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Learning & Ethology Flashcards

1
Q

Altruism

A

A form of helping behavior where the animal’s intent is to benefit other animals at some cost to itself

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2
Q

Behavioral Contracts

A

A therapeutic technique that is a negotiated agreement between two parties that explicitly stipulates the behavioral change that is desired and indicates consequences of certain acts

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3
Q

Classical Conditioning

A

Also known as respondent conditioning, it is a result of learning connections between different events

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4
Q

Conditioned Response

A

In classical conditioning, it is the learned response to a conditioned stimulus

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5
Q

Conditioned Stimulus

A

In classical conditioning, it is a neutral stimulus that has been paired with an unconditioned stimulus to elicit a conditioned response

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6
Q

Discriminative Stimulus

A

In operant conditioning, it is a stimulus condition that indicates that the organism’s behavior will have consequences

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7
Q

Ethology

A

The study of animals in their natural environment

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8
Q

Fixed-Action Pattern

A

A behavior that is relatively stereotyped and appears to be species-typical

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9
Q

Fixed-Interval (FI)

A

In operant conditioning, it is when the behavior is reinforced on the first response after a fixed period of time since the last reinforcement

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10
Q

Fixed-Ratio (FR)

A

In operant conditioning, it is when behavior is reinforced after a fixed number of responses

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11
Q

Flooding

A

A behavior modification technique used to treat anxiety disorders by exposing the client to the anxiety-producing stimulus

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12
Q

Garcia Effect

A

Named after researcher John Garcia, it is basically food aversion that occurs when people attribute illness to a particular food

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13
Q

Imprinting

A

An attachment bond between an organism and an object in the environment

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14
Q

Law of Effect

A

Proposed by E. L. Thorndike, the law holds that if a response is followed by an annoying consequence, the animal will be less likely to emit the same response in the future

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15
Q

Negative Reinforcement

A

The probability that the desired response will be performed is increased by removing something undesirable whenever the desired response is made

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16
Q

Operant Conditioning

A

Instrumental conditioning, reward learning, is based on learning the relationship between one’s actions and their consequences

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17
Q

Overjustification Effect

A

The tendency of people to stop liking something that they previously enjoyed because of receiving a reward for the behavior

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18
Q

Positive Reinforcement

A

Increasing the probability that a desired response will be performed by reinforcing (rewarding) that response when it does occur

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19
Q

Premack Principle

A

A more preferred activity can be used to reinforce a less preferred activity

Ex: Parents telling kids to do their homework before they can play

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20
Q

Preparedness

A

Inborn tendency to associate certain stimuli with certain consequences (John Garcia)

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21
Q

Punishment

A

The probability that a response will be made is decreased by giving the organism something undesirable whenever the response is made

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22
Q

Shaping

A

In operant conditioning, it is the process of reinforcing successive approximations of a desired behavior

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23
Q

Systematic Desensitization

A

A technique used to treat phobias by pairing the object of fear with relaxation

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24
Q

Unconditioned Response

A

In classical conditioning, it is a response that occurs without any behavioral conditioning - like a reflex

