Unit 5: Learning Flashcards

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1
Q

habituation

A

what happens when repeated stimulation produces waning responsiveness; adaptation to one’s environment

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2
Q

associative learning

A

linking two events that occur close together

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3
Q

stimulus

A

any event or situation that evokes a response

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4
Q

respondent behavior

A

associating stimuli that we do not control and responding automatically

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5
Q

classical conditioning

A

a type of learning in which we link two or more stimuli; as a result, to illustrate with Pavlov’s classic experiment, the first stimulus (a tone) comes to elicit behavior (drooling) in anticipation of the second stimulus (food)

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6
Q

behaviorism

A

the psychological study of how organisms respond to stimuli, focused on thoughts and behaviors interacting

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7
Q

neutral stimulus (NS)

A

a stimulus that elicits no response before conditioning

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8
Q

unconditioned stimulus (US)

A

a stimulus that unconditionally–naturally and automatically–triggers an unconditioned response

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9
Q

unconditioned response (UR)

A

an unlearned, naturally occurring response to an unconditioned stimulus

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10
Q

conditioned stimulus (CS)

A

an originally neutral stimulus that, after association with an unconditioned stimulus, comes to trigger a conditioned response

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11
Q

conditioned response (CR)

A

a learned response to a previously neutral (but now conditioned) stimulus

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12
Q

acquisition

A

in classical conditioning, the initial stage, when one links a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus so that the neutral stimulus begins triggering the conditioned response –> in operant conditioning, the strengthening of a reinforced response

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13
Q

higher-order conditioning

A

a procedure in which the conditioned stimulus in one conditioning experience is paired with a new neutral stimulus, creating a second (often weaker) conditioned stimulus

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14
Q

extinction

A

when an unconditioned stimulus does not follow a conditioned stimulus

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15
Q

spontaneous recovery

A

the reappearance, after a pause, of an extinguished conditioned response

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16
Q

generalization

A

the tendency, once a response has been conditioned, for stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus to elicit similar responses

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17
Q

discrimination

A

the learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimuli and a similar stimuli that do not signal an unconditioned response

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18
Q

Little Albert

A

an experiment on emotional response conditioning in babies; researchers made a loud, upsetting noise of metal banging every time Albert reached for a white furry rat, conditioning the nine-month-old to fear the animal and other objects with similar features

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19
Q

operant conditioning

A

a type of learning in which a behavior becomes more likely to recur if followed by a reinforcer or less likely to recur if followed by a punisher

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20
Q

operant behavior

A

behavior that operates on the environment, producing consequences; organisms associate their own actions with consequences –> behavior that operates on the environment to produce rewarding or punishing stimuli

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21
Q

law of effect

A

behaviors followed by favorable consequences become more likely, and that behaviors followed by unfavorable consequences become less likely

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22
Q

operant chamber

A

a chamber containing 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

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23
Q

reinforcement

A

any event that strengthens a preceding response; what is reinforced depends on the animal and conditions

24
Q

shaping

A

an operant conditioning procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior toward closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior

25
Q

discriminative stimulus

A

a stimulus that elicits a response after association with reinforcement compared to a neutral stimuli

26
Q

positive reinforcement

A

adding something to the situation to increase/strengthen a behavior → giving a student money for every A they receive on a report card, encouraging them to get more

27
Q

negative reinforcement

A

removing something to the situation to increase/strengthen a behavior →fastening a seat belt to stop beeping noise

28
Q

primary reinforcer

A

an innately reinforcing stimulus, such as one that satisfies a biological need →food, water, shelter

29
Q

conditioned/secondary reinforcer

A

a stimulus that gains its reinforcing power through its association with a primary reinforcer → money

30
Q

reinforcement schedule

A

a pattern that defines how often a desired response will be reinforced

31
Q

continuous reinforcement schedule

A

reinforcing the desired response every time it occurs → a teacher rewarding students with stickers every time they participate in class

32
Q

partial reinforcement schedule

A

reinforcing a response only part of the time; results in slower acquisition of a response but much greater resistance to extinction than continuous reinforcement →a teacher sometimes rewarding students with stickers when they participate in class

33
Q

fixed-ratio schedule

A

fixed number → 10 coffees & the 11th one is free!

34
Q

variable-ratio schedule

A

reinforcement after an unknown number of behaviors →slot machines at casinos pay off after ? plays

35
Q

fixed-interval schedule

A

fixed time/day → every Tuesday is Discount Day!

36
Q

variable-interval schedule

A

reinforcement after a random amount of time

37
Q

punishment

A

an event that tends to decrease the behavior that it follows

38
Q

preparedness

A

a biological predisposition to learn associations, such as between taste and nausea, that have survival value

39
Q

instinctive drift

A

the tendency of learned behavior to gradually revert to biologically predisposed patterns

40
Q

cognitive map

A

a mental representation of the layout of one’s environment –> after exploring a maze, rats act as if they have learned a cognitive map of it

41
Q

latent learning

A

learning that occurs but is not apparent until there is an incentive to demonstrate it

42
Q

insight

A

a sudden realization of a problem’s solution; contrasts with strategy-based solutions

43
Q

intrinsic motivation

A

a desire to perform a behavior effectively for its own sake

44
Q

extrinsic motivation

A

a desire to perform a behavior to receive promised rewards or avoid threatened punishment

45
Q

problem-focus coping

A

alleviating an issue by changing the stressor directly

46
Q

personal control

A

our sense of controlling our environment rather than feeling helpless

47
Q

learned helplessness

A

the hopelessness and passive resignation an animal or person learns when unable to avoid repeated aversive events

48
Q

external locus of control

A

the perception that chance our outside forces beyond our personal control determine our fate

49
Q

internal locus of control

A

the perception that we control our own fate

50
Q

self-control

A

the ability to control impulses and delay short-term gratification for longer-term results

51
Q

observational learning

A

learning without direct experience, instead by watching and imitating others

52
Q

modeling

A

our apprehension of our native languages and other specific behaviors by observing and imitating others

53
Q

mirror neurons

A

frontal lobe neurons that some scientists believe fire when we perform certain actions or observe another’s actions

54
Q

prosocial behavior

A

positive, constructive, helpful behavior – opposite of antisocial behavior

55
Q

antisocial behavior

A

negative, destructive harmful behavior – opposite of prosocial behavior