Learning Theory

Question 1

Freud’s Topographical Model

Answer 1

*conscious vs preconscious vs unconscious
*id vs ego vs superego

Question 2

Freud’s Topographical Model - the unconscious

Answer 2

mental contents that are not censored, repressed, and not easily brought into conscious awareness

Question 3

Freud’s Topographical Model - the preconscious

Answer 3

mental contents that can easily be brought into conscious awareness by shifting one’s attention

Question 4

Freud’s Topographical Model - the conscious

Answer 4

mental contents which an individual is generally aware of

Question 5

Freud’s Topographical Model - id

Answer 5

*instinctual drives (sex or libido, aggression)
*limbic system
*need to be “kept at bay”

Question 6

Freud’s Topographical Model - ego

Answer 6

*the manager of mental life
*balances the influences of the Id, the Superego, and reality

Question 7

Freud’s Topographical Model - superego

Answer 7

*aka “conscience”
*begins with the word “No!” and becomes the source of shame and then guilt
*frontal cortex

Question 8

defense mechanism - denial

Answer 8

*avoiding awareness of aspects of external reality that are difficult to face by disregarding sensory data
*ex = “that spot doesn’t mean anything. stop worrying so much”

Question 9

defense mechanism - repression

Answer 9

*blocking unacceptable ideas or impulses from entering consciousness

Question 10

defense mechanism - splitting

Answer 10

*compartmentalizing or seeing the self and/or others as all good or all bad
*major defense used in borderline personality disorder

Question 11

defense mechanism - projection

Answer 11

*putting one’s own affects (unacceptable impulses) onto another
*ex = “I’m not worried about this, you are”

Question 12

defense mechanism - dissociation

Answer 12

*disrupting one’s sense of continuity in areas of identity, memory, consciousness, or perception
*major defense in dissociative identity disorder

Question 13

defense mechanism - regression

Answer 13

*return to an earlier level of maturational functioning to avoid conflicts or tensions at one’s present level of development
*ex = tantrums, bedwetting

Question 14

defense mechanism - reaction formation

Answer 14

*transforming an unacceptable wish or impulse into its opposite
*loving something you hate
*experiencing the opposite of what you initially feel

Question 15

defense mechanism - rationalization

Answer 15

*justification of unacceptable attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors to make them tolerable to oneself
*ex = “I didn’t like that job anyway. I was going to quit”

Question 16

defense mechanism - isolation of affect

Answer 16

*separating an idea from its associated affect state to avoid emotional turmoil
*ex = calmly recounting details of a traumatic event

Question 17

defense mechanism - sublimation

Answer 17

*transforming socially objectionable or internally unacceptable aims into socially acceptable ones
*redirecting unacceptable impulses into socially acceptable ones

Question 18

defense mechanism - altruism

Answer 18

*committing oneself to the needs of others over and above one’s own needs to resolve guilt
*“I’ll take care of him. Not sure how, but I’ll figure out a way”

Question 19

defense mechanism - suppression

Answer 19

*consciously deciding not to attend to a particular feeling, state, or impulse
*“Yeah I know, I’ll take care of it”

Question 20

defense mechanism - humor

Answer 20

*finding comic elements in difficult situations to reduce unpleasant affect or personal discomfort
*“Well, at least chemo will help me lose weight!”

Question 21

transference and countertransference

Answer 21

feelings projected between patient and doctor based on important relationships in their respective pasts

Question 22

classical conditioning

Answer 22

*aka Pavlovian Conditioning (from Ivan Pavlov)
*control of action based on antecedent events

1. before conditioning: uncontrolled stimulus (food) leads to unconditioned response (salivation)
2. before conditioning: neutral stimulus (whistle) leads to no conditioned response
3. during conditioning: neutral stimulus (whistle) + uncontrolled stimulus (food) leads to unconditioned response (salivation)
4. after conditioning: conditioned stimulus (whistle) leads to conditioned response (salivation)

Question 23

operant conditioning - overview

Answer 23

*based on the work of B.F. Skinner
*control of action based on postcedent events
*behavior changes as a function of reinforcement and punishment

Question 24

positive reinforcement

Answer 24

something is GIVEN (positive) that INCREASES (reinforces) the likelihood of a behavior being repeated

Question 25

negative reinforcement

Answer 25

something is TAKEN (negative) that INCREASES (reinforces) the likelihood of a behavior being repeated

Question 26

positive punishment

Answer 26

something is GIVEN (positive) that DECREASES (punishment) the likelihood of a behavior being repeated

Question 27

negative punishment

Answer 27

something is TAKEN (negative) that DECREASES (punishment) the likelihood of a behavior being repeated

Question 28

shaping (operant conditioning)

Answer 28

*producing a new behavior by rewarding successive approximations of the desired behavior

Question 29

extinction (operant conditioning)

Answer 29

*eliminating (or decreasing) a behavior by discontinuing the reinforcement that had been associated with that behavior

*extinction is slower following acquisition of a response to a partial reinforcement schedule than a continuous reinforcement schedule

Question 30

immediate vs. delayed reinforcement

Answer 30

IMMEDIATE reinforcement is more effective for learning than delayed reinforcement

Question 31

variable reinforcement

Answer 31

*highly reinforcing (causes a high level of the reinforced behavior, and the behavior is slow to extinguish)
*gambling is a variable ratio reinforcement schedule and can be quite addictive (difficult to extinguish)

Question 32

principles of punishment

Answer 32

*can be effective in extinguishing behavior in the short-term, less effective over time
*negative side effects include unintended emotional reactions, escape or avoidance behavior, or aggression
*use sparingly and IN CONJUNCTION WITH REINFORCEMENT