Learning Theory

Question 1

What is habituation?

Answer 1

Habituation is a decrease in the strength of a response to a repeated stimulus

Question 2

What is sensitisation?

Answer 2

Sensitisation is an increase in the strength of response to a repeated stimulus

Question 3

What is classical conditioning?

Answer 3

A process that creates an association between a naturally existing stimulus and a previous neutral one

Question 4

What is the unconditioned stimulus?

Answer 4

A stimulus that elicits a reflexive or innate response (UCR) without prior learning

Question 5

What is the conditioned stimulus?

Answer 5

A stimulus that, through association with a UCS, comes to elicit a conditioned response similar to the original UCR

Question 6

What is the Unconditioned Response?

Answer 6

A reflexive or innate response that is elicited by a stimulus (UCS) without prior learning

Question 7

What is the Conditioned Response?

Answer 7

A response elicited by a conditioned stimulus

Question 8

Describe Pavlov’s experiment on his dogs

Answer 8

It was a study on classical conditioning:
A bell was rung, which initially produced no response in the dogs. The sight or smell of food (UCS) would elicit a salivation reflex from the dog (UCR)
The bell was then rung before feeding the dogs so the bell was associated with food (UCS), to condition the dog to the bell
After conditioning, the dogs salivated in the presence of the tone (salivation = CR), but in the absence of food (so now bell = CS)

Question 9

Describe the little Albert Experiment

Answer 9

Study on conditioning/fear learning
A baby was presented with a fluffy rat and there was no response. The baby would cry (UCR) in response to a loud noise (UCS), out of fear
Then, whenever the rat was presented (soon to be CS), a loud noise (UCS) would be made to condition the baby to the rat
After conditioning, the baby cried (now CR) in the presence of the rat (conditioned stimulus), but in the absence of the loud noise (unconditioned stimulus)

Question 10

What is stimulus generalisation?

Answer 10

A tendency to respond to stimuli that are similar, but not identical, to a conditioned stimulus – it will elicit a conditioned response but in a weaker form (e.g. if Pavlov’s hear a slightly different bell ringing, they will still salivate but not as much)

Question 11

What is stimulus discrimination?

Answer 11

The ability to respond differently to various stimuli

Question 12

What is extinction?

Answer 12

A process in which the CS is presented repeatedly in the absence of the UCS, causing the CR to weaken and eventually disappear (e.g. if you keep ringing the bell and not giving food to Pavlov’s dogs, they will eventually stop salivating when they hear the bell)

Question 13

What is observational learning?

Answer 13

Occurs by watching and imitating actions of another person or by noting the consequences of another person’s actions
Occurs before direct practice is allowed and to be successful it requires attention, retention, production and motivation

Question 14

Name and describe an experiment that demonstrated observational learning?

Answer 14

Bobo Doll Experiment – children watched their parents beat up the doll and then they were allowed to play with the doll they also aggressively beat it

Question 15

What is operant conditioning?

Answer 15

A process in which behaviour is learned and maintained by its consequence

Question 16

What is Thorndike’s law of effect?

Answer 16

Explains operant condition: a “response that produces a satisfying effect in a particular situation is more likely to occur” (positive reinforcement) and “responses that follows an aversive outcome will be less likely to occur” (negative reinforcement)

Question 17

What is reinforcement?

Answer 17

A responses is strengthened by an outcome that follows

Question 18

What is the reinforcer?

Answer 18

The outcome (a stimulus or event) that increases the frequency of a response

Question 19

What is punishment?

Answer 19

A response that is weakened by an outcome that follows

Question 20

What is the punisher?

Answer 20

A consequence/outcome that weakens (decreases) the frequency of a response

Question 21

What is operant extinction?

Answer 21

The weakening and eventual disappearance of a response because it is no longer reinforced

Question 22

What are the two types of reinforcement?

Answer 22

Positive Reinforcement – occurs when a response is strengthened by the subsequent presentation of a reinforcer
Negative Reinforcement – occurs when a response is strengthened by the removal (or avoidance) of an aversive stimulus (e.g.)

Question 23

What are the four schedules of partial reinforcement?

Answer 23

Fixed interval schedule – reinforcement occurs after a fixed time interval
Variable interval schedule – the time interval varies at random around an average
Fixed ratio schedule – reinforcement is given after a fixed number of responses
Variable ratio – reinforcement is given after a variable number of responses, all centred around an average

Question 24

What is continuous reinforcement?

Answer 24

Every instance of behaviour is reinforced
This is learnt more rapidly than partial reinforcement because theassociation is easier to understand
It also means that it extinguishes more rapidly than partial reinforcement because the shift to no reinforcement is sudden and easier to understand