Unit 3 Flashcards
learning
the process of acquiring new and relatively enduring information or behaviors
habituation
decreased response to a stimulus w/ repeated exposure to it
associative learning
learning that certain events occur together by classical or operant conditioning
stimulus
any event or situation that evokes a response
cognitive learning
the acquisition of mental information whether by observing events, by watching others, or through language
classical conditioning
a type of learning in which one learns to link two or more stimuli and anticipate evnets
behaviorism
view that psychology
1. should be an objective science that
2. studies behavior without referencing mental processes
most researchers agree with 1 but not 2
neutral stimulus
a stimulus that elicited no response before conditioning
unconditioned stimulus
a stimulus that naturally and automatically triggers a response
unconditioned response
an unlearned, naturally occurring response to the unconditioned stimulus
conditioned response
a learned response to the previously neutral (but now conditioned) stimulus
conditioned stimulus
an originally unimportant stimulus that starts triggering a learned response after association with the unconditioned stimulus
acquisition
when one links the neutral stimulus to the unconditioned stimulus
higher order conditioning
procedure in which the conditioned stimulus in on experience is paired with a new neutral stimulus which creates a second weaker conditioned stimulus.
extinction
when a conditioned response diminishes
spontaneous recovery
the reappearance after a pause of an extinguished conditioned response
generalization
the tendency for stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus to elicit similar responses
discrimination
the learned ability to distinguish between a stimulus and stimuli that do not signal an unconditioned stimulus
operant conditioning
behaviors increase after reinforcers and after punishments they decrease
reinforcement
any consequence that STRENGTHENS behavior
Law of Effect
thorndike’s principle that behaviors followed by favorable consequences become more likely to repeat, and behaviors followed by unfavorable consequences become less likely to repeat
operant chamber
contains a bar or key that an animal can manipulate to obtain a bar or key that an animal can manipulate to obtain a food or water reinforcer. attached devices record the animal’s rate of bar pressing or key pecking
shaping
reinforces guide behavior toward closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior
successive approximations
attempts to perform a task that is slightly better than a previous performance
positive reinforcement
ADDS a desired stimulus to INCREASE the frequency of a behavior
negative reinforcement
REMOVES an aversive stimulus to INCREASE the frequency of a behavior
primary reinforcers
innately satisfying – no learning needed
secondary reinforcers
are satisfying because we have learned to associate them with more basic rewards
immediate reinforcers
offer immediate payback
delayed reinforcer
require the ability to delay gratification
premack principle
the reinforcer must be desired by the subject for it to be reinforcing, if it is not desirable it will not strengthen the behavior
continuous reinforcement
reinforcing the desired response EACH TIME it occurs
partial reinforcement
reinforcing a response only part of the time, though it results in slower acquisition in the beginning, it shows greater resistance to extinction later on
reinforcement schedule
a pattern that defines how often a desired response will be enforced
fixed ratio
reinforces a response only after a specified number of responses
varaiblae ratio
reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses, hard to extinguish because of unpredictability
fixed interval
reinforces a response only after a specified amount of time has elapsed
variable interval
reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals. produces slow steady responding.
