PSYCH 5

Learning

Acquiring behaviors through learning.

Behaviorism

Emphasizes learning in determining behavior.

Associative learning

Certain events occur together.

Classical conditioning

Involuntary behavior elicited by previous events.

Ivan Pavlov

Psychologist who developed classical conditioning.

Operant conditioning (instrumental conditioning)

Learning through reward and punishment.

Social learning theory

Learning through watching others.

Cognitive learning theory

Learning that involves mental processes; latent learning.

Unconditioned stimulus (UCS)

Stimulus that naturally triggers a response (e.g., food).

Natural reflective response

A response that is felt naturally.

Neutral stimulus

Stimulus that generates no reflexive response initially.

Conditioned stimulus (CS)

Neutral stimulus paired with an unconditioned stimulus.

Unconditioned response (UCR)

Natural response triggered by an unconditioned stimulus.

Conditioned response (CR)

Response that was previously an unconditioned response.

Acquisition phase

Phase where association between neutral stimulus and UCS occurs.

Timing

The neutral stimulus must come before the unconditioned stimulus.

Higher order conditioning

Adding a second neutral stimulus to trigger a conditioned response.

Extinction

Diminishing of the conditioned response when conditioned stimulus is removed.

Spontaneous recovery

Reappearance of a conditioned response after a pause.

Generalization

Similar stimuli elicit a similar response.

Baby Albert experiment

Study demonstrating fear response in a baby towards a white rat.

Discrimination

Ability to distinguish between similar stimuli.

Counterconditioning

Method used to eliminate a fear response.

Habituation

Learning to ignore a repeated stimulus.

Biological preparedness

The idea that certain associations are more easily learned due to biological factors.

One trial learning association (CR)

Learning that occurs after just one trial.

Taste aversion

Avoidance of a food that has caused illness, demonstrated in the Emily Shamrock shake context.

Reinforcement

Any consequence that increases the likelihood of a behavior being repeated.

Punishment

Consequences that decrease undesired behavior.

E.L. Thorndike

Created the law of effect.

Law of effect

Behaviors followed by favorable consequences are more likely to be repeated.

B.F. Skinner

Expanded on Thorndike's law of effect with his experiments.

Operant chamber/Skinner box

Device used to study operant conditioning in animals.

Shaping

Gradually guiding behavior towards a target through reinforcements.

Successive approximations

Steps taken towards achieving a goal behavior.

Discriminative stimulus

A stimulus that signals the availability of reinforcement.

Primary reinforcements

Naturally occurring reinforcers, such as food.

Conditional/secondary reinforcement

Learned reinforcers, such as money that can buy food.

Positive reinforcement

Adding a pleasant stimulus to increase behavior.

Negative reinforcement

Removing an aversive stimulus to increase behavior.

Continuous reinforcement

Reinforcement is provided after every occurrence of the behavior.

Partial reinforcement

Reinforcement is provided only some of the time.

Ratio schedule

Reinforcement based on the number of responses.

Interval schedule

Reinforcement based on the passage of time.

Fixed schedule

Reinforcement is predictable and consistent.

Variable schedule

Reinforcement is unpredictable.

Fixed ratio schedule

Reinforcement is given after a fixed number of responses, e.g., rewards card.

Variable ratio schedule

Reinforcement is given after a variable number of responses, e.g., gambling.

Fixed interval schedule

Reinforcement is given after a fixed amount of time, e.g., quiz every Friday.

Variable interval schedule

Reinforcement is given after varying amounts of time, e.g., hearing from college.

Superstitious behavior

Repeating behaviors that are not truly related to the outcome.

Positive punishment

Adding an unpleasant stimulus to decrease behavior.

Negative punishment

Removing a desirable stimulus to decrease behavior.

Learned helplessness

Condition in which a subject learns to accept a lack of control over situations.

Biological considerations

Taking natural behaviors into account when training.

Instinctive drift

Tendency for animals to revert to instinctive behaviors.

Social learning theory

Theory that emphasizes learning through observing others.

Albert Bandura

Psychologist known for the Bobo doll experiment.

Vivacious conditioning

Change of behavior as a result of watching others.

Response consequences

Effects of reinforcement or punishment on behavior repetition.

Similarity model

Observing and mimicking behaviors in others who are similar.

Mirror neurons

Neurons that fire when observing someone else's actions.

Prosocial effect

Positive behaviors that help others; e.g., behaviors seen in shows like Blues Clues.

Antisocial behaviors

Negative and harmful behaviors.

Cognitive learning

Learning that involves insight and problem-solving.

Latent learning

Form of learning that occurs without immediate reinforcement.

Cognitive maps

Mental representations of physical locations.