Learning (Module 3 Ch 8) Flashcards
Memorize by 10/29
Learning
An enduring change in behavior that comes from experience
Occurs when info moves from short to long term memory
Learning Styles
No empirical support for this idea
Synaptic Pruning
Synapses die off as you learn more information because your brain is becoming more efficient at processing info
Associative Learning
Learning by associating two variables
Classical and Operant Conditioning
Who founded classical conditioning and how?
Pavlov: not a psychologist; discovered it on accident when studying digestion in dogs
Neutral Stimulus (NS)
Stimulus that doesn’t elicit a natural or reflexive response in the organism
Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS)
Stimulus that elicits a natural or automatic response
Unconditioned Response (UCR)
The natural, reflexive response caused the UCS
Forward Conditioning
Presenting the NS just before the UCS
Conditioned Stimulus (CS)
When the NS is repeatedly paired with the UCS, it becomes the CS
Conditioned Response (CR)
The response caused by the new CS (which used to be the NS)
Is usually the same as the UCR
Taste Aversion
When you get sick after eating something, you tend to show an aversion to that food afterwards
Example in which the UCR and the CR aren’t the same (getting sick vs feeling nauseous)
Only requires one pairing of the NS and the UCS
Latent Inhibition
When some sort of learning has already occurred with the NS, causing proactive inference (original learning interferes with new learning)
Higher Order Conditioning
Taking a CS and pairing it with another NS to create a second CS
Weak form of learning
Operant Conditioning
Deliberate and effortful
Discovered by BF Skinner’s research with pigeons
Thorndike’s Law of Effect
Behavior that has positive consequences is likely to be repeated (we do things if we know they have benefits/rewards)
Reinforcement vs Punishment
Wanting a behavior to increase
VS
Wanting a behavior to decrease
Positive vs Negative (in OC)
Adding something to the situation to cause change
VS
Taking something away from the situation to cause change
Schedules of Reinforcement
When and how often the punishment or reinforcement occurs
Continuous vs Intermittent Reinforcement
Reward is given every time the behavior occurs
VS
Reward is not given after every response (more effective)
Ratio vs Interval
Based on the amount of responses
VS
Based on the amount of time that passes
Fixed vs Variable
Same amount of time or responses is required for reward every time
VS
The amount of time or responses required to receive the reward changes after each time
What schedule of reinforcement leads to the most responses? Which leads to the least?
Fixed ratio = most
Variable interval = least
Overall:
Ratio > Interval
Fixed > Variable
Premack Principle
AKA “Grandma’s Law”
A preferred activity can be used to reinforce a less preferred one
Very personal
Partial Reinforcement
A behavior is reinforced in some environments/contexts, but not others
Primary vs Secondary Reinforcers
Serves a biological need (ex: food)
VS
Something the organism has learned is good or desirable (ex: money)
Shaping
Learning a complex behavior through a series of steps
Token Economies
Receiving tokens that have symbolic value and can be traded for things with actual value
Common in elementary schools (ex: stickers or stars)
Latent Learning
Learning that occurs without reinforcement and is only demonstrated later (when reinforcement is presented)
Acquisition
The time period in which learning is occurring
CC: when the NS is being paired with UCS
OC: when you’re being rewarded or punished
Extinction
When the organism’s learning is naturally reverted
CC: no longer respond to the CS
OC: learn to stop engaging in the behavior
Deconditioning
Purposefully unlearning the learned response
Spontaneous Recovery
Random resurgence of learning after extinction
CC: the CS randomly begins to work again
OC: organism randomly does the behavior again when given the opportunity, despite the absence of reward
Renewal Effect
When extinction occurs in one environment/context, but then the context changes, and the learned response is demonstrated once again
Generalization
When an organism responds to a novel stimulus as if it were the CS
OC ex: if a pigeon is taught to respond to the word “peck”, but they also respond to the word “pink”
Generalization Gradient
The more similar two stimuli are to each other, the more likely generalization is to occur
(Have to consider the perceptual ability of the organism when looking at this)
Discrimination
Recognizing a novel stimulus as a novel stimulus and not responding to it
OC: if a pigeon recognizes “pink” as a different word than “peck” and doesn’t respond to it
How are CC and OC different in their behavior bases?
CC = automatic and reflexive response
OC = conscious, deliberate, or effortful response
How are CC and OC different in their consequences?
CC = the consequence is the UCR and CR (built into the stimulus)
OC = the consequence is based off of the reaction to the behavior
How are CC and OC different in terms of culture?
CC = not influenced by culture
OC = influenced by culture (what works as reinforcement or punishment in one place may not work in another)
Evaluative Conditioning
Changing an attitude rather than a behavior, usually by trying to get you to like something by associating it with something you already like
SOR (Stimulus, Organism, Response)
The organism’s perception, understanding, or opinion of the stimulus plays an important role in how they respond
Instinctive Drift
When an organism’s natural or instinctive behaviors interfere with their learned behaviors
Nonassociative Learning
Learning that happens without an association between two variables
Habituation
Learning to stop responding to a stimulus when it’s no longer relevant (like sensory adaptation)
Sensitization
Increased responding to a stimulus because it’s brought to your attention or is increasingly relevant
Ex: watching a horror movie and then being on edge
Observational Learning
Learning by watching others
Modeling
A teacher is displayed a skill specifically for someone to learn
(There is intention on both the teacher and student’s parts)
Imitation
A learner is learning a behavior from a teacher without the teacher’s knowledge
(There is no intent on the teacher’s part to teach, but there is intent on the learner’s part)
Restriction of Behavior
Learning not to do something by watching someone else do it
Diffusion Chains
The continuous process of an expert turning a novice into an expert by teaching them
Implicit Learning
Observational learning that occurs unconsciously
(There is no intent on the learner’s part to learn)
What are the 4 requirements of observational learning?
Attention - must attend to the info
Retention - must remember the info
Reproduction - must have an opportunity to demonstrate the info learned
Motivation - must want to learn or show the learning
Bobo Doll Study
Showed that aggressive behavior can be taught through the process of modeling
