Module 4 Lesson 1 - Introduction to Learning

Question 1

Learning

Answer 1

Acquiring knowledge and skills through ways like teaching, experience, or study.

Question 2

Behaviorism

Answer 2

The use of scientific methods like observation and examination to explain the manner of a person’s conduct psychologically.

Question 3

Associative Learning

Answer 3

A classification of learning that describes the relationship between stimulus and response, like consequences for behavior.

Question 4

Classical Conditioning

Answer 4

Behavior training based on stimulus and involuntary response reacting to the environment, as first conceived by psychologist Ivan Pavlov.

Question 5

Unconditioned Response (UCR)

Answer 5

A reaction in nature requiring no stimulus

Question 6

Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS)

Answer 6

A naturally occurring reaction garnered from a stimulus.

Question 7

Neutral Stimulus

Answer 7

A stimulus that causes no response but is noticed.

Question 8

Conditioned Stimulus (CS)

Answer 8

A stimulus that purposely causes an unconditioned reaction.

Question 9

Conditioned Response (CR)

Answer 9

The learned, reflexive behavior caused by the conditioned stimulus.

Question 10

Acquisition

Answer 10

The accumulation of new behavior.

Question 11

Extinction

Answer 11

The ending of a behavior after conditioning.

Question 12

Spontaneous Recovery

Answer 12

The response that appears after conditioning is removed.

Question 13

Generalization

Answer 13

When the response is recalled by the same stimuli; a conditioning response.

Question 14

Discrimination

Answer 14

Characterizes the difference between the conditioned stimulus (CS) and the unconditioned stimulus (UCS) in classical conditioning; the difference between a learned and unlearned response in operant conditioning.

Question 15

Pavlov’s Dog Experiment

Answer 15

An experiment where Ivan Pavlov trained a dog to salivate in preparation of receiving food when hearing a specific bell through classical conditioning.

Question 16

Little Albert Experiment

Answer 16

An experiment conducted by John B. Watson and Rosalie Raynor, demonstrating fear responses in children. When Little Albert was very young, he was conditioned to fear a white rat through the presence of the rat and a loud (scary-like) noise.

Question 17

Garcia’s Study on Taste Aversions

Answer 17

Also known as Garcia’s effect/conditioned taste aversion; occurs when a person associates their dislike to a food based on previous bad experiences in relation to the food.

Question 18

Albert Bandura

Answer 18

A psychologist known best for his studies on aggression and social learning theory (behavior is learned best through modeling and observation).

Question 19

John Garcia

Answer 19

Famous for the conditioned taste aversion, this was discovered when he experimented on the radiation effects on mice.

Question 20

Ivan Pavlov

Answer 20

Russian psychologist and founder of classical conditioning, he famously set up an experiment involving a dog conditioned to react to sounds associated with food.

Question 21

Robert Rescorla

Answer 21

Also a co-founder of RW classical conditioning who helped to explain the link of learning between the UCS and CR.

Question 22

B. F. Skinner

Answer 22

Developer of the Operant Conditioning based on positive and negative reinforcement.

Question 23

Edward Thorndike

Answer 23

Responsible for advancements in learning theory like the Law of Effect - stating that desired behavior followed by positive reward will be repeated.

Question 24

Edward Tolman

Answer 24

Founder of neo-behaviorism, stating that learning and behavior can be described in conditioning.

Question 25

John B. Watson

Answer 25

Studied behaviorism and concluded that it should be measurable, tested, and documented (also called methodological behaviorism). He worked closely with Rosalie Raynor.

Question 26

What does behaviorism have us do?

Answer 26

It has us measuring our learning through various ways like observation and examination!

Question 27

What is (example) of behaviorism?

Answer 27

When we want a specific behavior from someone, like when teachers want students to raise their hand before speaking. Therefore, the teacher may reprimand students for shouting out loud and praise those who raise their hands.

Question 28

What is Associative learning (example)?

