week7 Learning

Question 1

Definition of learning?

Answer 1

An organism’s repeated or sustained new behaviour, developed over time, in reponse to an environmental stimulus.

Question 2

Describe habituation.

Answer 2

Basic form of learning. Over time, reflex behaviours are overcome.eg.can sleep with lights and noise. dog and cat in same household don’t fight.

Question 3

describe the process of classical conditioning.

Answer 3

eg. Pavlov. Dog tastes food (unconditioned stimulus), then dog drools (unconditioned response). Repeatedly ring bell immediately before dog eats.Eventually dog drools (conditioned response) when bell rings(conditioned stimulus).

Question 4

What makes conditioned response happen faster or slower?

Answer 4

Faster if unconditioned stimulus is especially intense, and/or the neutral stimulus appears just before the unconditioned stimulus.

Question 5

Define generalisation.

Answer 5

A conditioned response has broadened to occur to a less specific conditioned stimulus than the original.eg.Conditioned to be fearful of German shepherds becomes conditioned to be scared of all dogs…

Question 6

Define extinction.

Answer 6

Conditioned stimulus not encountered for period and thus conditioned response is lost.OR over time conditioned stimulus (“come” command) is presented without the unconditioned stimulus (eg food) therefore dog no longer comes.
A formerly learnt response is lost

Question 7

Define exposure therapy.

Answer 7

to treat phobias, subject is exposed to the things they fear.

Question 8

Explain flooding

Answer 8

Type of exposure therapy. Subject exposed directly to their phobia

Question 9

Explain desensitization

Answer 9

Type of exposure therapy. Subject is exposed to facets or doses of their phobia with increasing intensity, eg dogs and noise phobia cd etc

Question 10

What is Thorndike’s “law of effect”?

Answer 10

The consequences of a behaviour determine how likely the behaviour will be repeated. Did I get out of the maze? Did I get the cheese?

Question 11

Describe the process of operant conditioning

Answer 11

Over time, a behaviour is proven to lead to rewward/good outcome, OR avoidance of punishment. eg. Mice learn to navigate maze. maremmas learn to guard penguins etc.

Question 12

A positive reinforcement…

Answer 12

rewards a good behaviour.eg dog being quiet, gets a pat.

Question 13

a negative reinforcement…

Answer 13

ceases when a good behaviour is performed. eg. dog has sock, o hits dog and only stops when dog drops sock.

Question 14

A positive punishment…

Answer 14

is something bad happens when a bad behaviour is performed. eg kid sticks fork in socket and gets electrocuted

Question 15

A negative punishment…

Answer 15

where something good gets taken away in response to a bad behaviour. eg. kid punches kid and therefore loses gaming time.

Question 16

What can influence the rate of operant conditioning?

Answer 16

a) how intense the reward/punishment
b) how frequent/predictable the reward
c) satiation state

Question 17

Describe variables of operant conditioning.

Answer 17

in regards to when reward is given;

1. fixed interval=occurs at regular times
2. Variable=occurs sporadically

Question 18

What is ratio in operant conditioning?

Answer 18

The reward is based on the performance level.

Question 19

what is acquisition in learning?

Answer 19

Acquisition is when a response to a stimulus has been achieved.

Question 20

What is spontaneous recovery?

Answer 20

Where a phobia or learnt behaviour, thought to have been lost or overcome,recurs. Usually recurs because a long absent stimulus returns.

Question 21

What is secondary conditioning?

Answer 21

occurs when 1st order conditioning has occurred, then pair the conditioned stimulus with a new neutral stimulus, to form yet another new conditioned stimulus and conditioned response.Can thus refine .

Question 22

What does social learning allow for?

Answer 22

Allows us to learn vicariously and quickly without training time.therefore great number of things can be learnt quickly

Question 23

What influences whether you will perform a behaviour that you learn through observation?

Answer 23

Outcome for observed person, prior beliefs, and opportunity.