Unit 4: Learning

Question 1

selective attention

Answer 1

focusing conscious awareness on a particular stimuli, used for all senses (cocktail party affect)

Question 2

Behaviorism

Answer 2

School of thought focused on studying observable behaviors rather than internal mental processes

Question 3

acquisition

Answer 3

when a NS becomes a CS and gradually established a CR

Question 4

unconditioned stimulus

Answer 4

meat, always elicits a response

Question 5

unconditioned response

Answer 5

salivate, automatic response from unconditioned stimulus

Question 6

conditioned stimulus

Answer 6

bell, once meaningless; now elicits a response

Question 7

conditioned response

Answer 7

salivate, learned response brought on by conditioned stimulus

Question 8

extinction

Answer 8

the disappearance of learning

Question 9

spontaneous recovery

Answer 9

immediately comes back without the conditioning process (scared again after time)

Question 10

discrimination

Answer 10

not responding to stimuli that is different from the conditioned stimuli (no fear of blocks, crayons, bottle)

Question 11

generalization

Answer 11

responding the same way to a similar but different stimuli (white rats AND fuzzy toys)

Question 12

high order condition processing

Answer 12

type of a classical conditioning where a previously conditioned stimulus is used to condition a new, neutral stimulus, building an additional layer of conditioning (light to bell, dog salivates at light)

Question 13

emotional responses + counter conditioning

Answer 13

replacing an undesirable emotional response with a more desirable one, unlearn reaction from fear to positive/neutral

Question 14

taste aversions

Answer 14

sick from food you will never want to eat again (food poisoning at TB)

Question 15

one-trial conditioning

Answer 15

learning to associate a behavior or response with a stimulus ONLY ONCE

Question 16

biological preparedness

Answer 16

certain organisms are naturally prepared to learn particular associations more easily than others due to evolutionary factors (survival, humans scared of snakes)

Question 17

habituation

Answer 17

when a person responds less and less to the stimulus (leads to extinction)

Question 18

social learning theory

Answer 18

emphasizes the role of observation and imitation in learning

Question 19

vicarious conditioning

Answer 19

classical conditioning through the observation of others, not necessarily direct exposure to the stimulus

Question 20

insight learning

Answer 20

sudden realization or understanding of how to solve a problem, often without trial-and-error (chimps peeling bananas)

Question 21

latent learning

Answer 21

learning that occurs without immediate reinforcement or obvious signs of learning (rats in maze going more quickly after receiving cheese)

Question 22

cognitive maps

Answer 22

mental representation or internal image of the physical environment around us

Question 23

law of effect

Answer 23

Edward Thorndike: any behavior by a pleasant consequence is likely to be repeated, any behavior followed by an unpleasant consequence is likely to be stopped (cat stuck in a box wanting food)

Question 24

positive reinforcement

Answer 24

add pleasant stimulus to increase/maintain behavior ($10 for wearing a seatbelt)

Question 25

positive punishment

Answer 25

add averse stimulus to decrease behavior (stomach ache after Oreos)

Question 26

negative reinforcement

Answer 26

remove averse stimulus or increase/maintain behavior (medicine)

Question 27

negative punishment

Answer 27

remove pleasant stimulus to decrease behavior (taking toys from kids)

Question 28

primary reinforcer

Answer 28

biological, natural, you don’t need to learn it has value (food, drink, pleasure)

Question 29

secondary reinforcer

Answer 29

learned/conditioned to know it’s rewarding, used to acquire something else (grades, money, poker chips)

Question 30

shaping

Answer 30

successive reinforcers guide behavior towards the desired targeted behavior

Question 31

instinctive drift

Answer 31

tendency of animals to revert to their innate behaviors after having been trained to perform a specific task

Question 32

superstitious behavior

Answer 32

seen in the pigeons when they received consequences for unrelated behavior

Question 33

learned helplessness

Answer 33

psychological condition where individuals learn to believe that they have no control over the outcome of a situation, even when opportunities for control or escape are available

Question 34

continuous reinforcement

Answer 34

every instance is reinforced

Question 35

partial reinforcement schedules

Answer 35

behavior is reinforced some of the time, not all

Question 36

fixed ratio

Answer 36

reinforcement after a set number of behaviors (1 for 10)

Question 37

fixed interval

Answer 37

reinforcement after a set amount of time (salary every 2 weeks)

Question 38

variable ratio

Answer 38

reinforcement after a changing number of behaviors (gambling with poker)

Question 39

variable interval

Answer 39

reinforcement after a changing amount of time (waiting for a snow day after school)