Psych Modules 20-22, 26

Question 1

Learning

Answer 1

the process of acquiring through experience new and relatively enduring information or behaviors.

Question 2

Associative Learning

Answer 2

learning that certain events occur together, and the events can be stimuli or a response and it’s own concequence

Question 3

stimulus

Answer 3

any event or situation that evokes a response

Question 4

respondent behavior

Answer 4

behavior that occurs as an automatic response to some stimulus

Question 5

operant behaviors

Answer 5

behavior that operates on the environment, producing a consequence

Question 6

classical conditioning

Answer 6

a type of learning in which we link two or more stimuli: the first stimulus comes to elicit behavior in anticipation of the second stimulus

Question 7

neutral stimuli

Answer 7

a stimulus that elicits no response before conditioning

Question 8

unconditioned response

Answer 8

an unlearned and naturally occurring response to an unconditioned stimulus

Example: the drooling (as a result of food) of Pavlov’s dogs.

Question 9

unconditioned stimulus

Answer 9

a stimulus that naturally and automatically triggers an unconditioned response.

example: the food that made Pavlov’s dogs drool

Question 10

conditioned response

Answer 10

a learned response to a previously neutral stimulus

Example: the salivation (in response to the tone)

Question 11

conditioned stimulus

Answer 11

an originally neutral stimulus that triggers a conditioned response after association with an unconditioned stimulus

example: the tone (that used to be a regular tone but now triggers salivation)

Question 12

pavlov’s 5 major conditioning processes

Answer 12

acquisition, extinction, spontaneous recovery, generalization, discrimination

Question 13

acquisition

Answer 13

the initial stage of classical conditioning where one links a neutral stimulus (tone) and an unconditioned stimulus (food) so the neutral stimulus begins triggering the conditioned response

Question 14

higher-order conditioning

Answer 14

a procedure where a conditioned stimulus (tone) in one conditioning experience is paired with a new neutral stimulus (light flashing), making the reaction to the original conditioned stimulus weaker

Question 15

extinction

Answer 15

the diminishing of a conditioned response when an unconditioned stimulus does not follow a conditioned stimulus

example: when the food does not come after the tone sounds

Question 16

spontaneous recovery

Answer 16

the reappearance of an extinguished conditioned response after a pause

example: after several hours’ delay of the tone sounding, the dogs will drool

Question 17

generalization

Answer 17

the tendency for stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus to elicit similar responses after a response has been conditioned

example: a dog being conditioned to drool for food when pat on the head drooling when rubbed on the back

Question 18

discrimination

Answer 18

the ability to perceive and respond to differences among stimuli

example: acting differently at a party than at a church gathering.

Question 19

operant conditioning

Answer 19

a type of learning where a behavior becomes more likely to recur if followed by a reinforcer or less likely to recur if followed by a punishment

Question 20

operant behavior

Answer 20

behavior that operates on the environment, producing a consequence

Question 21

law of effect

Answer 21

a principle of Thorndike that behaviors followed by favorable consequences becomes more likely and behaviors followed by unfavorable consequences become less likely

Question 22

operant chamber

Answer 22

a chamber containing an object that an animal can manipulate to obtain a reward reinforcer

Question 23

reinforcement

Answer 23

any event that strengthens the behavior it follows

Question 24

shaping

Answer 24

an operant conditioning procedure where reinforcers guide behaviors toward closer approximations of the desired behaviors

Question 25

positive reinforcement

Answer 25

increasing behaviors by presenting a pleasurable stimulus

Question 26

negative reinforcement

Answer 26

increasing behaviors by stopping or reducing an aversive stimulus

Question 27

primary reinforcers

Answer 27

an innately reinforcing stimulus, such as one that satisfies a biological need, like getting food when hungry or having a headache go away

Question 28

conditioned reinforcers

Answer 28

a stimulus that gains its reinforcing power through its association with a primary reinforcer example : a light in a skinner box

