Module 26- How we learn and Classical conditioning

Question 1

What is learning?

Answer 1

The process of acquiring new behaviors and information.

Question 2

What is habituation?

Answer 2

When your responsiveness decreases as a result of being repeatedly stimulated.

Question 3

What is associative learning?

Answer 3

It is when you link two events that can occur together.

Ex.: Training an animal with treats when they are good and punishments when they are bad.

Question 4

The process of learning associations is ____________

Answer 4

conditioning

Question 5

What is classical conditioning?

Answer 5

We learn to associate two stimuli and anticipate events.

Ex.: We learn that lightning signals an impending crack of thunder. When lightning flashes nearby, we start to brace ourselves

Question 6

What is operant conditioning?

Answer 6

We learn to associate a response (our behavior) and a consequence. Therefore, we learn to continue behaviors that offer us rewards and avoid behaviors that treat us with punishment.

Question 7

What is cognitive learning?

Answer 7

Acquiring mental information through observation, watching others, or through language.

Question 8

What is an unconditioned response (UR)?

Answer 8

An unlearned, naturally occurring response.

Question 9

What is an unconditioned stimulus? (US)

Answer 9

A natural, automatically occurring stimulus, triggers a UR

Question 10

What is a conditioned response? (CR)

Answer 10

A learned response to a previously neutral (but now conditioned) stimulus

Question 11

What is a conditioned stimulus? (CS)

Answer 11

A stimulus that was initially irrelevant, which after associating with an unconditioned stimulus (US), comes to trigger a conditioned response (CR).

Question 12

What is the difference between conditioned and unconditioned?

Answer 12

Conditioned=learned
Unconditioned=unlearned

Question 13

What are the five major conditioning processes stated by Pavlov?

Answer 13

-Acquisition
-Extinction
-Spontaneous recovery
-Generalization
-Discrimination

Question 14

What is acquisition in the conditioning process?

Answer 14

The initial learning of the stimulus-response relationship;

A neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus link so the neutral stimulus begins triggering the conditioned response.

Question 15

What is higher order conditioning?

Answer 15

A procedure in which the conditioned stimulus in one conditioning experience is paired with a new neutral stimulus, creating a second (often weaker) conditioned stimulus.

Ex.: An animal that has learned that the tone predicts the food might then learn that a light predicts the tone and begin responding to the light alone. (also called second order conditioning)

Question 16

What is extinction?

Answer 16

Diminished responding that occurs when the uncontrolled stimulus (US) no longer follows the controlled stimulus (CS).

Ex.: If a tone indicated that food was to come for a dog, but no food arrived and the tone kept occurring, the dog’s salvation would lessen.

Question 17

What is spontaneous recovery?

Answer 17

The reappearance of a weakened controlled response after a pause.

This also proved that extinction only suppressed the CR, it did not totally eliminate it.

Question 18

What is generalization?

Answer 18

The tendency to respond likewise to a stimuli similar to the controlled stimulus (CS)

Ex.: A dog conditioned to salivate when rubbed would also drool a bit when scratched.

Question 19

Can generalized fears linger?

Answer 19

Yes

Question 20

What is discrimination?

Answer 20

The learned ability to distinguish a conditioned stimulus and an irrelevant stimulus.

Ex.: If a bell tone were the conditioned stimulus, the discrimination would involve being able to tell the difference between the bell tone and similar bell tones.

Question 21

What is a stimulus?

Answer 21

A stimulus is any event or situation that evokes a response.

Question 22

What is a neutral stimulus (NS) in classical conditioning?

Answer 22

A stimulus that elicits no response before conditioning.

Question 23

Acquisition supports the view that classical conditioning is ___________ ___________

Answer 23

biologically adaptive

Question 24

Pavlov taught us that psychological phenomena can be studied objectively (not influenced by personal feelings) and that __________ ___________ is a basic for learning that applies to all species.

Answer 24

Classical conditioning

Question 25

Classical conditioning can help improve what? What body system also responds to classical conditioning?

Answer 25

It can improve human health and well-being in many areas, including therapy for those recovering from drug addiction and for those overcoming fears.

The immune system may also respond to classical conditioning.

Question 26

Ivan Pavlov’s work on classical conditioning laid the foundation for what?

Answer 26

Laid the foundation for behaviorism, that psychology should be an objective science that studies behavior without reference to mental processes.