Ap Psych Unit 4: Learning

Learning

The process of acquiring new and relatively enduring information or behaviors, and being able to display it.

Experience

Things that happen to you in life, that you can learn from.

Associations

Connecting things together to make sense of something.

Observation

Experience something and imitate/respond to it in order to learn something.

Classical Conditioning

You learn to respond/react to a specific stimuli.

Ivan Pavlov

Founder of classical conditioning.

Neutral Stimulus

Means nothing prior to learning.

Unconditioned Stimulus

Something that causes a response.

Unconditioned Response

A reaction you have to the unconditioned stimulus without conditioning.

Conditioned Stimulus

A conditioned stimulus that triggers something.

Conditioned Response

Response that’s conditioned to respond to the otherwise meaningless stimuli.

Acquisition

When you first learn a behavior and gain the association.

Higher Order/Second Order Conditioning

Associations made that add up to the general neutral stimulant.

Extinction

A decline in the behavior/reaction over time.

Spontaneous Recovery

The conditioned response randomly comes back after extinction.

Generalization

Responding to a stimuli that’s similar to the conditioned stimuli, but not the same.

Discrimination

You can distinguish between the conditioned stimulus and other stimuli that are similar. You can tell them apart.

Taste Aversion

Animals (including humans) learn to avoid certain foods that got them sick in the past.

Operant Conditioning

Learning where behavior is strengthened or weakened depending on the outcome.

B.F Skinner

Founder of operant conditioning.

Skinner box

Pedal/lever/disc that dispenses a reward.

Thorndike’s Law of Effect

Behavior that is rewarded will likely occur again.

Shaping

Rewards gradually lead to a behavior.

Reinforcers

An outcome/consequence that increases the likelihood of a behavior happening again.

Positive Reinforcement

Gaining something desirable following a behavior.

Negative Reinforcement

Removing something bad following a behavior.

Primary Reinforcers

Things that are naturally satisfying, things that a baby would want.

Secondary Reinforcers

Its value is something you learn to want throughout life.

Immediate Reinforcement

Immediately giving the reward/consequence after the behavior is done.

Delayed Reinforcement

Giving a pause between the completion of the behavior, and receiving of the reward/consequence.

Reinforcement Schedules

How often reinforcement is given. Includes the use of how often the behavior is done.

Continuous Reinforcement

The reward/consequence is given EVERY time the behavior is completed.

Partial Reinforcement

The number of repetitions or time period spent doing a behavior determines reinforcement.

Fixed Ratio

A SET AMOUNT of behaviors leads to a consequence or reward.

Variable Ratio

A RANDOM AMOUNT of behaviors leads to a consequence or reward.

Fixed Interval

There is an EQUAL TIME between reinforcers.

Variable Interval

Reinforcement is given RANDOMLY no matter the behavior done.

Punishment

Consequence that decreases/weakens a behavior.

Positive Punishment

Decrease behavior by adding something bad.

Negative Punishment

Decrease behavior by removing something that’s liked.

Overjustification Effect

Already justified activities will become “overjustified” with added rewards. Leads to a decrease in doing things for fun.

Latent Learning

Learning that occurs but that is not displayed until there is an incentive to do it.

Respondant Behavior

Automatic responses created from the pairing of stimuli.

Operant Behavior

Voluntary behaviors paired with an outcome.

Observational Learning

When you learn things by seeing others doing it, and mimic the person teaching you.

Modeling

Learning through observation and imitation, it’s what you see, and you’re able to mimic it.

Mirror Neurons

Neurons fire when you observe others in order to direct your own actions.

Albert Bandura

Observational learning researcher.

Bobo Doll Experiment

Kids showed learning aggression without incentive, just by watching it being performed.

Prosocial Behavior

GOOD behaviors that get models by others.

Antisocial Behaviors

BAD behaviors that get models by others.

Vicarious Reinforcement/Punishment

Observed outcomes that lead to more or less behaviors by the observer.