Unit 5: Learning Flashcards
habituation
what happens when repeated stimulation produces waning responsiveness; adaptation to one’s environment
associative learning
linking two events that occur close together
stimulus
any event or situation that evokes a response
respondent behavior
associating stimuli that we do not control and responding automatically
classical conditioning
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)
behaviorism
the psychological study of how organisms respond to stimuli, focused on thoughts and behaviors interacting
neutral stimulus (NS)
a stimulus that elicits no response before conditioning
unconditioned stimulus (US)
a stimulus that unconditionally–naturally and automatically–triggers an unconditioned response
unconditioned response (UR)
an unlearned, naturally occurring response to an unconditioned stimulus
conditioned stimulus (CS)
an originally neutral stimulus that, after association with an unconditioned stimulus, comes to trigger a conditioned response
conditioned response (CR)
a learned response to a previously neutral (but now conditioned) stimulus
acquisition
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
higher-order conditioning
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
extinction
when an unconditioned stimulus does not follow a conditioned stimulus
spontaneous recovery
the reappearance, after a pause, of an extinguished conditioned response
generalization
the tendency, once a response has been conditioned, for stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus to elicit similar responses
discrimination
the learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimuli and a similar stimuli that do not signal an unconditioned response
Little Albert
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
operant conditioning
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
operant behavior
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
law of effect
behaviors followed by favorable consequences become more likely, and that behaviors followed by unfavorable consequences become less likely
operant chamber
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
reinforcement
any event that strengthens a preceding response; what is reinforced depends on the animal and conditions
shaping
an operant conditioning procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior toward closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior
discriminative stimulus
a stimulus that elicits a response after association with reinforcement compared to a neutral stimuli
positive reinforcement
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
negative reinforcement
removing something to the situation to increase/strengthen a behavior →fastening a seat belt to stop beeping noise
primary reinforcer
an innately reinforcing stimulus, such as one that satisfies a biological need →food, water, shelter
conditioned/secondary reinforcer
a stimulus that gains its reinforcing power through its association with a primary reinforcer → money
reinforcement schedule
a pattern that defines how often a desired response will be reinforced
continuous reinforcement schedule
reinforcing the desired response every time it occurs → a teacher rewarding students with stickers every time they participate in class
partial reinforcement schedule
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
fixed-ratio schedule
fixed number → 10 coffees & the 11th one is free!
variable-ratio schedule
reinforcement after an unknown number of behaviors →slot machines at casinos pay off after ? plays
fixed-interval schedule
fixed time/day → every Tuesday is Discount Day!
variable-interval schedule
reinforcement after a random amount of time
punishment
an event that tends to decrease the behavior that it follows
preparedness
a biological predisposition to learn associations, such as between taste and nausea, that have survival value
instinctive drift
the tendency of learned behavior to gradually revert to biologically predisposed patterns
cognitive map
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
latent learning
learning that occurs but is not apparent until there is an incentive to demonstrate it
insight
a sudden realization of a problem’s solution; contrasts with strategy-based solutions
intrinsic motivation
a desire to perform a behavior effectively for its own sake
extrinsic motivation
a desire to perform a behavior to receive promised rewards or avoid threatened punishment
problem-focus coping
alleviating an issue by changing the stressor directly
personal control
our sense of controlling our environment rather than feeling helpless
learned helplessness
the hopelessness and passive resignation an animal or person learns when unable to avoid repeated aversive events
external locus of control
the perception that chance our outside forces beyond our personal control determine our fate
internal locus of control
the perception that we control our own fate
self-control
the ability to control impulses and delay short-term gratification for longer-term results
observational learning
learning without direct experience, instead by watching and imitating others
modeling
our apprehension of our native languages and other specific behaviors by observing and imitating others
mirror neurons
frontal lobe neurons that some scientists believe fire when we perform certain actions or observe another’s actions
prosocial behavior
positive, constructive, helpful behavior – opposite of antisocial behavior
antisocial behavior
negative, destructive harmful behavior – opposite of prosocial behavior
