UNIT 6 VOCAB AND CONCEPTS- LEARNING Flashcards
The process of acquiring new and relatively enduring information or behaviors
Learning
An organisms decreasing response to a stimulus with repeated exposure to it
Habituation
Learning that certain events occur together. The events may be two stimuli (as in classical conditioning) or a response and its consequence (in operant conditioning)
Associative learning
Any event or situation that evokes a response
Stimulus
e acquisition of mental information whether by observing events by watching others or through language
Cognitive learning
A type of learning in which one learns to link two or more stimuli to anticipate events
Classical conditioning
The view that psychology (1) should be an objective science that (2) studies behavior without reference to mental processes. Most research psychologists today agree with 1 but not 2
Behaviorism
In classical conditioning, an unlearned, naturally occurring response (such as salivation) to an unconditioned stimulus (such as food in the mouth )
Unconditioned response
In classical conditioning, a stimulus that unconditionally - naturally and automatically- triggers a response
Unconditioned stimulus
In classical conditioning, a learned response to a previously neutral (but now conditioned) stimulus
Conditioned response
In classical conditioning, an originally irrelevant stimulus that, after association with an unconditional stimulus, comes to trigger a conditioned response
Conditioned stimulus
In classical conditioning, the initial stage, when one links a natural stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus so that the neutral stimulus begins triggering the conditioned response. In operant conditioning, the strengthening of a reinforced response
Acquisition
A procedure in which the conditioned stimulus in one conditioning experience s paired with a new neutral stimulus, creating a second (often weaker) conditioned stimulus. For example, an animal that has learned that a tone predicts food might then learn that a light predicts the ton and begin responding to the light alone (second order conditioning)
Higher order conditioning
The diminished of a conditioned response occurs in classical conditioning when an unconditioned stimulus does not follow a conditioned stimulus; occurring in operant conditioning when a response is no longer reinforced
Extinction
The reappearance, after a pause, of an extinguished conditioned response
Spontaneous recovery
- Neutral stimulus needs to come before the UCS for conditioning to occur
- Ideally the time between the two stimulus should be abt half a second apart-no more than a couple
- It must be reliably predicted bu the subject in order to make the connection, thus the CS (NS) must reliably predict the presentation of the UCS
Acquisition
The tendency, once a response has been conditioned, for stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus to elicit similar responses
Generalization
In classical conditioning, the learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and stimuli that do not signal an unconditioned stimulus
Discrimination
Type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforcer or diminished if followed by a punisher
Operant conditioning
Thorndike’s principle that behaviors filled by favorable consequences become more likely, and that behaviors followed by unfavorable consequences become less likely
Law of effect
In operant conditioning, research, a chamber containing a bar or key that an animal can manipulate to obtain food or water reinforcer; attached devices record the animals rate of bar pressing or key pecking
Operant chamber
In operant conditioning, any event that strengthens the behavior it follows
Reinforcement
An operant conditioning procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior toward closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior
Shaping
In operant conditioning, a stimulus that elicits a response after association with reinforcement (in contrast to related stimuli not associated with reinforcement )
Discriminative stimulus
Increasing behaviors by presenting positive reinforcers. a positive reinforcer is any stimulus that, when represented after a response, strengthens the response
Positive reinforcement
Increasing behaviors by stopping or reducing a negative stimuli. A negative reinforcer is any stimulus that when removed after a response, strengthens the response
Negative reinforcement
A stimulus that gains its reinforcing power through its association with a primary reinforcer also known as a secondary reinforcer
Conditioned reinforcer
A patter that defines how often a desired response will be enforced
Reinforcement schedule
Reinforcing the desired response every time it occurs
Continuous reinforcement
Reinforcement a response only part of the time; results in slower acquisition of a response, but much greater resistance to extinction than does continuous reinforcement
Partial (intermittent) reinforcement
In operant condition, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified number of responses
Fixed ration schedule
In operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses
Variable-ratio schedule
In operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specific time has elapsed
Fixed-internal schedule
In operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals
Variable-interval schedule
An event that tends to decrease the behavior that it follows
Punishment
Behavior that occurs as an automatic response to some stimulus
Respondent behavior
Behavior that operates on the environment producing consequences
Operant behavior
A mental representation of the layout of one’s environment
Cognitive map
Learning that occurs but is not apparent until there is an incentive to demonstrate it
Latent learning
A sudden realization of a problems solution
Insight
A desire to perform a behavior effectively for its own sake
Intrinsic motivation
A desire to perform a behavior to receive promised rewards or to avoid threatening punishment
Extrinsic motivation
Alleviating stress using emotional, cognitive, or behavioral methods
Coping
Attempting to alleviate stress by avoiding or ignoring a stressor and attending to emotional needs related to ones stress
Emotion focused coming
Attempting to alleviate stress by avoiding or ignoring a stressor and attending to emotional needs related to ones stress
Emotion focused coping
Attempting to alleviate stress directly- by changing the stressor or the way we interact with that stressor
Problem focused coping
The hopelessness and passive resignation an animal or human learns when unable to avoid repeated aversive events
Learned helplessness
The perception that chance or outside forces beyond our personal control determine our fate
External locus of control
The perception that you control your own fate
Internal locus of control
The ability to control impulses and delay short term gratification for greater long term rewards
Self control
Learning by observing others also called social learning
Observational learning
The process of observing and imitating a specific behavior
Modeling
Frontal lobe neurons that some scientists belie fire when performing certain actions or when observing another doing so. The brains mirroring of another’s actions may enable imitation and empathy
Mirror neurons
