Lecture Nine Reading

Question 1

What is learning?

Answer 1

A process based on experience that results in a relatively permanent change in behaviour

Question 2

What is the learning-performance distinction?

Answer 2

The difference between what has been learned and what has been learned and what is expressed in overt behaviour

Question 3

What is habitation?

Answer 3

A decrease in a behavioural response when a response is presented repeatedly

Question 4

What is sensitisation?

Answer 4

An increase in behavioural response when a stimulus is presented repeatedly

Question 5

What is classical conditioning?

Answer 5

Learning in which a behaviour is elicited by a conditioned stimulus whose power is acquired through an association with a biologically significant unconditioned stimulus

Question 6

What is a reflex?

Answer 6

An unlearned response response elicited by stimuli which have biological relevance for the organism

Question 7

What is the relationship between unconditioned stimulus and an unconditioned response?

Answer 7

An unconditioned stimulus causes an unconditioned response with no prior training or learning

Question 8

What is a conditioned stimulus?

Answer 8

A previously neutral stimulus that comes to elicit a conditioned response

Question 9

What is acquisition in terms of classical conditioning?

Answer 9

The point when the conditioned response is first elicited by the conditioned stimulus

Question 10

What are the four types of classical conditioning?

Answer 10

Delay conditioning-CS precedes UCS
Trace conditioning-CS precedes UCS but with a larger gap
Simultaneous conditioning-CS and UCS at the same time
Backward conditioning-UCS precedes CS

Question 11

What is extinction in terms of classical conditioning?

Answer 11

The weakening of a conditioned association in the absence of the unconditioned stimulus

Question 12

What is spontaneous recovery in terms of classical conditioning?

Answer 12

The reappearance of an extinct response after a rest period

Question 13

What is stimulus generalisation?

Answer 13

The extension of conditioning to similar stimuli that have never been paired with the unconditioned stimulus

Question 14

Which two factors are important for classical conditioning to occur?

Answer 14

Temporally contiguous

CS must reliably predict the occurrence of the UCS

Question 15

What is the law of effect?

Answer 15

A law of learning where the power of a stimulus to evoke a response is strengthened when the response is followed by a reward and weakened when it is not followed by a reward

Question 16

What is operant conditioning?

Answer 16

Learning by which the probability of a response is changed by a change in its consequences

Question 17

What is a reinforcement contingency?

Answer 17

A consistent relationship between a response and the change in environment it produces

Question 18

What is operant extinction?

Answer 18

When a behaviour no longer produces predictable consequences and returns to level of occurrence it was at before operant conditioning

Question 19

What is three-term contingency?

Answer 19

The means by which organisms learn that in the presence of some stimuli and not others, their behaviour is likely to have a particular effect on the environment

Question 20

What is a primary reinforcer?

Answer 20

A biologically determined reinforcer such as food or water

Question 21

What is partial reinforcement effect?

Answer 21

Responses acquired under intermittent reinforcement are more resistant to extinction than those acquired with continuous reinforcement

Question 22

What is a fixed ratio schedule?

Answer 22

Reinforcer is delivered for the first response made after a fixed number of responses

Question 23

What is a variable ratio schedule?

Answer 23

Reinforcer is delivered after a variable number of responses which has a predetermined average

Question 24

What is a fixed interval schedule?

Answer 24

Reinforcer is delivered for the first response made after a fixed period of time

Question 25

What is a variable interval schedule?

Answer 25

Reinforcer is delivered after a variable period of time whose average in predetermined

Question 26

What is shaping by desired approximations?

Answer 26

A behavioural method that reinforces responses that successively approximate and ultimately match the desired response

Question 27

What is a secondary reinforcer?

Answer 27

Token economies that lead to primary reinforcers such as money or praise

Question 28

What is shaping?

Answer 28

A procedure by which a complex behaviour is trained by reinforcing closer and closer approximations of the desired response