Textbook definitions for chapter 7

Question 1

What is learning?

Answer 1

the process of acquiring through experience new and relatively enduring info or behaviours

Question 2

How many days does it take to form a habit?

Answer 2

66

Question 3

What are the two forms of learning associations?

Answer 3

classical and operant condition

Question 4

What is associative learning?

Answer 4

learning that certain events occur together

Question 5

What is cognitive learning?

Answer 5

the acquisition of mental info, whether by observing events, watching others, or language

Question 6

What is a neutral stimuli?

Answer 6

stimulus that elicits no response before conditioning

Question 7

What is an unconditioned response?

Answer 7

unlearned, naturally occuring response to an unconditioned stimulus ( food in the mouth)

Question 8

What is a conditioned response?

Answer 8

learned response to a previously neutral stimulus

Question 9

What is aquisition? (answer for classical and operant conditioning)

Answer 9

classical: when the NS and US become linked, so the NS starts to trigger the CR

Operant: strengthening of reinforced response

Question 10

What is higher-order conditioning?

Answer 10

Procedure where the CS is paired with a NEW NS, creating a second, weaker CS

Question 11

What is extinction?

Answer 11

diminishing of CR

Question 12

If the aroma of baking a cake makes your mouth water, what is the US, CS, and CR?

Answer 12

US: the cake
CS: the aroma of a baking cake
CR: mouth watering to the aroma of a baking cake

Question 13

What is generalization? Give def for classical + operant

Answer 13

classical: tendency for stimuli similar to CS to elicit similar response
Operant: Response learned in one situation occurs in other similar situation

Question 14

What is discrimination? Give def for classical + operant

Answer 14

classical: learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and a similar stimuli
operant: ability to distinguish between responses that are reinforced, and responses that are not reinforced

Answer 15

US: loud noise
UR:
NS:
CS:
CR:

Question 16

what is the law of effect?

Answer 16

behaviours followed by favourable consequences become more likely, and behaviours followed by unfavourable consequences become less likely

Question 17

what is an operant chamber/skinner box?

Answer 17

box with a key that an animal can press to get food/water

Question 18

what is shaping?

Answer 18

procedure where reinforcers guide behaviour toward closer and closer approximations of the desired behaviour

Question 19

What is instinctive drift?

Answer 19

the tendency of learned behaviour to gradually revert back to biological tendencies

Question 20

What is a cognitive map?

Answer 20

a mental representation of the layout of someone’s environment

Question 21

What is latent learning?

Answer 21

learning that isn’t apparent until there is an incentive to demonstrate it

Question 22

What are mirror neurons?

Answer 22

Neurons in the frontal lobe that fire when we perform certain actions or watch others perform actions
- allow for empathy and imitation

Question 23

primary reinforcer and conditioned reinforcer

Answer 23

primary– innately reinforced stimulus, satisfies biological need

conditioned– a stimulus that gains reinforcing power through association with primary reinforcer

Question 24

continuous reinforcement

Answer 24

reinforcing every single time the behaviour occurs

Question 25

What is a fixed ratio schedule?

Answer 25

reinforcement schedule that only reinforces after a certain number of responses

Question 26

What is a variable ratio schedule?

Answer 26

reinforcement schedule that reinforces after an unpredictable number of responses

Question 27

What is a fixed interval schedule?

Answer 27

reinforcement schedule that reinforces after a specific amount of time has elapsed

Question 28

What is a variable interval schedule?

Answer 28

reinforcement schedule that reinforces on an unpredictable time interval

Question 29

respondent behaviour

Answer 29

behaviour that is automatic or unvoluntary

Question 30

Brenda has set a new ring tone for her boyfriend. Each time she talks to her boyfriend she feels happy. Now, when her phone rings with the new ring tone, she feels happy. In this example, what is the unconditioned stimulus?

Answer 30

the boyfriend

Question 31

Preparedness is _____

Answer 31

a biological predisposition to learn associations that have survival value.

Question 32

________ argued that we should use rewards to evoke more desirable behaviour.

Answer 32

Skinner

Question 33

Which pioneering learning researcher highlighted the antisocial effects of aggressive models on children’s behavior?

Answer 33

Bandura