Learning (unit 4)

Question 1

Learning

Answer 1

The process of acquiring through experience new and relatively enduring info or behaviors

Question 2

We learn first by….

Answer 2

Association

Question 3

Habituation

Answer 3

decreasing responsiveness w/ repeated exposure to a stimulus

Question 4

Associative learning

Answer 4

learning that certain events occur together.

Question 5

Stimulus

Answer 5

any event or situation that evokes a response

Question 6

respondent behavior

Answer 6

a behavior that occurs as an automatic response to a stimulus

Question 7

operant behavior

Answer 7

behavior that operates on the environment producing consequences

Question 8

cognitive learning

Answer 8

the acquisition of mental info, weather by observing events, watching others, or through language

Question 9

classical conditioning

Answer 9

a type of learning in which we link two or more stimuli; as a result, to illustrate with Pavlov’s classic experiment, the first stimulus (a tone) comes to elicit behavior (drooling) in anticipation of the second stimulus (food)

Question 10

behaviorism

Answer 10

the veiw that psychology (1) should be and objective science that (2) studies behavior w/o reference to mental process.

Question 11

neutral stimulus (NS)

Answer 11

in classical conditioning, a stimulus that elicits no response before conditioning

Question 12

unconditioned response (UR)

Answer 12

in classical conditioning, an un-learned, naturally occurring response (such as drooling) to an unconditioned stimulus (US) (such as food)

Question 13

unconditioned stimulus (US)

Answer 13

in classical conditioning, a stimulus that unconditionally- naturally and automatically- triggers an unconditioned response (UR)

Question 14

conditioned response (CR)

Answer 14

in classical conditioning, a learned response to a previously neutral (but now conditioned) stimulus (CS)

Question 15

Conditioned stimulus (CS)

Answer 15

in classical conditioning, an originally neutral stimulus, that after association with US , comes to trigger CR

Question 16

Acquisition (aka initial learning)

Answer 16

In classical conditioning, the initial stage, when one links a NS and an US so that the NS begins to trigger the CR.

In operant conditioning, the strengthening of a reinforced response

Question 17

high-order conditioning

Answer 17

A procedure in which the CS in one experience is paired w/ a new NS, creating a second CS.

Question 18

Extinction

Answer 18

the diminishing of a CR; occurs in classical conditioning when an US does not follow CS.

Occurs in operant conditioning when a response is no longer reinforced

Question 19

Spontaneous recovery

Answer 19

the reappearance, after a pause, of an extinct CR

Question 20

Generalization

Answer 20

the tendency, once a response has been conditioned, for a stimulus similar to the CS to elicit a similar response

Question 21

Discrimination

Answer 21

In classical conditioning, the learned ability to distinguish between a CS and a similar stimuli that doesn’t signal US

In operant conditioning, the ability to distinguish responses that are reinforced, and ones that aren’t

Question 22

operant conditioning

Answer 22

A type of learning in which a behavior becomes more likely to recur if followed by a reward, or less likely to recur when followed by a punishment

Question 23

Law of effect

Answer 23

Thorndike’s principle that behaviors followed by favorable consequences become more likely, and behaviors followed by unfavorable consequences become less likely.

Question 24

operant chamber (AKA skinner box)

Answer 24

In operant conditioning, research, a chamber containing a bar or key that an animal can manipulate to obtain a reinforcement; attached devices record the animals rate of bar/key manipulation

Question 25

Reinforcement

Answer 25

in operant conditioning, any event that strengthens the behavior it follows.

Question 26

Shaping

Answer 26

An operant conditioning procedure in which reinforces guide behavior towards closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior.

Question 27

Discriminative stimulus

Answer 27

in operant conditioning, a stimulus that elicits a response after association w/ reinforcement

Question 28

positive reinforcement

Answer 28

any stimulus that, when presented after a response, strengthens the response

Question 29

negative reinforcement

Answer 29

any stimulus that when removed after a response strengthens that response

Question 30

primary reinforcer

Answer 30

an innately reinforcing stimulus, such as one that satisfies a biological need

Question 31

conditioned reinforcer

Answer 31

a stimulus that gains its reinforcing power through association w/ a primary reinforcer

Question 32

reinforcement schedule

Answer 32

a pattern that defines how often a desired response will be reinforced

Question 33

continuous reinforcement schedule

Answer 33

reinforcing the desired response every time it occurs

Question 34

partial (intermittent) reinforcement schedule

Answer 34

reinforcing the desired response only part of the time; slower acquisition, but leads to greater resistance to extinction

Question 35

fixed-ratio schedule

Answer 35

a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified number of responses

Question 36

variable -ratio schedule

Answer 36

a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response after an unpredictable number or responses

Question 37

fixed-interval schedule

Answer 37

a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a set amount of time has elapsed

Question 38

variable-interval schedule

Answer 38

a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals

Question 39

Punishment

Answer 39

an event that tends to decrease the behavior it follows

Question 40

positive punishment

Answer 40

administer an aversive stimulus that decreases the behavior it follows

Question 41

negative punishment

Answer 41

Withdrawal a rewarding stimulus to decrease behavior

Question 42

biofeedback

Answer 42

a system for electronically recording, amplifying, and feeding back info regarding a subtle psychological state, such as blood pressure and muscle tension

Question 43

Preparedness

Answer 43

a biological predisposition to learn association, such as between taste and nausea , that have survival value

Question 44

Instinctive drift

Answer 44

the tendency of learned behavior to gradually revert to biologically predisposed patterns

Question 45

cognitive map

Answer 45

a mental representation of our surrounding environment.

Question 46

latent learning

Answer 46

learning that occurs but is not apparent until there is an incentive to demonstrate it

Question 47

insight

Answer 47

a sudden realization of a problems solution

Question 48

Intrinsic motivation

Answer 48

a desire to perform a behavior effectively for its own sake

Question 49

extrinsic motivation

Answer 49

a desire to perform a behavior to receive promised rewards, or avoid punishment

Question 50

problem-focused coping

Answer 50

Attempting to alleviate stress directly by changing the stressor or the way we interact with it

Question 51

emotion-focused coping

Answer 51

attempting to alleviate stress by avoiding or ignoring a stressor and attending to emotional needs related to our stress reaction

Question 52

personal control

Answer 52

our sense of controlling our environment rather than feeling helpless

Question 53

learned helplessness

Answer 53

the helplessness and passive resignation an animal or person learns when unable to avoid repeated aversive events

Question 54

external locus of control

Answer 54

the perception that chance or outside forces beyond our personal control determine our fate

Question 55

internal locus of control

Answer 55

the perception that we control our own fate

Question 56

observational (social) learning

Answer 56

learning by observing and mimicking others

Question 57

modeling

Answer 57

the process of observing and imitating a specific behavior

Question 58

mirror neurons

Answer 58

frontal lobe neurons that some scientists believe fire when we perform certain actions, or observe others doing so. may enable empathy

Question 59

Cathartic

Answer 59

we release pent up anger by aggression

Question 60

Albert bandura’s social learning theory

Answer 60

observing and modeling play a big role in how and why we learn

Question 61

prosocial behavior

Answer 61

positive, constructive, helpful behavior. the opposite of antisocial behavior