Pyschhhhhh Flashcards
learning
a relatively enduring change in an organisms behavior due to experience
classical conditioning
- a type of learning in which the oral comes to associate one stimulus with another (learning by association)
- reflexive (involuntary) behaviors
unconditioned stimulus
a stimulus that automatically elicits a response, typically via reflex, without prior conditioning (unconditioned = not learned)
unconditioned response
the unlearned automatic response to the unconditioned stimulus (air puff to eye = blink)
conditioned stimulus
an originally neutral stimulus that after association with an unconditioned stimulus, comes to trigger a conditioned response
conditioned response
the learned response to a conditioned stimulus
John b. Watson
- father of American behaviorism
- adapted Ivans Pavlov’s work
- examined how children learn stimulus response connections via classical conditioning
stimulus generalization
stimuli that are similar to the original CS elicit the Cr, even though they have never been paired with the UCS
stimulus discrimination
a given CR is made to one specific stimulus but not to other, similar stimuli
spontaneous recovery
reappearance of a previously extinguished CR after a period of time without exposure to CS
extinction
gradual weakening and apparent disappearance of CR (extinction is not unlearning)
Shepard Siegal
conditioned compensatory response (CCR): a classically conditioned response in which stimuli that reliably preceded the administration of a drug that disrupts the normal level of functioning elicit a psychological reaction that counteracts the drugs effects
operant conditioning
non-reflexive (voluntary) behaviors
the abc’s of operant conditioning
a = antecedent: discriminative stimulus (child being told no)
b = behavior: operant response (temper tantrum)
c = consequence: reinforcers/punishers (parents give in)
operant
any active behavior that operates upon the environment to generate consequences
reinforcement
increases future behavior
punishment
decreases future behavior
Edward L. Thorndike
- first psychologist to systematically study animal learning and how voluntary behaviors are affected by consequences
- used puzzel boxes and trial and error
Thorndike’s Law of Effect
- responses = satisfying effect = strengthened and more likely to occur again in the same situation
- responses = dissatisfying effect = weakened and less likely to recur in the same situation
primary reinforcer
naturally reinforcer
secondary reinforcer
has acquired reinforcing value by being associated with primary reinforcer
shaping
reinforce successively closer approximations of a behavior until the correct behavior occurs
alternatives to punishment
- reinforces an acceptable alternative behavior
- stop reinforcing the problem behavior
- time-put from positive reinforcement
contemporary views of operant conditioning
- learned helplessness
- exposure to inescapable and uncontrollable aversive events produces passive behavior
- seligman and maier
locus of control
an individuals perceptions about the underlying main cause of events in his/her life (external vs internal locus of control)
observational learning
learning takes place through observing the actions of others
continuous reinforcement
when something comes everytime
partial reinforcement
more resistant to extinction, when something comes only sometimes
fixed ratio schedule
reinforcement after a fixed number of responses (consistant)
ex: paying them treats
variable ratio
reinforcement after an average number of responses
ex: casino slots
fixed internal schedule
reinforcer given for first response after present time interval has elapsed
ex: payed every 2 weeks no matter how many projects they do
variable interval schedule
reinforcement first response after average amount of time has elapsed
ex: random drug test at work
developmental psychology
study of how people change physically, mentally, and socially throughout their lifespan
genetic contributions
fertilization takes place in fallopian tube
zygote
single cell formed at conception
monozygotic twins
identical twins: when cells begin to divide (mytosis), the single zygote splits in 2, basically the same genetic material
dizygotic twins
fraternal twins: when two egg cells are fertilized by 2 sperm cells at approximately the same time, no more genetically similar than any other sibling
prenatal development
germinal stage: first two weeks
embryonic stage: week 3-8 (most important physiological structures)
fetal period: week 9-birth
teratogen
harmful agent or substance that can cause abnormal developments or birth defects
organogenesis
new organs
general principles of teratogens
- a teratogen exerts it’s effects largely during critical periods
- each teratogen exerts certain specific effects
- either maternal or fetal genotypes may counteract a teratogens effect
fetal alcohol syndrome
- overall physical growth deficient
- cognitive impairment
- distinctive facial/physical characteristics
the newborn: reflexes
- involuntary physical reactions to stimuli
- within hours after birth preference for mothers voice over strangers voice
- brain is 25% of eventual weight of adult brain
ex: sucking, rooting, and grasping reflex
language development
motherese = infant - direct speech
- talking to infants in a slow high pitched manner with exaggerated intonation
- the baby understands language faster than speaking language
temperament
primary pattern of reacting to the environment
3 basic temperament patterns
easy: positive, flexible, adaptable, regular patterns - 40%
difficult: negative, withdrawing, resists change, irregular patterns - 10%
slow to warm up: mildly resistant, less intense, more regular than difficult temperament
35% did not fit pattern
attachment
- lasting emotional tie between two people
- infants form attachments with loving consistent caregivers
- moat researchers focus on mother child attachment
John Bowlby’s Ethological Theory
- infants form attachments to increase their chances of survival
- attachment links nurturing adults to dependent newborns
- attachment figure serves as a secure base of emotional comfort for the infant
Harry Harlow’s Research
- contact comfort is ket cement in attachment ofrmation
- contradicted the theories that maintained attachment would be formed with caregiver who provided food
- cloth mother provided infants with a kind of emotional security described by Boulby
Mary Ainsworth’s Research
- strange situation test: designed to study attachment in human infants
- stranger anxiety: fear of unfamiliar adults
- seperation anxiety: distress shown by infant when separated from caregiver
(both considered positive)
secure attachment
distressed when mother leaves, greet mother happily when she returns, mother is the secure base for when exploring unfamiliar environment
constructivism
scheme: organized pattern of action or thought
- built, modified and reorganized overtime
- new experience filtered through existing schema
- interaction with environment essential
stage one of cognitive development
-sensorimotor stage (birth - 2 years)
- all experiences involve sensory input and physical actions
- no mental representations of object or events
stage two of cognitive development
pre operational thought (2 - 6/7 years)
- symbolic thought
- children at this age do not think with operations (pre logical thought)
why do children fail pre operational tasks
1 - centration: focus on only one aspect of situation at a time
2 - static end points: focus on how things looks before and after rather than considering what happened in the transformation itself
3 - lack reversibility: do not imagine what would happen if transformation was reversed
egocentrism
inability to take another person’s perspective
stage 3
concrete operation stage: 6-7/11-12
