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Basic psychology > Learning theory > Flashcards

Learning theory Flashcards

1
Q

Non-associative learning

A
  • only seen in lower animals
  • simple learning
  • single events are used in learning patterns
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2
Q

Habituation

A
  • example of non-associative learning
  • repeated stimulation leads to a reduction in response over time and the organism ‘learns’ the stimulus
  • response rate overall decreases
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3
Q

Sensitization

A
  • increase in response to a stimulus as a result of repeated presentations of that stimulus
  • overall response rate increases
  • non-associative learning
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4
Q

Pseudoconditioning (cross-sensitization)

A
  • the emergence of a response to a previously neutral stimulas simply as a result of exposures to a different but powerful stimulus
  • non-associative learning
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5
Q

3 types of non-associative learning

A
  1. habituation
  2. sensitization
  3. pseudoconditioning
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6
Q

Associative learning

A
  • learning that occurs through the association of 2 events
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7
Q

Classical conditioning

A
  • type of associative learning
  • repeated association between 2 events
  • the learning organism is passive and is respondent but not instrumental (does not actively operate on its environment)
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8
Q

Operant conditioning

A
  • type of associative learning
  • learning results as a consequence of one’s actions -‘operations’
  • the learning organism actively operates on the environment
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9
Q

Social learning theory

A
  • type of associative learning
  • combines both classic and operant models of learning and includes cognitive processes and social interaction to be relevant in human learning
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10
Q

3 types of associative learning

A
  1. classical conditioning
  2. operant conditioning
  3. social learning theory
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11
Q

Classical conditioning procedure

A
  • produced by repeatedly pairing a neutral conditioned stimulus (CS) e.g bell and an unconditioned stimuls (UCS) e.g food
  • this naturally evokes an unconditioned response (UCR) e.g salivation
  • eventually the neutral stimulus alone evokes the desired response
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12
Q

Pavlov’s dogs

A

-example of classical conditioning

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13
Q

Acquisition

A
  • development of the association between he conditioned response and the unconditioned response resulting in the conditioned response
  • needs an average of 3-15 pairings
  • if significant emotional involvement is present then acquisition can occur with 1 pairing
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14
Q

Delayed or forward conditioning

A
  • the CS (bell) presented before the UCS (food)

- the CS and UCS pairing continues until the UCR (salivation) occurs

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15
Q

Backward conditioning

A
  • UCS (food) presented before the CS (bell)
  • not useful in animals
  • used in advertising
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16
Q

Simultaneous conditioning

A
  • UCS and CS are presented together

- often the case in real life

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17
Q

Trace conditioning

A
  • CS is presented and removed before the UCS is presented
  • conditioning depends on the memory trace
  • delay of 0.5ms is proposed to be optimum for trace conditioning
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18
Q

Temporal contiguity

A
  • time between stimulus and response
  • Pavlov
  • Rescorla showed that predictability is more important than temporal contiguity in humans
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19
Q

Higher order conditioning

A
  • refers to the use of an already conditioned stimulus (CS) as UCS) for the next level of conditioning and eliciting a CR for another stimulus (CS2)
  • 2nd order conditioning and higher are possible but animals do not respond higher than 4th order
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20
Q

Higher order conditioning example

A
  • sound of box rattling illicits salivation in Sabs
  • door opening ==> box rattle==> salivation
  • door opening==> salivation
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21
Q

Little Albert

A
  • Watson and Raynor
  • produced a phobia in little Albert by exposing him to a loud noise in the presence of a white rat
  • became phobic of the white rat and when white furry objects seen
  • showed spread of associative learning from one stimulus to another
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22
Q

Stimulus generalisation

A

-spread of associative learning from one stimulus to another

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23
Q

Discrimination

A
  • learned responses are made only to specific stimuli and not to other similar stimuli e.g spiders but not insects
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24
Q

Extinction

A
  • reduction/disappearance of the learned response when the UCS-CS pairing is not available anymore
  • faster extinction may mean weaker learning
  • extinction does not mean loss of learning, only suppression of the behaviour response
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25
Q

Counter conditioning

A

-a form of classical conditioning where a previously conditioned response is replaced by a new response that may be more desirable e.g therapy

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26
Q

Spontaneous recovery

A

-refers to regaining a previously extinguished learned response after a period of time

27
Q

Latent inhibition

A

-a delay in learning the association between UCS and CS is seen if previous exposure to an isolated presentation of CS is present

28
Q

The law of effect

A
  • an organism learns an appropriate behaviour after many trials because the right behaviour is followed by an appropriate desirable consequence
  • demonstrated using trial and error learning experimentation originally described by Thorndike
29
Q

Reinforcement

A

-a conditioning that leads to an increase in the frequency of behaviour following learning

