Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

MCAT Behavioral Sciences > Learning & Memory > Flashcards

Learning & Memory Flashcards

1
Q

Habituation

A

CNS response to repeated exposure to the same stimulus & decreased response

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Dishabituation

A

Recovery of a response to a stimulus after habituation has occurred
Usually in response to a second stimulus and occurs as response to changes in original stimulus

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Associative learning

A

Creation of pairing/association of two stimuli or a behavior and a response

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Classical conditioning

A

Uses instinctual responses to create associations between unrelated stimuli

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What kind of learning is classical conditioning?

A

Associative

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Unconditioned stimulus

A

Any stimuli that brings about a reflexive response

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Unconditioned response

A

Innate or reflexive response

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Neutral stimuli

A

A stimuli that doesn’t produce a reflexive response

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Conditioned stimuli

A

A normally neutral stimuli that through association causes a reflexive response

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Conditioned response

A

A reflexive response caused by a conditioned stimuli

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Acquisition

A

Process of turning an unconditioned stimuli to a conditioned stimuli & response

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Extinction

A

Process of losing conditioned response with before conditioned stimuli

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Spontaneous recovery

A

A weak conditioned response occurring in the presence of an extinct conditioned stimulus

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Generalization

A

Broadening effect by which a stimulus to conditioned stimulus also produces conditioned response

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Discrimination

A

Learning to distinguish between two similar stimuli

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Operant conditioning

A

Voluntary behaviors linked to consequences to alter frequency of these behaviors

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What kind of learning is operant conditioning?

A

Associative learning

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Behaviorism

A

Theory that all behaviors are conditioned

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Reinforcement

A

Increasing the likelihood an individual will perform a behavior

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Positive reinforcement

A

Increase behavior by adding something

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Negative reinforcement

A

Increase behavior by removing

Taking an aspirin to remove a headache

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Escape learning

A

Role of behavior is to reduce unpleasantness of something that already exists (headache)`

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Avoidance learning

A

Prevents unpleasantness of something that has not yet happened

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Primary reinforcer

A

Addition of something that the organism responds to naturally

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Secondary reinforcer
Conditioned reinforcer that is not usually naturally responded to
26
Punishment
Using a condition to reduce the occurence of a behavior
27
Positive punishment
Add unpleasant consequences in response to behavior
28
Negative punishment
Reduction of behavior when a stimulus is removed
29
Fixed ratio schedule
reinforces behavior after a specific number of performances | Continuous reinforcement - reward every time
30
Variable ratio schedule
Reinforces behavior after a varying number of performances, but an average that is relatively consntant
31
Fixed interval schedule
Reinforces behavior after a specified time period
32
Variable interval schedule
Reinforces behavior after a varying interval of time
33
Which schedule works the fastest at learning & most resistant new info?
Variable ratio
34
Shaping
In operant conditioning is the process of rewarding increasingly specific behaviors
35
Latent learning
Learning that occurs without a reward but that is spontaneously demonstrated once a reward is introduced
36
Problem solving
Outside standard behaviorist approach- look for entire picture
37
Preparedness
Predisposition to learn behaviors based on own natural instincts`
38
Instinctive drift
In ability to overcome instinctive behaviors
39
Obervational learning
Process of learning a new behavior or gaining information by watching others
40
Mirror neurons
Neurons in frontal & parietal lobes that fire when an individual performs an action and when they observe S
41
Modeling
Learning by example
42
Three major processes of memory formation
Encoding, storage, and retrieval
43
Encoding
Putting new information into memory
44
Automatic processing
Information gained without any effort
45
Controlled (effortful) processing
Active memorization to gain information
46
Acoustic encoding
Encoding by the way it sounds
47
Semantic encoding
Encoding by putting it into meaningful context | Strongest
48
Which encoding is the weakest?
Visual encoding
49
Self-reference effect
Being able to recall information better if it is put into the context of our lives
50
Maintenance rehearsal
Repetition of a piece of information to keep it within working memory
51
Mnemonics
Common way to memorize lists of information
52
Method of loci
Associating each item in a list with a location along a route that has already been memorized
53
Peg-word system
Associates numbers with items that rhyme with or resemble the numbers
54
Chunking
Taking on individual elements of a large list & grouping them together into groups
55
Sensory memory
First & most fleeting kind of memory
56
Iconic memory
Visual memory
57
Echoic memory
Auditiory memory
58
Where is hearing maintained
Temporal lobe
59
Whole report v. Parital report
Being able to recall things from the whole v. things from sections or parts
60
7 +- 2 rule
Short-term memory is usually isolated to about 7 +- 2 things at a time
61
Where is short-term memory housed
Hippocampus-->consolidates into long-term memor
62
Where is working memory used
Frontal & parietal lobes
63
Elaborative rehearsal
Association of information to knowledge already stored in long-term memory
64
Where is long-term memory eventually moved?
The cerebral cortex
65
Implicit/nondeclaritive/procedural memory
Skills & conditioned responses
66
Eplicit/declaritive memory
Memories that require conscious recall
67
Semantic memory
Facts known
68
Episodic memory
Experiences
69
Retrieval
Process of demonstating that something has been learned and can be retained
70
Recognition
Process of merely identifying a piece of information previously learned
71
Relearning
Longer amount of time between sessions of re-learning, greater retention of information later on
72
Spacing effect
Longer time between sessions- more effective learning
73
Semantic network
Organization of ideas into an interconnected network
74
Spreading activation
Activating other linked concepts when one is activated
75
Priming
Recall aided by first being presented with similar to desired semantic memory
76
Context effects
Memory aided by being in the same physcial location as where encoding took place
77
State-dependent memory
Learning better during that state
78
Serial position effect
Retrieval cue that appears while learning lists
79
Primacy & recency effect
Tendency to remember first and last items on a list
80
Alzheimer's disease
Loss of acetylcholine in neurons linked to hippocampus Dementia- loss of cognitive function & memory loss Retrograde- lose recent first Sundowning- increased dysfunction in late afternoon
81
Korsakoff's syndrome
Thyamine deficiency Retrograde amnesia & anterograde amnesia (no new memories) Confabulation
82
Confabulation
Creating vivid but fabricated memories
83
Agnosia
Loss of ability to recognize objects, people, or sounds
84
Interference
Retrieval error caused by existence of similar information
85
Proactive interference
Old information interferes with new learning
86
Retroactive interference
New information causes forgetting of old
87
Prospective memory
Remembering to perform tasks at some point in the future | Remains intact when it is event based, not time-based
88
Misinformation effect
Faulty memory construction due to faulty information
89
Source-monitoring error
Confusion between semantic and episodic memory | Remembers details but not context
90
Neuroplasticiyt
Rapid formation of neural connections due to stimuli
91
Synaptic pruning
Weaker neural connections broken as we age with ones that are stronger
92
Long-term potentiation
Strengthening of long-term memory due to increased repetition of stimuluS
93
Where is the hippocampus
Temporal lobe
94
Semantic encoding v. semantic memory
Encoding- meaningful context | Memory- things we know

MCAT Behavioral Sciences (6 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions