Module 3: Learning

Question 1

Classical Conditioning

Answer 1

type of learning in which neutral stimulus is paired with response until it elicits that response

Question 2

Important terms in classical conditioning

Answer 2

1. Unconditioned Stimulus
2. Unconditioned Response
3. Conditioned Stimulus
4. Conditioned Response
5. Extinction

Question 3

Unconditioned Stimulus

Answer 3

natural stimulus

Question 4

Unconditioned Response

Answer 4

natural or unlearned response

Question 5

Conditioned Stimulus

Answer 5

newly conditioned event introduced

Question 6

Conditioned Response

Answer 6

response from the conditioned stimulus

Question 7

Extinction

Answer 7

without the conditioned stimulus shown long enough, the behavior could be eliminated

Question 8

Stimulus Generalization

Answer 8

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.

Question 9

Introspection

Answer 9

Edward Titchener; subjects report their inner thoughts and feelings after experiencing inner stimuli

Question 10

John B. Watson

Answer 10

+ founder of behaviorism
+ studied Little Albert

Question 11

Systematic Desensitization

Answer 11

patients were gradually introduced to the objects or situations they feared so that their fear could be extinguished

Question 12

Operant Conditioning

Answer 12

behavior changes as a function of what follows the behavior (rewards or punishment)

Question 13

Important people who studied/developed operant conditioning

Answer 13

+ B.F. Skinner
+ Edward Thorndike

Question 14

Edward Thorndike

Answer 14

law of effect (behavior can be strengthened or weakened)

Question 15

Important terms in operant conditioning

Answer 15

1. Reinforcement
2. Shaping

Question 16

Reinforcement

Answer 16

reward

Question 17

Shaping

Answer 17

process of reinforcing successive approximations to a final behavior or set of behaviors

Question 18

Albert Bandura

Answer 18

+ Social learning
+ Hitting doll experiment

Question 19

Important terms in social learning

Answer 19

1. Modeling/observational learning
2. Social cognitive theory
3. Self-efficacy

Question 20

Modeling/observational learning

Answer 20

process of learning in which an individual acquires responses by observing and imitating others

Question 21

Social Cognitive Theory

Answer 21

people observe models, learns chunks into behavior, and mentally put chunks together into complex new behavior patterns

Question 22

Self-Efficacy

Answer 22

person’s confidence in their own abilities to accomplish their goals

Question 23

Learned Helplessness

Answer 23

+ 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

Question 24

Martin Seligman (and colleagues)

Answer 24

Learned Helplessness

Question 25

Causes of Learned Helplessness

Answer 25

1. Coercive, ineffective, inconsistent parents
2. Media violence
3. Peer rejection

Question 26

Important terms in Learned Helplessness

Answer 26

1. Internal
2. Stable
3. Global
4. Learned Optimism

Question 27

Internal (learned helplessness)

Answer 27

negative effects due to internal failings

Question 28

Stable (learned helplessness)

Answer 28

even after a particular negative events pass, additional bad things will “always be my fault” remains

Question 29

Global (learned helpessness)

Answer 29

attributions extend across a variety of issues

Question 30

Learned Optimism

Answer 30

+ 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

Question 31

Prepared Learning

Answer 31

+ 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

Question 32

Hopelessness Theory

Answer 32

desirable outcomes will not occur, and that the person has no responses available to change this situation