U6: Learning Flashcards
learning
relatively permanent or stable change in behavior as a result of experiences
non associative learning
occurs when an organism is repeatedly exposed to one type of stimulus
two types: habituation and sensitization
habituation
learning to “tune out” a stimulus
dishabituation
after a person has been habituated to a given stimulus, and the stimulus is removed, to the person is no longer accustomed to the stimulus when it returns
sensitization
an increase in responsiveness due to either a repeated application of a stimulus or a particularly aversive or noxious stimulus, the stimulus produces a more exaggerated response
desensitization
a decreased responsiveness to an aversive stimulus after repeated expose (desensitization therapy)
classical conditioning
occurs when a neutral stimulus paired with a previously meaningful stimulus, eventually takes on some meaning itself
neutral stimulus has to come before the unconditioned stimulus
conditioned stimulus (CS)
initially the neutral stimulus
unconditioned stimulus (US)
the initially meaningful stimulus
unconditioned response (UR)
the unlearned response to the unconditioned stimulus, the naturally occurring response
conditioned response (CR)
response to CS after conditioning
forward conditioning
when the CS is presented before the US
delay conditioning
CS is presented until the US begins
trace conditioning
CS is removed some time before the US is presented
John Watson’s Little Albert
classical conditioning, albert was conditioned to fear a rat
generalization
inability to distinguish different stimuli
discrimination
ability to distinguish different stimuli
aquisition
when the pairing of the natural and neutral stimuli have occurred with enough frequency that the neutral stimulus alone will elicit the conditional response
extinction
the elimination of the conditioned response, can be achieved by presenting the CS without the US repeatedly
spontaneous recovery
original response disappears on its own, but then is elicited again by the previous CS at later time
second-order conditioning
a previous CS is used as the US; changing the CS and reconditioning
contiguity approach
Pavlov and Watson believed that the pairing of the neutral and natural stimuli occurred because they were paired in time
contingency approach
Robert Rescorla believes that the CS and US get paired because the CS comes to predict the US
operant conditioning
an organism’s learning to make a response in order to obtain a reward or avoid punishment
pioneered by BF Skinner
thorndike’s law of effect
states that a behavior is more likely to recur if reinforced
shaping
conditioning, differential reinforcement of successive approximations
primary reinforcement
you don’t have to learn to like it, you already now you like it and it reinforces behavior (i.e. food)
secondary reinforcement
learned reinforcers, you learn its benefits (i.e. money)
positive reinforcement
reward or event that increases the likelihood that a particular type of response will be repeated (i.e. candy)
negative reinforcement
the removal of an aversive event to encourage behavior (i.e. seatbelt sign beeper)
omission training
seeks to decrease the frequency of behavior by withholding the reward until the desired behavior is demonstrated
schedule of reinforcement
the frequency with which an organism receives reinforcement for a given type of response
continuous reinforcement schedule
every correct response that is emitted results in a reward, producing rapid learning, but also rapid extinction
partial reinforcement schedule
schedule of reinforcement where not all responses are reinforced
fixed-ratio schedule
the reward always occurs after a fixed number of responses, produce strong learning, but learning extinction happens quickly
variable-ratio schedule
ratio of responses to reinforcement is variable and unpredictable, reinforcement can come at any time (i.e. slot machines)
fixed-interval schedule
reinforcement is presented as a function of fixed periods of time, as long as there is at least one response (i.e. salary)
variable-interval schedule
reinforcement is presented at differing time intervals, as long as there is at least one response
reinforcement vs. punishment
reinforcement increases behavior and punishment decreases it
positive punishment
involves the application, or pairing of a negative stimulus with the behavior (i.e. do 20 pushups for talking back)
negative punishment
involves the removal of a reinforcing stimulus after the behavior has occurred (i.e. losing tv privileges)
escape
type of operant learning, an individual learns how to get away from an aversive stimulus by engaging in a particular behavior (i.e. if a child doesn’t want to do something and has a tantrum, if they get what they want they will still keep using tantrums)
avoidance
occurs when a person performs a behavior to ensure an aversive stimulus is not presented (i.e. the child doesn’t want to eat what’s for dinner so they pretend they’re sick to get soda and crackers)
learned helplessness
occurs when consistent efforts fail to bring rewards; if the situation persists, the subject will stop trying
social learning/observational learning
learning based on observing the behavior of others as well as the consequences of that behavior
Albert Bandura’s Bobo Doll Experiment
the children followed what they saw, how the adults played with the doll the children did the same
conclusion: four conditions must be met for observational learning to occur: the learner must pay attention to the behavior in question, there must be retention of the observed behavior, there must be a motivation for the learner to produce the behavior at a latter time, and the potential for reproduction of the behavior must exist
social and emotional learning
programs designed to help develop empathy and conflict resolution in students
garcia effect
John Garcia demonstrated that animals that eat a food that results in nausea induced by a drug or radiation will not eat that food if they ever encounter it again
