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AP Psychology > Module 5 - Lesson 2 > Flashcards

Module 5 - Lesson 2 Flashcards

Operant Conditioning and Operational Learning

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1
Q

Operant Conditioning

A

A type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforcer or diminished if followed by a punisher

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2
Q

Classical Conditioning

A

Forms an association between stimuli (a conditioned stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus it signals).

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3
Q

Respondent Behavior

A

Actions that are automatic responses to a stimulus

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4
Q

Operant Behavior

A

Behavior that operates on the environment, producing consequences.

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5
Q

What did B. F. Skinner invent? What is its significance?

A

An operant chamber, also known as the Skinner Box. It was significant because they have explored the precise conditions that foster efficient and enduring learning.

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6
Q

Operant Chamber

A

Also called a Skinner Box. Contains a bar or key that an animal can press in order to obtain a food or water reinforcer; attached devices record animals’s rate of bar pressing or key pressing.

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7
Q

Shaping

A

An operant conditioning procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior toward closer and closer approximations of desired behavior.

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8
Q

True or False: B. F. Skinner came up with the law of effect.

A

False. Edward L. Thorndike came up with the law of effect.

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9
Q

Law of Effect

A

Thorndike’s principle that behaviors followed by favorable consequences become more likely, and behaviors followed by unfavorable consequences become less likely.

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10
Q

What would a method using successive approximations do?

A

Responses are rewarded as they get progressively closer and closer to the desired final goal and ignore all other responses.

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11
Q

___________ gradually guide an organism’s actions towards a desired behavior.

A

Reinforcers

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12
Q

Discriminative Stimulus

A

Singling out a stimulus in a collection of stimuli (eg. a bird singling out faces in a collection of random images).

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13
Q

Reinforcer

A

In operant conditioning, any event that strengthens the behavior it follows.

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14
Q

Positive Reinforcement

A

Increasing behaviors by presenting positive stimuli, such as food. A positive reinforcer is any stimulus that, when presented after a response, strengthens the response.

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15
Q

Negative Reinforcement

A

Increasing behaviors by stopping or reducing negative stimuli, such as shock. A negative reinforcer is any stimulus that, when removed after a response, strengthens the response. (Note: negative reinforcement differs from punishment.)

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16
Q

True or False: Negative reinforcement involves the addition of a negative consequence to a behavior to discourage the behavior.

A

False. Negative reinforcement is not the same as punishment. Rather, it is the removal of an undesirable stimulus after a behavior is enacted.

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17
Q

Primary Reinforcer

A

An innately reinforcing stimulus, such as one that satisfies a biological need.

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18
Q

Conditioned Reinforcer

A

A stimulus that gains its reinforcing power through its association with a primary reinforcer; also known as a secondary reinforcer.

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19
Q

What is meant by “increasing the strength” of a preceding response?

A

Increasing a preceding response’s frequency when rewarding the response afterwards.

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20
Q

Compare positive and negative reinforcement. Give an example of each.

A

Positive: Adds a desirable stimulus. Eg. getting a hug, receiving a paycheck.
Negative: Removes an aversive stimulus. Eg. fastening seatbelt to turn off beeping.

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21
Q

True or False: A rat learns that a light reliably signals that food is coming. As a result, the rat tries to turn on the light. The light has become a conditioned reinforcer associated with food.

A

True. A conditioned (secondary) reinforcer is used to gain something needed, as money is used to purchase desired items.

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22
Q

True or False: Money is an example of a primary reinforcer.

A

False. Money is a prime example of a conditioned (secondary) reinforcer.

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23
Q

Continuous Reinforcement

A

Reinforcing the desired response every time it occurs.

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24
Q

Partial (Intermittent) Reinforcement

A

Reinforcing a response only part of the time; results in slower acquisition of a response but much greater resistance to extinction than does continuous reinforcement.

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25
Q

Fixed-Ratio Schedule

A

In operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified number of responses.

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26
Q

Variable-Ratio Schedule

A

In operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses.

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27
Q

Fixed-Interval Schedule

A

In operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified amount of time has elapsed.

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28
Q

Variable-Interval Schedule

A

In operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals.

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29
Q

Compare the effects of extinction on continuous reinforcement versus intermittent reinforcement.

A

While learning occurs more rapidly with continuous reinforcement, extinction occurs more quickly. However, intermittent reinforcement ensures a better likelihood of long-term memorization and a lesser chance of extinction.

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30
Q

A free drink after every 10 purchases is an example of what type of reinforcement schedule?

A

Fixed-Ratio Schedule

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31
Q

A lottery ticket that provides a reward after a random number of responses is an example of what type of reinforcement schedule?

A

Variable-Ratio Schedule

32
Q

Punisher

A

Any consequence that decreases the frequency of a preceding behavior.

33
Q

Is criminal behavior deterred by the threat of severe sentences?

A

No. Areas that introduce strict drinking and driving laws see no change in behavior, but areas that increase patrols and police presence, ensuring fast punishment, crime dropped dramatically.

34
Q

What are the four drawbacks of punishing children?

A

1) Punished behavior is suppressed, not forgotten.
2) Punishment teaches discrimination.
3) Punishment can teach fear.
4) Physical punishment may increase aggressiveness by modeling aggression as a way to cope with problems.

35
Q

Elaborate on what is meant by “punishment teaches discrimination.”

A

Children might learn that what is unacceptable in one place is acceptable anywhere else.

36
Q

How does punishment teach fear?

A

The punished child may associate fear not only with the undesirable behavior, but also with the person who delivered the punishment or the place it occurred.

37
Q

True or False: Punishment tells you what to do, reinforcement tells you what not to do.

A

False. Reinforcement encourages behaviors (tells you what to do) and punishment tells you what not to do.

