Module 3: Learning Flashcards
Classical Conditioning
type of learning in which neutral stimulus is paired with response until it elicits that response
Important terms in classical conditioning
- Unconditioned Stimulus
- Unconditioned Response
- Conditioned Stimulus
- Conditioned Response
- Extinction
Unconditioned Stimulus
natural stimulus
Unconditioned Response
natural or unlearned response
Conditioned Stimulus
newly conditioned event introduced
Conditioned Response
response from the conditioned stimulus
Extinction
without the conditioned stimulus shown long enough, the behavior could be eliminated
Stimulus Generalization
strength of the response to similar objects or people is usually a function of how similar these objects or people are
e.g., You are afraid of furry dogs because they
once attacked you. Now, whenever you see
something fury, your body trembles, you cannot
breathe properly and wanted to go away.
Introspection
Edward Titchener; subjects report their inner thoughts and feelings after experiencing inner stimuli
John B. Watson
+ founder of behaviorism
+ studied Little Albert
Systematic Desensitization
patients were gradually introduced to the objects or situations they feared so that their fear could be extinguished
Operant Conditioning
behavior changes as a function of what follows the behavior (rewards or punishment)
Important people who studied/developed operant conditioning
+ B.F. Skinner
+ Edward Thorndike
Edward Thorndike
law of effect (behavior can be strengthened or weakened)
Important terms in operant conditioning
- Reinforcement
- Shaping
Reinforcement
reward
Shaping
process of reinforcing successive approximations to a final behavior or set of behaviors
Albert Bandura
+ Social learning
+ Hitting doll experiment
Important terms in social learning
- Modeling/observational learning
- Social cognitive theory
- Self-efficacy
Modeling/observational learning
process of learning in which an individual acquires responses by observing and imitating others
Social Cognitive Theory
people observe models, learns chunks into behavior, and mentally put chunks together into complex new behavior patterns
Self-Efficacy
person’s confidence in their own abilities to accomplish their goals
Learned Helplessness
+ when rats or other animals encounter conditions over which they have no control, they give up attempting to cope and seem to develop the animal equivalent of depression
+ people make an attribution that they have no control, and become depressed
Martin Seligman (and colleagues)
Learned Helplessness
Causes of Learned Helplessness
- Coercive, ineffective, inconsistent parents
- Media violence
- Peer rejection
Important terms in Learned Helplessness
- Internal
- Stable
- Global
- Learned Optimism
Internal (learned helplessness)
negative effects due to internal failings
Stable (learned helplessness)
even after a particular negative events pass, additional bad things will “always be my fault” remains
Global (learned helpessness)
attributions extend across a variety of issues
Learned Optimism
+ if people faced with considerable stress and difficulty in their lives, nevertheless, display optimistic, upbeat attitude, they are likely to function better psychologically and physically
+ Positive Psychology
Prepared Learning
+ we have become highly prepared for learning about certain types of objects or situations over the course of evolution because this knowledge contributes to the survival of the species
+ learning from ancestors
Hopelessness Theory
desirable outcomes will not occur, and that the person has no responses available to change this situation
