PSYC2050 - Wk5 Operant Conditiong Theory and Application Flashcards
How did Tolman show that responses did not need to be performed in order to be learned?
Rats transported through a maze still learned something even though they didn’t do the maze actively
How did Tolman show that the consequence did not need to be experienced for operant learning to occur?
Rats who started getting a reward on the 11th trial performed as well as those who were always rewarded
Did Tolman think that animals develop expectations about reinforcer?
Yes, reinforcer becomes part of associative network(stimulus, response, and reinforcement)
What is latent learning and how is it demonstrated in rats?
Rats learn about the environment even if not rewarded for it
What is drive according to hull and Spence?
An unpleasant state that the animal wants to reduce
What type of consequence is drive reduction of physiological needs?
Negative reinforcer
What are secondary reinforcers?
Things that only indirectly reduce drive (eg money), through bridging
What are two types of novel stimuli that dont reduce a biological drive?
Sensation seeking & pleasure seeking
How did researchers get rats to turn left and right?
Stimulating left and right somatosensory areas for the whiskers, then reinforcing a pleasure centre through electrical stimulation
Is it stimuli or the behaviour itself which is reinforcing?
Behaviour itself is reinforcing, because it reduces drive and provides homeostasis
What is a bliss point of behaviour?
If you give an individual access to anything they want,when there are no constraints you can see how likely a free behaviour is
What is premack’s principle?
A high probability behaviour can reinforce a low probability behaviour
How fixed are probable behaviours under premack’s principle?
They are dynamic and can change per individuals and for different contexts
How does escape learning work?
Emitting a responsethat terminates an aversive consequence (provides negative reinforcement)
How does avoidance learning work?
Emitting a response to prevent the occurrence of an aversive consequences entirely (therefore reinforced)
What comes first, escape or avoidance?
Escape, then avoidance behaviour
How does escape and avoidance learning help us understand anxiety behaviour?
One negative experience leads to avoidance behaviour, which is reinforced because you never encounter the experience again (and always avoid)
How can you reduce avoidance clinically through exposure training? 2
Flooding and response prevention
Model situation appropriate behaviour
How is learned helplessness a potential model for depression?
The idea that you have no control and just suffer through it
What are the effects of learned helplessness?5
Impaired subsequent learning Depression Reduced activity Reduced immune response More ulcers (stress related)
How can learned helplessness be combatted?
An initial experience of control can ‘immunise’ against learned helplessness
What are depression promoting attributions?
Internal, stable, global
What are depression reducing attributions?
External, unstable, specific
In what 3 conditions is learned helplessness typically worse?
- The person thinks everything is hopeless
- The person thinks its their fault
- The person sees the helplessness as long-term
