Revision Booklet

Question 1

conditioning

Use Pavlov’s experiment to define the process of classical conditioning

Answer 1

*Before conditioning:
*Neutral stimulus [bell] -> no response
Unconditioned stimulus [food] -> Unconditioned response [salivation]
Aquisition
Neutral stimulus + Unconditioned stimulus -> Unconditioned response
REPEATED PARING OF THE STIMULI
Performance
Conditioned stimulus [bell] -> Conditioned response [salivation]

Question 2

conditioning

What is operant conditioning?

Answer 2

A learning process by which the liklihood of a particular behaviour occuring is determined by the consequences of that behaviour. [positive and/or negative]

Question 3

conditioning

According to Thorndike’s study, what is the law of effect? [consequences of a behaviour]

Answer 3

If a behaviour is followed by satisfying consequences it is strengthened
If a behaviour is followed by unpleasant consequences it is weakened

Question 4

conditioning

What is reinforcement as according to Skinner’s operant conditioning?

Answer 4

any stimulus that strengthens or increases the likelihood of a behaviour that follows it. rinforcer comes after the response and is therefore the UCS

Question 5

conditioning

Define the components of the schedules of reinforcement (2)

Answer 5

1. Continuous reinforcement - the correct response is reinforced every time it is given
2. Partial reinforcement - when only some responses are reinforced

Question 6

conditioning

Define fixed interval schedules and the effects on the learner in partial reinforcement

Answer 6

a) fixed interval schedule - delivered after fixed time [10 seconds]

moderate response, more erratic, once it is realised that time is the factor, response reate drops and then increases as the time for reinforcer approaches

Question 7

conditioning

Define fixed ratio schedule and the effects on the learner in partial reinforcement

Answer 7

b) fixed ratio schedule - after fixed number of correct responses

predictive, so very effective during aquisition phase (frequency needs to be high), once aquisition is complete, frequency can be reduced

Question 8

conditioning

Define Variable interval and the effects on the learner in partial reinforcement

Answer 8

c) Variable interval - occurs on average time interval [4 - 16 seconds]

low but stable rate of response, behaviour is extinguished more slowly

Question 9

conditioning

Define variable ratio schedule and the effects on the learner in partial reinforcement

Answer 9

d) variable ratio schedule - reinforcement occurs on the basis of an average number of correct responses [poker machine]

quickly aquired response and one that is difficult to extinguish. Unpredictability of the reinforcer seems to lure participants more than a fixed ratio

Question 10

conditioning

What is shaping in operant conditioning

Answer 10

widely used for animal training–a reinforcer is given for any response that successively qpproximates and leads to the desired response

Question 11

conditioning

what is punishment in operant conditioning – how is it different to negative reinforcement

Answer 11

Punishment is any stimulus that is unpleasant and which generally decreases the likelihood of the behaviour recurring - consequence needs to be administered immediately and consistently after undesired response

negative reinforcement aims to INCREASE the probability of a response occuring [correct response stops an unpleasant stimulus -* seatbelt stops car alarm*]
whereas
Punishment aims to DECREASE the probability of a response occuring
[unpleasant stimulus follows an inappropriate behaviour taze suspect who runs

Question 12

conditioning

What is preparedness in operant conditioning

Answer 12

associations are learned more readily than others and responses cannot be conditioned with equal ease
scared of spiders not cars

Question 13

conditioning

What is the aquisition phase in classical conditioning

Answer 13

refers to the phase when the organism is aquiring the response that it will eventually learn

Question 14

conditioning

What is extinction in classical conditioning

Answer 14

when a conditioned response no longer occurs
occurs over a period of time when the UCS is withdrawn and the CS alone continues to be presented
[remove food at bell sound]

Question 15

conditioning

What is spontaneous recovery in classical conditioning

Answer 15

after extiniction and a rest period, the organism may once again show the CR when the CS is presented
response is usually weaker and of lesser duration than the original CR

Question 16

conditioning

What is stimulus generalisation in classical conditioning

Answer 16

the tendency for another/other similar stimulus to also produce the conditioned response [chicken bad]
generalised stimuli often produce a response weaker in strength than the original

Question 17

conditioning

What is stimulus discrimination in classical conditioning

Answer 17

occurs when an organism responds to the CS but NOT to a stimulus similar to the CS

Question 18

conditioning

What is aquisition in operant conditioning

Answer 18

The establishment of the desired response through reinforcement
shedule of reinforcement is important here
continuous schedule will mean a faster aquisition phase

Question 19

conditioning

What is extinction in operant conditioning

Answer 19

occurs when the operantly conditioned response disappears over time s reinforcement ceases.
brought about by consistently NOT producing the reinforcer

Question 20

conditioning

What is spontaneous recovery in operant conditioning

Answer 20

Reappearance of an extinguished response after a response period.
Usually weaker in response and rarely lasts long

Question 21

conditioning

What is stimulus generalisation in operant conditioning

Answer 21

refers to responding to stimuli which approximate the original stimulus
[pigeon may peck at an orange and a yellow light, but not from a colour further from the original orange]

Question 22

conditioning

What is stimulus discrimination in operant conditioning

Answer 22

organisms ability to learn which responses will be reinforced and which wont
when it can reliably perform the behaviours that will be reinforced and not perform those which wont, then discrimination is evident
[teach pigeons to peck green not red]

Question 23

conditioning

What is contiguity

Answer 23

Refers to the closeness in time that two stimuli are presented, with closer proximity meaning higher association between the two.
Classical- 1/2 second is ideal
Operant- ASAP

Question 24

conditioning

What is contingency

Answer 24

When one stimulus depends on the other - [sit i get a treat, predictive]
Classical- learning/conditioning (CR) is dependent on the UCS/CS COMING BEFORE the behaviour.
Operant- learning/conditioning is dependant on the reward or punishment following the behaviour.

Question 25

conditioning

What are some differences between Classical and Operant conditioning?

Answer 25

classical is:
- organism is passive when UCS/CS is presented
- only involuntary responses are involved
- Response depends on the reinforcement being presented
- the reinforcer is the UCS and it PRECEDES the response

operant is:
- organism must be motivated to receive the reinforcement or punishment
- may involve both voluntary and involuntary responses
- reinforcement depends on the response being made
- the reinforcer FOLLOWS the desired response

Question 26

ethics

List ethical issues that can be associated with research/experimentation

Answer 26

• informed consent
• voluntary participation
• beneficence
• intergrity for persons
• confidentiality
• right to withdraw
• debriefing
• right to not be psychologically harmed

Question 27

observational learning

What is observational learning

Answer 27

occurs when someone observes another person’s [THE MODEL] actions and their consequences and uses it to guide their own future actions,

Question 28

observational learning

Define what the ARRM process is for the learner observational learning

Answer 28

learner must
-pay ATTENTION
- RETAIN what has been observed
- REPRODUCE actions
- reinforcement MOTIVATES the learner’s behaviour