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25
Unconditioned Stimulus
In classical conditioning, it is a stimulus that elicits an unconditioned response, without any behavioral conditioning
26
Variable Interval (VI)
In operant conditioning, it is when a behavior is reinforced at the first response made after a variable amount of time has elapsed since the last reinforcement
27
Variable-Ratio (VR)
In operant conditioning, it is when behavior is reinforced after a varying number of responses
28
Type(s) of operant conditioning that will increase the probability of a particular response
Positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement
29
EO Wilson is a major proponent of...
Sociobiology
30
Sociobiology
Branch of science that investigates the effect various social behaviors have on fitness
31
Reproductive fitness
Takes into account the number of offspring that live to be old enough to reproduce
32
Inclusive fitness
Takes into account the number of offspring that live to be old enough to reproduce and the number of other relatives who live to reproductive age
33
Acquisition
Describes the period of time during which an organism is learning the association of the stimuli Ex: Dog is learning to associate bell with salivation
34
Extinction
Process by which something that has been learned through classical conditioning is unlearned Ex: Dog taught to salivate at the sound of the bell is unconditioned by the researcher no longer presenting food at the sound of the bell. Eventually the dog will unlearn this conditioned response to the sound of the bell
35
Spontaneous Recovery
Process by which something that was previously learned through classical conditioning becomes unlearned through extinction, but then can be relearned again (but usually does not have strong of a response) Ex: Dog taught to salivate at the sound of the bell, unlearns this (extinction), but then relearns it again
36
Generalization
Tendency for stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus to elicit the conditioned response. Ex: Dog might salivate to bells of a different pitch or timbre; child bitten by a large dog might also be afraid of small dogs
37
Second-Order Conditioning
Neutral stimulus paired up with a conditioned stimulus (rather than an UCS), and eventually learns to respond the same as if it was the UCS or CS Ex: Dog is presented with bell and a flash of light (but not food powder) and eventually dog will learn to salivate at the flash of the light
38
Sensory Preconditioning
Two neutral stimuli paired together (no UCR) One neutral stimuli paired with UCS (UCR) Eventually, neutral stimuli yields CR and thus becomes CS When other original neutral stimulus is presented, CR will occur
39
Factors that make classical conditioning more likely to occur
Contiguity - CS and UCS are contiguous (near) in time Contingency - CS is a good signal for UCS Blocking - CS is a good signal for UCS and provides nonredundant info about the occurrence of UCS
40
Contiguity
CS and UCS are contiguous (near) in time
41
Contingency
CS must be a good signal for UCS
42
Blocking
CS must be a good signal for UCS AND provide nonredundant info about the occurrence of UCS Ex: Rats hear noise (CS) + Shock (UCS) = Fear Noise (CS)/Light at same time + Shock = Fear Light was not associated with shock alone, so rat did not have a fear response to itf
43
Escape
Negative reinforcement type where behavior removes something undesirable Ex: Loud buzzer to remind you to buckle your seat belt
44
Avoidance
Negative reinforcement type where organism gets a warning that an aversive stimulus will soon occur and so organism chooses to avoid the aversive stimulus Ex: Stop at stop signs to avoid getting into a crash
45
Continuous Reinforcement Schedule (CRF)
In operant conditioning, where an organism is reinforced after every response
46
Implosion
Behavior therapy where client imagines a fearful situation to confront the phobia
47
Counter-Conditioning
Technique where a behavior that's incompatible with undesired behavior is introduced in hopes that new behavior will overcome undesired behavior Ex: Imagine a low-anxiety situation in a highly relaxed state, and gradually work up to imagining the high-anxiety situation since relaxation and anxiety are seemingly incompatible
48
Conditioned Aversion
Stimulus that attracts the client becomes paired with aversive unconditioned stimulus associated with a punishment to make it so that the client no longer wants to be attracted to the aversive behavior Ex: Smoking addictions, alcoholism, people with various fetishes
49
Time Out
Removing the client from the potentially reinforcing situation before he can receive reinforcement from the undesirable behavior
50
Token Economies
Given for desirable behaviors and taken away for undesirable behaviors; tokens can later be exchanged for a variety of privileges Ex: Star chart
51
Believed problem solving is due to trial-and-error learning
Thorndike
52
Believed problem solving to be insightful (latent learning)
Koehler
53
Cognitive Maps
Animals have mental maps of physical spaces (Tolman)
54
Observational Learning
Observing others' behavior can affect your own behavior (Bandura's Bobo Doll experiment)
55
Instinctual Drift
Instinctual ways of behaving are able to override behaviors learned through operant conditioning (Keller and Marion Breland) Ex: Raccoon learning to put coin in a piggy bank but could not learn to do it because action resembled how raccoon handles crayfish in wild
56
Enabled the construction of controlled conditions outside of a lab (experimental methods into the field)
Niko Tinbergen
57
Sign stimuli (Releaser)
Features of a stimulus that is sufficient in bringing about a particular FAP (Fixed-action Pattern - innate behavior)
58
Supernormal Stimulus
A model more effective at triggering a Fixed-Action Pattern (FAP) than the actual sign stimulus found in nature
59
Innate Releasing Mechanism (IRM)
A mechanism in the animal's nervous system that connects sign stimuli with the correct FAP's
60
Reproductive Isolating Mechanisms
Behaviors that prevent animals of one species from attempting to mate with animals of a closely related species Ex: Black-headed gull males have a specific call that enable their females to find them
61
Bandura
Studied observational learning
62
Breland, K. and Breland, M.
Discovered and studied instinctual drift
63
Darwin, C
Proposed a theory of evolution with natural selection as its centerpiece
64
Garcia, J
Studied taste-aversion learning and proposed that some species are biologically prepared to learn connections between certain stimuli
65
Koehler, W
Studied insight in problem solving
66
Lorenz, K
Ethologist who studied unlearned, instinctual behaviors in the natural environment
67
Pavlov
Discovered the basic principles for classical conditioning
68
Premack, D
Suggested the Premack Principle: that a more-preferred activity could be used to reinforce a less-preferred activity
69
Rescorla, R
Performed experiments that showed continguity could not fully explain classical conditioning; proposed contingency theory of classical conditioning
70
Skinner, BF
Developed principles of operant conditioning
71
Thorndike, E
Proposed law of effect; used puzzle boxes to study problem solving in cats
72
Tinbergen, N
Ethologist who introduced experimental methods into field situations
73
von Frisch, K
Ethologist who studied communication in honeybees
74
Watson, J
Performed experiment on Little Albert that suggested that the acquisition of phobias was due to classical conditioning
75
Wilson, EO
Developed sociobiology
76
Wolpe, J
Developed method of systematic desensitization to eliminate phobias
77
Therapies based on Classical Conditioning
Flooding Implosion Systematic Desensitization Conditioned Aversion
78
Therapies based on Operant Conditioning
Contingency Management Behavioral Contract Time-out Premack Principle

GRE Psych (4 decks)

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