Psychology Flashcards
What are the steps involved in the learning theory?
Antecedents
Behaviour
Consequences
What are the basic learning processes?
- Classical conditioning Learning what events signal - Operant conditioning Learning one thing leads to another - Observational learning Learning from others
What is an unconditioned stimulus?
I stimulus that elicits a reflexive or innate response (UCR) without prior learning
What is an unconditioned response?
A reflexive or innate response that is elicited by a stimulus (UCS) without prior learning
What is an conditioned stimulus?
A stimulus that, through association with a UCS, comes to elicit a conditioned response similar to the original UCR
What is an conditioned response?
A response elicited by a conditioned stimulus
When is classical conditioning strongest?
When:
- There are repeated CS-UCS pairings
- The UCS is more intense
- The sequence involves forward pairing (i.e. CS→UCS)
- The time interval between the CS and UCS is short
What is stimulus generalisation?
A tendency to respond to stimuli that are similar, but not identical, to a conditioned stimulus. e.g. responding to a buzzer or a hammer banging, when the conditioned stimulus was a bell
What is stimulus discrimination?
The ability to respond differently to various stimuli
- e.g. a child will respond differently to various bells (alarms, school, timer)
- A fear of dogs might only include certain breeds
Give an example of fear learning.
Traumatic injection → Pain/fear
Trauma (UCS and needle (CS)→ Fear response
Clinical setting (CS) → Fear response (CR)
What are the two factors that contribute to to fear learning?
1) Fear response
2) Reduced fear from avoiding the stimulus
What is Thorndike’s Law of Effect?
A response followed by a satisfying consequence will be more likely to occur
A response followed by an aversive consequence will become less likely to occur
What is operant conditioning?
Behaviour is learned and maintained by it’s consequences
What are primary and secondary reinforcers?
Primary Reinforcers- Those needed for survival e.g. food, water, sleep, sex
Secondary Reinforcers- Stimuli that acquire reinforcing properties through their association with primary reinforcers e.g. money, praise
What is negative reinforcement?
Occurs when a response is strengthened by the removal (or avoidance) of an aversive stimulus
What are “positive” and “negative” reinforcement?
Refers to the presentation or removal of a stimuli
What is positive punishment?
Occurs when a response is weakened by the presentation of a stimulus (e.g. squirting a cat with water when it jumps on dining table)
What is negative punishment?
Occurs when a response is weakened by the removal of a stimulus (e.g. phone confiscated)
What is more effective, reinforcement or punishment?
Reinforcement
What is operant extinction?
The weakening and eventual disappearance of a response because it is no longer reinforced
What is resistance to extinction (in relation to operant conditioning)?
The degree to which non-reinforced responses persist
What are the different types of reinforced schedules? Describe each one
1) Fixed interval schedule: reinforcement occurs after fixed time interval
2) Variable interval schedule: the time interval varies at random around an average
3) Fixed ratio schedule: reinforcement is given after a fixed number of responses
4) Variable ratio schedule: reinforcement is given after a variable number of responses, all centred around an average
What is the difference between continuous and partial reinforcement?
Continuous reinforcement produces more rapid learning as the association between a behaviour and it’s consequences is easier to understand
However continuously reinforced responses extinguish more rapidly as the shift to no reinforcement is sudden and easier to understand
What is Albert Bandura’s Social Learning Theory?
1) Observational (vicarious) learning- We observe the behaviour of others and the consequences of those behaviours
2) Vicarious reinforcement- If their behaviours are reinforced we tend to imitate the behaviours