Answer 28

When we learn via associations; an example is when you study for a test and made an ‘A’, so you associate studying with good grades.

Question 29

What is, and who first experimented with, classical conditioning?

Answer 29

Classical conditioning is a part of behaviorism first experimented by Russian psychologist Ivan Pavlov.

Question 30

What was Pavlov’s experiment?

Answer 30

Pavlov trained dogs to salivate and presented them with food and rang a bell before each of the meals. The dogs associated the sound with food so they would salivate even without being served the food yet.

Question 31

What are the pieces (types of stimulus and responses to Pavlov’s experiment)?

Answer 31

1. Pavlov had to first establish and Unconditioned Response (UCR) - the dog salivating when presented with food (the food is the Unconditioned Stimulus, or UCS).
2. He then needed to add in a Conditioned Stimulus (CS), which was the bell.
3. Finally, he was able to get a Conditioned Response (CR) - the dog started salivating without the food - but as a response to the bell.

Question 32

What is a neutral stimulus? What would an example from Pavlov’s experiment be?

Answer 32

A neutral stimulus in Pavlov’s experiment could be the door opening for Pavlov to enter, which the dogs would hear but not acknowledge it.

Question 33

What is gained through conditioning in acquisition?

Answer 33

In acquisition, you will gain a desired behavior over a period of time in conditioning.

Question 34

What is extinction?

Answer 34

The same idea as acquisition except in reverse - a behavior is ended through conditioning.

Question 35

What is Spontaneous Recovery?

Answer 35

It is when you exhibit the behavior once the stimulus is removed.

Ex. Being able to do certain tasks like doing chores or hobbies without parents forcing a stimulus.

Question 36

What is a generalization?

Answer 36

When a behavior is repeated from the same stimuli.

Ex. Parents continuously making children use the restroom before leaving home “just in case.”

Question 37

What is discrimination in classical conditioning?

Answer 37

It is the difference between the conditioned and unconditioned stimulus.

Ex. CS is like when parents bring their children to the restroom, UCS is when the body says it has to go. It results in the same response.

Question 38

Ivan Pavlov

Answer 38

Did groundbreaking work on classical conditioning with his dog, as explained above. He used the dogs involuntary salivating to food and trained them to respond to the ringing of a bell associated with food, even without the food presented there itself.

Question 39

John B. Watson and Rosalie Rayner

Answer 39

Wanted evidence of classical conditioning, so they conducted the Little Albert experiment, the interaction between an infant and a docile white rat. The infant (Little Albert) originally had no problem playing with the rat until experimenters introduced a loud noise that scared the infant each time the white rat was brought into the room. Over time, the young infant grew to associate the loud noise with the rat and would cry uncontrollably at simply seeing the rat. Watson also gave the scientific approach to measuring behaviorism as called “methodological behaviorism.” His Little Albert experiment results were published in 1920.

Question 40

John Garcia

Answer 40

Advanced classical conditioning with his taste aversion experiment, known as the Garcia Effect. He showed that people can associate bad experiences with food to have an aversion to that food from then on. These experiments were confirmed in 1966.

Question 41

Albert Bandura

Answer 41

Advanced the social learning theory that behavior is best learned through modeling and observation, conducting the Bobo the Doll experiment in 1961.

Question 42

Robert Rescorla

Answer 42

Advanced classical conditioning on the link of learning between the UCS (unconditioned stimulus) and CR (conditioned response), which he first did in 1972.

Question 43

B.F. Skinner

Answer 43

The founder of Operant Conditioning, which was based on rewards and consequences. He started publishing these findings in 1938.

Question 44

Edward Thorndike

Answer 44

Known for the Law of Effect in learning theory, this occurs when the subject continues to exhibit a desired behavior when a repeated positive reward was made. The earliest of these discoveries were published starting 1905.

Question 45

Edward Tolman

Answer 45

Founder of neo-behaviorism which was only big in psychology from 1930-60. He believed learning and behavior could be portrayed in conditioning and published findings starting 1932.