Question 29

variable-ratio schedules

Answer 29

a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses Example: slot-machine players and fly fishers

Question 30

reinforcement schedules

Answer 30

a pattern that defines how often a desired response will be reinforced

Question 31

continuous reinforcement

Answer 31

reinforcing the desired response every time it occurs

Question 32

partial reinforcement schedules

Answer 32

reinforcing a response only part of the time. results in slower acquisition of a response but much less extinction than continuous reinforcement

Question 33

ratio-fixed schedules

Answer 33

a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified number of responses Example: a coffee shop giving a free drink after customer buys 10 drinks

Question 34

fixed-interval schedules

Answer 34

a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified time has elapsed example: checking for mail or packages as the delivery day approaches

Question 35

variable-interval schedule

Answer 35

a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response at unpredictable intervals example: a food pellet reward for pigeons pecking a key

Question 36

punishment

Answer 36

an event that tends to decrease the behavior that it follows

Question 37

note to study the different definitions for basically everything in classical and operant conditioning bc ill definitely use those as a teacher

Question 38

preparedness

Answer 38

a biological predisposition to learn associations, such as between taste and nausea, that have survival value

Question 39

instinctive drift

Answer 39

the tendency of learned behavior to gradually revert to biologically predisposed patterns

Question 40

cognitive map

Answer 40

a mental representation of the layout of one's environment

Question 41

latent learning

Answer 41

learning that occurs but is not apparent until there is an incentive to demonstrate it

Question 42

observational learning

Answer 42

learning by observing others

Question 43

modeling

Answer 43

the process of observing and imitating a specific behavior

Question 44

mirror neurons

Answer 44

frontal lobe neurons that fire when we perform certain actions OR observe others doing so. it is the brain mirroring another's action may enable imitation and empathy

Question 45

prosocial

Answer 45

positive, constructive, helpful behavior. the opposite of antisocial behavior

Question 46

cognition

Answer 46

all the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating

Question 47

metacognition

Answer 47

thinking about thinking, keeping track of and evaluating our mental processes.

Question 48

concepts

Answer 48

mental groupings of similar objects, events, ideas, and people

Question 49

prototype

Answer 49

a mental image of a category, matching new items to a prototype provides a quick and easy method for sorting items into categories

Question 50

algorithm

Answer 50

a methodical and logical procedure that guarantees solving a particular problem.

Question 51

heuristics

Answer 51

a simple thinking strategy that allows us to make judgements and solve problems efficiently

Question 52

insight

Answer 52

a sudden realization of a problem's solution. AHA moment

Question 53

confirmation bias

Answer 53

the tendency to search for information that supports our preconceptions and ignores contradictory evidence

Question 54

fixation

Answer 54

the inability to see a problem from a new fixation

Question 55

mental set

Answer 55

a tendency to approach a problem in one particular way, often a way that has been successful in the past

Question 56

intuition

Answer 56

an effortless and immediate feeling about something

Question 57

representativeness heuristic

Answer 57

judging the likelihood of events in terms of how well they seem to represent prototypes and it may lead us to ignore other relevant information

Question 58

availability heuristic

Answer 58

judging the likelihood of events based on their availability in memory

Question 59

overconfidence

Answer 59

the tendency to be more confident than correct and to overestimate the accuracy of our beliefs and judgements

Question 60

belief perseverance

Answer 60

clinging to one's initial conceptions after the basis on which they were formed has been discredited

Question 61

framing

Answer 61

the way an issue is posed, how an issue is framed can significantly affect decisions and judgements

Question 62

nudge

Answer 62

framing choices in a way that encourages people to make beneficial decisions example: saving for retirement, drinking less alcohol

Question 63

divergent thinking vs convergent thinking

Answer 63

DT is expanding the number of possible problem solutions, creative thinking that diverges in different decisions and CT is narrowing the available problem solutions to determine the best solution