Lecture 1 - What is learning?

Question 1

Statistical regularities

Answer 1

Random events exhibit regularity when repeated enough times or that enough sufficiently similar random events exhibit regularity (where cause and effects have been misinterpreted). E.g. African communities and Ebola

Question 2

Associative learning

Answer 2

The process by which someone learns an association between two stimuli or a behaviour and a stimulus. Two forms of associative learning are classical and instrumental conditioning.

Question 3

Instrumental Conditioning

Answer 3

Reinforcement or punishment are used to either increase or decrease the probability that a behaviour will occur again in the future. Your actions lead to consequences. US is response dependent.

Question 4

Classical Conditioning (Pavlovian)

Answer 4

Occurs when two stimuli are repeatedly paired: a response which is at first elicited by the second stimulus is eventually elicited by the first stimulus alone. US is response independent.

Question 5

Experimental Paradigms

Answer 5

Sets of commonly used procedures to compare conditioning across:

• different species (difficult because they all respond differently)
• USs with different affective consequences
• Different response requirements

Question 6

Appetitive

Answer 6

Activity that increases the likelihood of satisfying a specific need (e.g. predator searches for food if hungry).

Question 7

Aversive

Answer 7

Causing avoidance of a thing, situation, or behaviour by using an unpleasant or punishing stimulus.

Question 8

Habituation

Answer 8

With repeated or continued exposure to a stimulus, an organism’s response to that sitmulus may diminish

Question 9

Sensitization

Answer 9

With repeated or continued exposure to a stimulus, an organism’s response to the stimulus may increase.