Psychology of Learning

Question 1

Psychology

Answer 1

The science of behaviour and the environmental, physiological and cognitive processes associated with behaviour

Question 2

Behaviourism

Answer 2

The study of directly observable relationships between behaviour and the environment

Question 3

J.B Watson

Answer 3

-Focuses entirely on the environmental factors relating to behaviour i.e. if you can condition a person to generate any type of response
- Neglects the subjectivity of mental processing

Question 4

B.F Skinner

Answer 4

-Places a lot of emphasis on consequences i.e. one must consider the person’s environment before and after they respond.
-Believed everything is behaviour including thoughts, beliefs etc.

Question 5

Albert Bandura

Answer 5

-Believed in vicarious learning i.e. learning through watching someone else
-Believed that behaviour is caused by mental states i.e. beliefs, expectations etc, with no reference to environmental influences

Question 6

Learning

Answer 6

A relatively permanent change in behaviour resulting from experience

Question 7

Learning Vs Memory

Answer 7

Learning; What can be seen in observable behaviour
Memory; Internal record of learning

Complimentary but different psychological approaches

Question 8

Stimulus

Answer 8

A specific environmental element i.e. a light

Question 9

Response

Answer 9

Observable Act

Question 10

Non-associative Learning

Answer 10

Responding after repeated exposure to a stimulus or an event

Question 11

Associative Learning

Answer 11

Linking two stimuli or events that occur together

Question 12

Acquisition

Answer 12

The pairing of the neutral stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus, leading to the neutral stimulus becoming the conditioned stimulus and eliciting the conditioned response

Question 13

Extinction

Answer 13

A period following the acquisition period during which the conditioned stimulus no longer predicts the unconditioned stimulus

Question 14

Spontaneous Recovery

Answer 14

During a period of extinction, the conditioned response becomes weak. However, if there is a long enough pause before the start of the next extinction process, then the conditioned response may be strong again at the beginning of this next process

Question 15

Dishabituation

Answer 15

The increase in a response because of a change in something familiar

Question 16

Habituation

Answer 16

A decrease in behavioral response after repeated exposure to a stimulus

Question 17

Sensitization

Answer 17

An increase in behavioral response after exposure to a stimulus i.e. response to the smell of burning

Question 18

Classical Conditioning

Answer 18

A type of associative learning in which a neutral stimulus comes to elicit a response when it is associated with a stimulus that already produces that response

Question 19

Unconditioned Response

Answer 19

A response that does not have to be learned such as a reflex

Question 20

Unconditioned Stimulus

Answer 20

A stimulus that elicits a response, such as a reflex, without any prior learning

Question 21

Conditioned Stimulus

Answer 21

A stimulus that elicits a response only after learning has taken place

Question 22

Conditioned Response

Answer 22

A response to a conditioned stimulus i.e. a response that has been learned

Question 23

Acquisition

Answer 23

The gradual formation of an association between the conditioned and unconditioned stimuli

Question 24

Extinction

Answer 24

The process by which the conditioned response is weakened when the conditioned stimulus is repeated without the unconditioned stimulus

Question 25

Spontaneous Recovery

Answer 25

When a previously extinguished conditioned response re-emerges after the presentation of the conditioned stimulus

Question 26

Rescorla- Wagner Model

Answer 26

A cognitive model of classical conditioning; it holds that learning is determined by the extent to which an unconditioned stimulus is unexpected or surprising

Question 27

Stimulus Generalisation

Answer 27

Learning that occurs when stimuli that are similar but not identical to the conditioned stimulus produce the conditioned response

Question 28

Stimulus Discrimination

Answer 28

A differentiation between two similar stimuli when only one of them is consistently associated with the unconditioned stimulus

Question 29

Operant Conditioning

Answer 29

A learning process in which the consequences of an action determine the likelihood that it will be performed in the future

Question 30

Law of Effect

Answer 30

Thorndike's general theory of learning: Any behaviour that leads to "a satisfying state of affairs" is likely to occur again, and any behaviour that leads to an "annoying state of affairs" is less likely to occur again. Or, the likelihood of the occurrence of a behaviour is influenced by its consequences

Question 31

Reinforcer

Answer 31

A stimulus that follows a response and increases the likelihood that the response will be repeated

Question 32

Positive Reinforcement

Answer 32

The administration of a stimulus to increase the probability of a behavior's recurrence

Question 33

Negative Reinforcement

Answer 33

The removal of an unpleasant stimulus to increase the probability of a behaviour recurrence

Question 34

Punishment

Answer 34

A stimulus that follows a behaviour and decreases the likelihood that the behaviour will be repeated

Question 35

Positive Punishment

Answer 35

The administration of a stimulus to decrease the probability of a behaviours recurrence

Question 36

Negative Punishment

Answer 36

The removal of a stimulus to decrease the probability of a behaviours recurrence

Question 37

Shaping

Answer 37

A process of operant conditioning; it involves reinforcing behaviours that are increasingly similar to the desired behaviour

Question 38

Temporal Discounting

Answer 38

The tendency to discount the subjective value of a reward when it is given after a delay

Question 39

Continuous Reinforcement

Answer 39

A type of learning in which behaviour is reinforced every time that it occurs

Question 40

Partial Reinforcement

Answer 40

A type of learning in which behaviour is reinforced intermittently

Question 41

Partial- reinforcement extinction effect

Answer 41

The greater persistence of a behaviour under partial reinforcement that under continuous reinforcement

Question 42

Equipotentiality

Answer 42

The principle that any conditioned stimulus paired with any unconditioned stimulus should result in learning

Question 43

Fear Conditioning

Answer 43

A type of classical conditioning that turns neutral stimuli into threatening stimuli

Question 44

Modelling

Answer 44

The imitation of observed behaviour

Question 45

Vicarious Learning

Answer 45

Learning the consequences of an action by watching others being rewarded or punished for performing the action

Question 46

Instructed Learning

Answer 46

Learning associations and behaviours through verbal communication

Question 47

Phobia

Answer 47

A conditioned fear that is markedly inconsistent with the objective threat of the situation

Question 48

Blocking