Learning Theory Flashcards
What is habituation?
Habituation is a decrease in the strength of a response to a repeated stimulus
What is sensitisation?
Sensitisation is an increase in the strength of response to a repeated stimulus
What is classical conditioning?
A process that creates an association between a naturally existing stimulus and a previous neutral one
What is the unconditioned stimulus?
A stimulus that elicits a reflexive or innate response (UCR) without prior learning
What is the conditioned stimulus?
A stimulus that, through association with a UCS, comes to elicit a conditioned response similar to the original UCR
What is the Unconditioned Response?
A reflexive or innate response that is elicited by a stimulus (UCS) without prior learning
What is the Conditioned Response?
A response elicited by a conditioned stimulus
Describe Pavlov’s experiment on his dogs
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)
Describe the little Albert Experiment
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)
What is stimulus generalisation?
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)
What is stimulus discrimination?
The ability to respond differently to various stimuli
What is extinction?
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)
What is observational learning?
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
Name and describe an experiment that demonstrated observational learning?
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
What is operant conditioning?
A process in which behaviour is learned and maintained by its consequence
What is Thorndike’s law of effect?
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)
What is reinforcement?
A responses is strengthened by an outcome that follows
What is the reinforcer?
The outcome (a stimulus or event) that increases the frequency of a response
What is punishment?
A response that is weakened by an outcome that follows
What is the punisher?
A consequence/outcome that weakens (decreases) the frequency of a response
What is operant extinction?
The weakening and eventual disappearance of a response because it is no longer reinforced
What are the two types of reinforcement?
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.)
What are the four schedules of partial reinforcement?
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
What is continuous reinforcement?
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
