Module 2 - learning Flashcards
What is learning?
Adapting to the past experiences to change how you react in the future
What is a reflex
Automatic behaviour in response to a stimulus.
It is unconditioned response
What is classical conditioning
· Innate reactions come to be paired with neutral stimuli to produce learned (conditioned) response.
· So eventually the neutral stimuli will produce the conditioned response.
· Can decay with time if under used.
· Can become extinct with repeated presentations with CS but will be recovered quicker.
What is Blocking in classical conditioning
When a previous conditioned stimulus prevents a new association being formed
What is latent Inhibition in classical conditioning
If the CS to be paired is familiar already it will impair the learning for it to be associated with the desired response.
What is operant conditioning
Use of punishment and rewards (reinforcement) for learning behaviour.
More likely to repeat actions is good consequences and less likely to repeat actions with bad consequences
What is positive and negative reinforcement
positive reinforcement - to give something good (chocolate)’
negative reinforcement - to take away something bad (pain or noise - so still good)
Increases behaviour
What is Positive and negative punishment
positive punishment – to add something bad (eg smack)
negative punishment – to take away something good (grounding)
Decreases behaviour
Which schedule of reinforcement is better
· Continuous reinforcement is good for learning new behaviour.
· Intermittent schedules are better for maintaining learning
What are the two types of intermittent schedules of reinforcement that affect learning
Ratio schedule – reinforcement after a certain number of responses
Interval schedule – after a certain amount of time
* · Fixed and variable.
* · Variable better for reinforcement – keep guessing.
* · Fixed can lead to procrastination behaviours
What other factors affect reinforcement
· Cost benefits of obtaining reinforcement
· Social and cultural context
· Learning characteristics
· Prior learning
What is shaping and chaining
· Shaping is reinforcing closer and closer approximations of desired behaviour.
· Chaining is putting together existing responses in a new order – one step leads to signal the other
What is wrong with punishment
Can generate unwanted effects like aggression, apathy, suppression of behaviour, escape, ethics issues
What are social cognitive approaches to learning?
Incorporates conditioning but also cognition (thinking processes) and social learning factors
What factors affect how a person views the learning environment
- Expectations of consequences
- Feeling of control
- Learned helplessness
- Positive or depressive explanatory styles (ie – about causes of bad events)
look at this lovely diagram of conditioning
