advice for Parents

Answer 12

Never hug and kiss them, never let them sit in your lap.

If you must, kiss them once on the forehead when they say good night

Shake hands with them in the morning

Give them a pat on the head if they have made an extraordinarily good job of a difficult task

Question 13

Stimulus Generalization

Answer 13

Pavlov observed that his dogs salivated to other noises that sounded like a bell

Question 14

Extinction

Answer 14

A conditioned stimulus-respone association can fade over time or disappear altogether.

If you stop ringing bell with food

Question 15

Adaptive value. of classical conditioning

Answer 15

Adaptive value: usefulness of certain traits that have evolved in animals & humans & tend to increase their chances of survival.

Question 16

Fear responses

Answer 16

Fears and phobias largely result from classical conditioning.

Dental phobia - Can generalize anxiety to dental chair, waiting room, dentist’s office building, and external stimuli

Question 17

Drug Use

Answer 17

Classical conditioning helps explain why certain environmental cues or social situations can lead to continued drug use.

Question 18

Advertising

Answer 18

Classical conditioning has proved to be a highly effective tool for advertising.

We become conditioned to buy products

Question 19

Systematic Desensitization

Answer 19

Procedure based on classical conditioning in which a person imagines or visualizes fearful or anxiety-provoking stimuli & immediately uses deep relaxation to overcome the anxiety

Question 20

Behaviour Psychology

Answer 20

Behavioral psychology is the study of “external” behavior

Behaviour is objective and observable

Behaviour is the response of an organism to stimuli

Behaviour can be controlled by consequences - type of reinforcement following the behaviour

Question 21

Operant Conditioning

Answer 21

Operant Conditioning is associated with Behaviourism

A type of learning in which behaviour is strengthened if followed by reinforcement or diminished if followed by punishment.

Question 22

Classical vs. Operant Conditioning

Answer 22

They both use acquisition, discrimination, SR, generalization and extinction.

Question 23

Edward Thorndike

Answer 23

Law of Effect
Rewarded behaviour is likely to recur

Question 24

B.F Skinner

Answer 24

Pioneer in his work with operant conditioning

To help his subjects/animals learn different behaviors, he started with shaping, which gradually guides the animal to the desired behavior

Question 25

Shaping

Answer 25

Skinner used shaping as a technique to teach rats a complicated task

Question 26

Reinforcement (name the two types)

Answer 26

Skinner developed two types of reinforcement:
1. Positive reinforcement
strengthens a response by presenting a desirable stimuli
2. Negative reinforcement
strengthens a response by reducing or removing something undesirable or unpleasant

Question 27

Reinforcers (name the two)

Answer 27

Skinner also developed two types of reinforcers:
1. Primary reinforcer
innate stimulus, satisfying a biological need
2. Conditioned (secondary) reinforcer
a stimulus that is learned to be positive; associated with a primary reinforcer

Question 28

Punishment

Answer 28

Any outcome that weakens/diminishes the probability of a response

Like reinforcement, can be positive or negative

The punishment must be administered quickly after the behaviour for best results

Question 29

Fixed Ratio

Answer 29

Reinforcement after a specific number of responses

Question 30

Variable Ratio

Answer 30

Reinforcement after an average number of responses

Question 31

Fixed Interval

Answer 31

Reinforcement after a specific amount of time

Question 32

Variable Interval

Answer 32

Reinforcement after an average amount of time

Question 33

Cognitive Learning

Answer 33

Challenges to behavioral view of classical and operant conditioning

Involve cognitive processes such as attention, expectation, thinking, and memory

Question 34

Latent Learning

Answer 34

Refers to learning that is not directly observable

Competence vs performance

Learning that is not immediately expressed by a response until the organism is reinforced for doing so

Question 35

Observational Learning

Answer 35

Changes in behavior and knowledge that result from watching others (no direct experience required)

Question 36

Social Learning Theory - Bandura

Answer 36

Development / behaviour learned through modeling, observation, imitation and self-efficacy in learning as seen in the work of Albert Bandura.

this has four processes
- Attention to the act or behaviour
- Memory of the act or behaviour
-Ability to reproduce act or behaviour
-Motivation to reproduce act or behaviour