38
Q

___ _______ regarded thoughts and emotions as behaviors that follow the same laws as other behaviors.

A

B. F. Skinner

39
Q

Cognitive Map

A

A mental representation of an area (eg. a maze)

40
Q

Latent Learning

A

Learning that only becomes apparent when there is some incentive to demonstrate it

41
Q

Promising people a ______ for a task they already enjoy can backfire; “If I have to be bribed to be doing this, it must not be worth doing for its own sake.”

A

Reward.

42
Q

Intrinsic Motivation

A

The desire to perform a behavior effectively and for its own sake.

43
Q

Extrinsic Motivation

A

The desire to behave in certain ways to receive external rewards or avoid threatened punishment.

44
Q

Wanting to learn material because it is interesting and makes you feel more competent is an example of (intrinsic/extrinsic) motivation.

A

Intrinsic.

45
Q

Animals can most easily learn and retain behaviors that draw on their __________ _______________ (eg. cats’ ability to jump high and land on their feet).

A

Biological Predispositions.

46
Q

Biological constraints __________ organisms to learn associations that are naturally adaptive.

A

Predispose.

47
Q

Instinctive Drift

A

A change in conditioned behavior that occurs as an animals reverts back to their biologically predisposed patterns.

48
Q

Skinner believed that (internal/external) influences shape behavior.

A

External; NOT internal thoughts and feelings.

49
Q

How should parents apply the basic rule of shaping to their child?

A

“Notice people doing something right and affirm them for it.” Give children attention and other reinforcers when they are behaving WELL.

50
Q

What are the four steps utilized to use operant conditioning on ourselves?

A

1) State your goals (eg. study one hour per day).
2) Monitor how often you engage in your desired behavior (eg. log study time).
3) Reinforce the desired behavior (eg. get a snack when you finish studying).
4) Reduce the rewards gradually (eg. learn to congratulate yourself instead of getting a snack as the behavior becomes habitual.

51
Q

Compare the basic idea and causes of extinction in classical conditioning vs operant conditioning.

A

Classical Conditioning: Organism learn associations between events it doesn’t control; extinction occurs when the CR decreases when the CS is repeatedly presented alone.
Operant Conditioning: Organism learns associations between its behavior and resulting events. Extinction occurs when reinforcement stops.

52
Q

Observational Learning

A

Higher animals, especially humans, can learn without direct experience by observing and imitating others.

53
Q

A child who sees his sister burn her fingers on a hot stove and learns not to touch it is an example of _____________ learning.

A

Observational.

54
Q

Modeling

A

The process of learning specific behaviors by observing and imitating models.

55
Q

“Children need models more than they need _______.” - Joseph Joubert

A

Critics.

56
Q

Mirror Neurons

A

Frontal lobe neurons that fire when performing certain actions or when observing another doing so. The brain’s mirroring of another’s action may enable imitation and empathy.

57
Q

As we observe another’s action, our brain generates an inner __________, enabling us to experience the other’s experience within ourselves.

A

Simulation.

58
Q

Theory of Mind

A

Children’s empathy and ability to infer another’s mental state as allowed by mirror neurons.

59
Q

People with ______ display reduced imitative yawning and mirror neuron activity (“broken mirrors”).

A

Autism.

60
Q

Albert Bandura

A

A pioneering researcher of observational learning who created the famous Bobo doll experiment.

61
Q

Bobo Doll Experiment

A

A child watches an adult punch, kick, throw, and yell at an inflatable Bobo doll for nearly 10 minutes. The child is taken to another room filled with toys, but are soon told those toys are being saved for other children and are taken to a room with few toys, including the Bobo doll, instead. The now-frustrated child is proven to be much more likely to lash out at the doll than those who were not exposed to an adult’s behavior towards it.

62
Q

Prosocial Effects

A

Positive or helpful models that can lead to prosocial effects.

63
Q

Models are most effective when their actions and words are __________.

A

Consistent.

64
Q

Antisocial Effects

A

Negative models encourage learners to become aggressive, hostile, cruel, or abusive.

65
Q

__________ effects help us to understand why abusive parents may have aggressive children.

A

Antisocial.

66
Q

Violence-Viewing Effect`

A

Defined by multiple conditions: violence goes unpunished, victim’s pain is not shown, incidents involve “justified” violence, and/or incidents involve an attractive perpetrator.

67
Q

Imitation

A

Copying a previously viewed act (eg. two children wrestle after viewing wrestling on the TV).

68
Q

Desensitization

A

Having a diminishing response to something with repeated exposure (eg. prolonged exposure to TV violence leads to more indifference during a brawl, whether on television or in real life).

69
Q

Behaviorism

A

A perspective in contemporary psychology that focuses on observable responses and the importance of the environment in shaping behaviors.

70
Q

Chaining

A

Refers to the learning of several linked behaviors necessary to either receive a reinforcer or avoid a punishment.

71
Q

Premack Principle

A

Using a preferred activity in order to reinforce completion of an activity that is not preferred.

72
Q

Robert Rescorla

A

Demonstrated that organisms develop contingencies; tend to develop mental models of probabilities, or “expectancies,” based on how likely a pairing between two stimuli will be.

73
Q

Edward Tolman

A

Demonstrated that rats can develop cognitive maps of complex mazes, even when they are not being directly reinforced for their behavior.

74
Q

Abstract Learning

A

Generally refers to the learning of ideas and concepts.

75
Q

Wolfgang Kohler

A

Created a challenging series of tasks for chimps to solve in order to get a banana in order to demonstrate insight learning.

76
Q

Insight Learning

A

Occurs when we suddenly “realize” the solution to a problem or challenge.

AP Psychology (11 decks)

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