Unit 6: Learning Flashcards
Learning
A relatively permanent behavior change due to experience
Our capacity to learn new behaviors that help us cope with changing circumstances
Adaptability
A decreasing response to a stimulus due to repeated exposure
Habituation
Learning through two or more events that happen together.
Associative Learning
Behaviorism
The view that psychology should be studied only through observable behaviors that are objectively quantifiable
Founder of Behaviorism
John Watson
Classical Conditioning
Learning through a system of pairing an unrelated stimulus (CS) with a naturally stimulus/response pair. (UCS/UCR)
Operant Conditioning
Using rewards and punishments to increase or decrease behavior.
Observational Learning
Learning by observing others
Unconditioned Stimulus
A stimulus that *automatically* (no learning required) triggers a response (e.g. The food that is given to trigger salivation)
Unconditioned Response
The unlearned, automatic response to an unconditioned stimulus (e.g. salivation in response to food)
Neutral Stimulus
Neutral stimulus is a stimulus that does not trigger a response. It will become the conditioned stimulus after it is successfully paired with an unconditioned stimulus.
Conditioned Stimulus
A stimulus that previously did not trigger a response, but presenting immediately before the unconditioned stimulus, triggers a response similar to the unconditioned stimulus (e.g. The bell ringing before food is given, which eventually causes the dog to salivate)
Conditioned Response
The learned response to a previously neutral stimulus that has been successfully paired with the unconditioned stimulus
The initial process of pairing the neutral (which becomes conditioned) stimulus with the unconditioned stimulus.
Acquisition
The unconditioned stimulus is paired with a new (second) conditioned stimulus - This stimulus will give a similar but weaker response as the original conditioned stimulus
High-Order (AKA Second-Order) Conditioning
The diminishing of a conditioned response due to it no longer being paired with the unconditioned stimulus
Extinction
The sudden re-occurrence of the conditioned response to the conditioned stimulus after extinction due to re-pairing with the unconditioned stimulus
Spontaneous Recovery
If, once conditioning has occurred, a person also reacts to stimuli that are slightly different from the original conditioned stimulus (e.g. Reacting to all small mammals if the original CS was a kitten)
Generalization
If, once conditioning has occurred, a person only reacts to the specific qualities of the original CS (e.g. If the original CS was a kitten, reacting *only* to that specific type of kitten, rabbits, or full-grown cats)
Discrimination
If a person (or animal) “gives up” after repeatedly being punished or failing a task, even if they could have succeeded had they tried. (e.g. Stop trying in math class after receiving several failing grades)
Learned Helplessness
Genetic qualities that make it more likely for a person to form associations
Biological Predispositions
In John Watson and Resalie Rayner’s 1920 experiment on baby Albert, what was the UCS, UCR, CS, and CR?
UCS: Loud Noise UCR: Afraid CS: White Rat CR: Afraid of white rats
What is the role of biology in associative learning?
Biological/evolutionary predispositions can influence how easily associations are made (e.g. it is easier for us to pair a negative emotion with spiders than it is for bunnies)
Shaping
The use of operant conditioning (usually positive reinforcement) to train complex behaviors (reinforcing piece-by-piece)
The person most closely associated with Operant Conditioning
B.F.Skinner
The container used in operant conditioning where animals (often pigeons) were placed to easily and rapidly reinforce their behavior
Operant Conditioning Chamber - a.k.a. “Skinner Box”
Positive reinforcement that is innately pleasurable
Primary reinforcer (food, drink, sex, feel-good drugs)
Positive reinforcement that is reinforcing, because it *represents* something that is innately pleasurable
Secondary reinforcer (money, grades, tokens,…)
A mental representation of a physical location
Cognitive map
When a solution to a problem presents itself quickly and without warning
Insight
The desire to engage in an activity for the sake of its own enjoyment
intrinsic motivation
The desire to engage in an activity in order to obtain an outcome
extrinsic motivation
How is superstitious behavior explained by operant conditioning?
Reinforced behavior, even if it is accidental, is more likely to be repeated (e.g. sneezing before scratching off a winning lottery number will likely reinforce sneezing)
What happened in the “Bobo Doll” experiments?
Children watched adults either (1) beat up on, or (2) play nicely with, a inflated clown doll (“Bobo” doll), and played with the doll in a similar way as the adults - the experiment shows *Observational Learning*
Who was the primary experimenter in the “Bobo Doll” experiments?
Albert Bandura
Phobia
“Irrational” fear
What are the four combinations of the schedules of reinforcement and what do they mean?
- Fixed Ratio
- Variable Ratio
- Fixed Interval
- Variable Interval
Fixed = You know when reinforcement will occur
Variable = Reinforcement occurs randomly
Interval = Reinforcement based on time
Ratio = Reinforcement based on action
What are the four combinations of HOW a stimulus is reinforced, and what do they mean?
- Positive Punishment
- Positive Reinforcement
- Negative Punishment
- Negative Reinforcement
Positive: Added
Negative: Taken away
Reinforcement: Designed to increase a behavior
Punishment: Designed to decrease a behavior
What is the name of the schedule of reinforcement in which a person is rewarded *every *time they do something?
Continuous
Three types of ineffective methods of Classical Conditioning
- Trace Conditioning
- CS
- Short Break
- UCS
- Simultaneous Conditioning
- CS and UCS presented at the same time
- Backwards Conditioning
- UCS presented before CS
