Learning theory Flashcards
Premack Principle
a frequently performed behavior is used to reinforce an infrequently performed target behavior. This is particularly helpful when it is difficult to find an appropriate reinforcer (e.g., a teenager’s ability to listen to music (common behavior) is made contingent upon cleaning his bathroom (very rare behavior)).
Satiation
occurs when a reinforcer is used so much it loses its reinforcing quality (e.g., if you use getting a hot fudge sundae 3x per week for a behavior, it will quickly lose its ability to reinforce)
Behavioral contrast
occurs when there are two behaviors being reinforced and reinforcement for one behavior is discontinued; typically, the unreinforced behavior diminishes and the reinforced behavior increases in frequency
Overjustification
when people are reinforced for behaviors they would normally do without reinforcement (e.g., reading books), that when the reinforcement is taken away, there is a decrease in the behavior.
Tolman / Latent Learning
Tolman’s model of latent learning proposals that learning can occur without reinforcement and without being manifested in performance improvement. Tolman’s research showed that rats formed cognitive maps of mazes without being reinforced to do so
Kohler / Insight learning
Wolfgang Köhler’s insight learning theory is a cognitive theory of learning that describes how people and animals solve problems by restructuring their understanding of a situation. Köhler’s theory was based on his observations of apes solving problems, such as using sticks to reach food.
Thorndike / Law of effect
Thorndike is associated with operant conditioning (AKA instrumental learning)
Law of effect: people repeat behaviors that have positive outcomes
Escape conditioning
Escape conditioning is an application of negative reinforcement in which the target behavior is an escape behavior (i.e., the organism engages in the behavior in order to escape the negative reinforcer).
Avoidance conditioning
Avoidance conditioning combines classical conditioning with negative reinforcement. With avoidance conditioning, a cue (positive discriminative stimulus) signals that the negative reinforcer is about to be applied so that the organism can avoid the negative reinforcer by performing the target behavior in the presence of the cue
Behavioral Model / Lewinsohn
Lewinsohn’s behavioral model attributes depression to a low rate of response-contingent reinforcement due to inadequate reinforcing stimuli in the environment and/or the individual’s lack of skill and obtaining reinforcement
Matching Law
When using concurrent schedules of reinforcement, there are two or more simultaneous and independent schedules of reinforcement, each for a different response. According to the matching law, in this situation, the organism will match its relative frequency of responding to the relative frequency of reinforcement for each response
Reciprocal inhibition
A term from classical conditioning, this refers to when two incompatible responses cannot be experienced at the same time (e.g., anxiety and relaxation); instead, the stronger response will inhibit the weaker one.
Differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO)
DRO is a behavior modification technique where reinforcement is given for any behavior other than a specific target behavior, essentially rewarding the absence of an undesirable behavior by reinforcing any other behavior that occurs during a set time interval, leading to a decrease in the frequency of the targeted negative behavior. For example: every day that an alcoholic doesn’t drink, he does something nice for himself. This is DRO in action
Remember, DRO is a combination of extinction and reinforcement: operant extinction (no longer reinforcing a behavior) with reinforcement of other, more appropriate behaviors
Generalized conditioned reinforcers
A special case of secondary reinforcers that acquire reinforcing value because they can be exchanged for other reinforcer (e.g., money).
Chaining
Used to establish complex voluntary behavior. Chaining involves establishing a sequence of responses (a behavior chain), where the entire sequence of responses is important
Shaping
Used to establish complex voluntary behavior. Shaping involves successive approximation training: teaching a new behavior through prompting and reinforcing behaviors that come closer and closer to the target behavior (e.g., making a cat use a toilet for the bathroom)
Response generalization
Related to operant conditioning: Giving similar but not identical responses to those that have been previously reinforced (A child who learns to build a block tower may also use the blocks to build other structures, like a bridge or house)
Stimulus generalization / mediated generalization
Stimulus generalization is a psychological concept that refers to the tendency for stimuli similar to the original conditioned stimulus (CS) to evoke a similar response (CR). In simpler terms, it means that an individual’s response to a specific stimulus can also occur in response to similar stimuli.
For example: If someone develops a fear of spiders after a negative encounter, they may also experience fear when they encounter other small insects that resemble spiders, such as scorpions or ticks.
Respondent conditioning
AKA: Another word for Classical Conditioning, when a neutral stimulus is associated with an unconditioned stimulus, resulting in a conditioned response
Instrumental conditioning / Skinnerian conditioning
AKA: another word for operant conditioning.
Higher-order conditioning
AKA: second order conditioning. Involves pairing the conditioned stimulus with another neutral stimulus that is typically unrelated (e.g., training a dog to jump whenever it hears a clap –> saying “bad dog” before clapping, where the dog eventually jumps when just hearing “bad dog.” In this example, both the clapping and “bad dog” are neutralstimuli.
Pseudoconditioning
Occurs when a response is elicited to a neutral stimulus that has not been paired with an unconditioned stimulus; it may be the result of inadvertent pairing (e.g., the dog just so happens to start salivating whenever Pavlov walked into the room).
Counterconditioning
A type of classical conditioning: a person learns a new response (e.g., pleasurable feelings) that is incompatible with a problematic response (e.g., performance anxiety)
Sensate focus is a type of counterconditioning used by Masters and Johnsons to treat sexual issues.
Aversive counterconditioning
A type of classical conditioning: Involves pairing a pleasurable but problematic conditioned stimulus (e.g., the taste of alcohol) with a more powerful, aversive unconditioned stimulus (e.g., vomiting because the person has taken Antabuse).
Avoidance behavior
An operant conditioning paradigm in which a person learns that emitting certain behavior can prevent negative consequences from occurring
Systematic desensitization
Exposing individuals to fear-evoking images and thoughts while pairing the exposures with relaxation