30
Q

Punishment

A

-a conditioning that leads to decrease in the frequency of behaviour following learning

31
Q

Reinforcers

A
  • positive- food

- negative- electric shock

32
Q

Punishments

A
  • positive- points on a license for driving (given the points)
  • negative- a monetary fine from parking ticket (money is taken away)
33
Q

Primary reinforcer

A

-stimulus affecting biological needs

34
Q

Secondary reinforcer

A
  • stimulus reinforcing behaviour associated with primary reinforcers
35
Q

Continuous reinforcement schedule

A

-reinforcement every time the positive response occurs

36
Q

Partial reinforcement schedules

A
  • only some of the positive responses result in positive reinforcement
  • the reinforcement is determined by the number or responses (ratio) or time (interval)
  • more resistant to extinction than continuous schedules but take longer to learn
37
Q

Fixed interval reinforcement

A
  • reward occurs after a specific period of time regardless of the responses
38
Q

Variable interval reinforcement

A
  • reward occurs after a variable amount of time regardless of the number of responses
39
Q

Fixed ratio reinforcement

A

-reward occurs after a specific number of responses

40
Q

Variable ratio reinforcement

A
  • reward occurs after a random number of responses e.g slot machines
  • most resistant to extinction
41
Q

Fixed schedules

A
  • pause in response is seen after reinforcement
42
Q

Variable schedules

A
  • constant rate of response

- chance of reward stays the same

43
Q

Most resistant ratio to extinction

A

-variable ratio

44
Q

Contingency

A

-learning the probability of an event

45
Q

Premack’s principle

A
  • Grandma’s rule
  • high frequency behaviours can be used to reinforce ow frequency behaviours
  • if you eat your greens you can have dessert
46
Q

Avoidance learning

A
  • type of operant conditioning
  • organism learns to avoid certain responses or situations
  • very hard to extinguish
  • escape conditioning is a special type- seen in phobia
47
Q

Aversive conditioning

A
  • operant conditioning
  • punishment is used to reduce the frequency of target behaviour
  • e.g using disulfriam to stop ETOH abuse
48
Q

Covert reinforcement

A
  • reinforcement is an imagined pleasant event rather than a material pleasure
  • e.g graduation
49
Q

Covert sensitization

A
  • reinforcer is the imagined image of unpleasant consequences to reduce desired behaviour
  • e.g failing exam
50
Q

Flooding

A
  • operant conditioning

- exposed to feared stimulus for a substantial amount of time until anxiety reduces

51
Q

Shaping

A
  • aka successive approximation
  • operant conditioning
  • behaviour is learnt by successive reinforcement of behaviours closer to the desired one
  • target behaviour is yet to appear
52
Q

Chaining

A
  • linking stages of a process together to create an entire behaviour
  • can go forward or backward
53
Q

Incubation

A
  • emotional response increases in strength if brief but repeated exposure of the stimulus is present
  • powerful in anxiety and PTSD
54
Q

stimulus preparedness

A
  • Seligman
  • stimuli that have always been threatening to people are more hardwired into our system and so phobia develops more quickly
55
Q

Learned helplessness

A
  • Seligman

- when faced with aversive stimuli from which escape is impossible, the animal stops making attempts to escape

56
Q

Reciprocal inhibition

A
  • Wolpe
  • stimulus with desired response and stimulus with undesired response are presented repeatedly so that the incompatibility leads to a reduction in the frequency of the behaviour
57
Q

Cueing

A
  • aka prompting
  • specific cues can be used to ellicit specific behaviours
  • unlearning cues==> fading
58
Q

Bandura’s social learning theory

A
  • people can learn from observing the behaviour of others and outcomes
  • key thing is the cognition of the learning= awareness and expectations
59
Q

Steps of cognitive processing during learning

A
  1. attention to the observed behaviour
  2. visual image and semantic encoding of the observed behaviour
  3. memory permanence via retention and rehearsal
  4. motor copying of the behaviour
  5. motivation of act
60
Q

Reciprocal causation

A
  • Bandura
  • behaviour can influence the environment and the individual and vice versa
  • Bobo doll experiment
61
Q

Cognitive learning

A
  • Tolman
  • learning can occur without reinforcement to the learnt response
  • latent learning occurs
  • rats can make mental maps of mazes and not get lost
62
Q

Insight learning

A
  • Kohler
  • sudden idea occurs and solution is learnt
  • no reinforcement required
63
Q

Hierachy of learning

A
  • Gagne
  • 8 steps required for later complex learning
    1. classic conditioning
    2. operant conditioning
    3. chaining
    4. verbal association
    5. discrimination learning
    6. concept learning
    7. rule learning
    8. problem solving

Basic psychology (11 decks)

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