unit 3 AOS 2 - learning

Question 1

long term potentiation (LTP)

Answer 1

long lasting stregthening of synaptic connections. improves the ability of two neurons, this increases the amount if neurotransmitters produced, and bushier dendrites = the increase of activity
the weakening or elimation of unused synapses through LTD may prune unimportant or unwanted connections, leaving only the important connections that have been stregthened through repeated use by LTP

Question 2

long term depression (LTD)

Answer 2

long lasting decrease in the stregth of synaptic transmission. results from lack of stimulation of pre and post synaptic neurons or prolonged levels of low stimulation = decrease in activity
the weakening or elimation of unused synapses through LTD may prune unimportant or unwanted connections, leaving only the important connections that have been stregthened through repeated use by LTP

Question 3

neural plasticity

Answer 3

the ability of the brains neural structure or function to be changed by experience throughout the lifespan
plastic = malluable/flexable

Question 4

synaptic plasticity

Answer 4

the ability of the synapse to change over time. this may occur through growth or formation of new synaptic connections that stregthen the synapse through disuse of synaptic connections that weaken or eliminate the synapse. remodelled by experience

Question 5

neurotransmitters

Answer 5

a chemical substance manufactured by a neuron that carries a message to other neurons or cells in muscle, organs or other tissue
glutamate is an example
released locally (long lasting)

Question 6

neurohormones

Answer 6

a chemical messanger manufactured by a neuron that is released into the bloodstream and carried to target neurons and cells
adreneline is an example
some have a role in learning and memory
effect distant cells (long lasting)
released into cappilaries (tiny blood vessels)

Question 7

neurotransmitters and neurohormones

like & how they are distingued

Answer 7

like = both chemical messengers that are made by neurons and are released into the axom terminals
distinguished best through their specific function rather than chemical structure

Question 8

role of glutamate in memory and learning

Answer 8

glutamate is the main exititory neurotransmitter throughout the brain. it enhances information transmittion by making the post synaptic more likely to fire
glutamate promotes growth and stregthening of synaptic connections between neurons
the more often that glutamate can excite an adjacent neuron the more it can contribute to LTP and vise versa for LTD

Question 9

role of adreneline in memory and learning

Answer 9

adreneline is a stress hormone, it may enhance the consolidation of long term memories of emotionally arousing experiences (pleasant or unpleasant) this makes it more likely to be remembered
when released during hightened emotional arousal, adreneline induces the release of noradreneline in the amygdala (processes emotions)
noradreneline may activate the amygdala to signal hippocampus saying memory is of significance and should be consolidated allowing more vivid and detailed memory

Question 10

classical conditioning as a three phase model (passive)

Answer 10

classical conditioning is a type of learning that occurs through repeated associations of two or more different stimuli
before - the neutral stimulus produces no response
the unconditioned stimulus created the unconditioned response
during - the neutral stimulus is paired with the unconditioned stimulus and produces a unconditioned response, this creates an association between the NS and the UCS
after - now after the association has been made the conditioned stimulus alone leads to the conditioned response

Question 11

unconditioned stimulus

Answer 11

stimulus that consistantly produces an automatic, naturally occuring and involuntary response
eg. dog salavating

Question 12

unconditioned response

Answer 12

the response that occurs when the unconditioned stimulus is presented, it is involunatry
eg. dog salivating to presence of food

Question 13

neutral stimulus

Answer 13

a stimulus that does not naturally produce a specific response (it becomes the conditioned stimulus) after repeated pairing with the ucs it becomes cs
eg. bell that produced no salivation response

Question 14

conditioned stimulus

Answer 14

stimulus that produces no response before conditioning, throughout repeated associations with ucs the cs triggers a similar response to that of a ucs. it becomes the cs when alone without ucs it produces conditioned response

Question 15

conditioned reponse

Answer 15

the learned response produced by the cs alone
the cr occurs after the ns has been associated with the ucs and become the cs with the ucs
need to say what it is in response to, in response to the cs

Question 16

operant conditioning as a three phase model (active)

Answer 16

a type of learning for which the consequences of a behaviour (reward or punishment) determinre the liklihood that it will be performed again in the future
antecedent - what happened before, what precedes the behaviour
behaviour - what happens, a voluntary action
consequence - what happens after, environmental event that happens after behaviour, stregthens behaviour or decreases the liklihood of repeating

Question 17

extinction

Answer 17

decrease in the stregth or rate of learned experience response following consistant non reinforcement

Question 18

spontaneous recovery

Answer 18

after extinction the behaviour randomly displays the response in the absence of any reinforcement

Question 19

stimulus generalisation

Answer 19

occurs when correct response presents itself to another similar stimulus that was not present when conditioned response was made

Question 20

stimulus discrimination

Answer 20

ability to differentiate betweennstimulus that are similar to the stimuli that signal reinforcement and non reinforcement

Question 21

little albert & how classical conditioning makes an emotional response & ethical implications

Answer 21

two researchers, john b watson and rosalie rayner intentionally conditioned an emtional response in an 11 month old boy (little albert) whos mum worked at the hospital of the campas this experiment was conducted on.
they classically conditioned little albert to fear a white rat by striking a loud suspended steel bar with a hammer after little albert reached for the rat.
his fear of white rats was generalised to all white and fluffy things including teddy bears and rabbits
ethics breached -
psycological harm,
withdrawel rights
voluntary participation
debriefing
informed consent

Question 22

observational learning as a method of social learning

Answer 22

obervation learning - when someone uses observation of a models actions and the consequences of those actions to guide the learners future actions
social learning theory - emphasises learning as a cognitive process and the importance of the social context in which learning occurs, recognising that learning can occur through observation
attention, retention, reproduction, motivation and reinforcement

Question 23

vicarious conditioning

Answer 23

in observational learning when an individual observes a model displaying behaviour that is either reinforced or punished and later behaves in the same way or modified, or refrains from doing so as a result of observational learning

Question 24

vicarious reinforcement

Answer 24

observing a model that is reinforced which increases the liklihood of the performing that behaviour in identical or modified way

Question 25

vicarious punishment

Answer 25

observing a model displaying behaviour that is punished, which decreases the liklihood of the observer performing modified or identical behaviour

Question 26

attention - retention - reproduction - motivation - reinforcement

Answer 26

attention - when the model has the leanrer in an engaged state. influenced by obervers visual capabilities, interest, situation when observing, distracters present, characteristics of model, importance and distinctiveness and effect. increases imitation when positive, similarities between observer & model and ability to imitate
retention - if behaviour is not needed for some time a mental representation is made, more meaningful = more accurate
reproduction - miust have intellectual and physical and potential to immitate to develop skills to immitate behaviour
motivation - observer must have desire to repeat. motivation is increased if behaviour is useful or theres incentive
reinforcement - influences motivation and liklihood of reproduction.
vicarious reinforcement
self reinforcement - occurs when we are being reinforced without personal experience, by meeting certain standards of performance we set ourselves