Learning Theories and Intelligence

Flashcards covering learning theories, intelligence concepts, and key psychologists in the field of psychology.

Classical Conditioning

Learning where two stimuli are paired together and become associated with each other.

Ivan Pavlov

Russian physiologist known for his work in classical conditioning with dogs.

Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS)

A stimulus that naturally and automatically triggers a response.

Conditioned Response (CR)

The learned response to a previously neutral stimulus.

Conditioned Stimulus (CS)

An originally neutral stimulus that, after association with an unconditioned stimulus, comes to trigger a conditioned response.

Little Albert Experiment

An experiment by John B. Watson that conditioned a fear response in a baby named Albert using loud noises and a white rat.

Stimulus Generalization

The tendency for the conditioned response to be elicited by stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus.

Operant Conditioning

A type of learning where behavior is controlled by consequences such as rewards or punishments.

BF Skinner

An American psychologist known for developing the theory of operant conditioning.

Reinforcement

Anything that increases the likelihood that a behavior will occur again.

Positive Reinforcement

Administering something pleasant after a desired behavior to increase the likelihood of that behavior.

Negative Reinforcement

Removing an unpleasant stimulus after a desired behavior to increase the likelihood of that behavior.

Punishment

Anything that decreases the likelihood that a behavior will occur again.

Positive Punishment

Administering something unpleasant after an undesired behavior to decrease that behavior.

Negative Punishment

Removing something pleasant after an undesired behavior to decrease that behavior.

Shaping Behavior

Using operant conditioning to teach complex behaviors by reinforcing successive approximations.

Observational Learning

Learning by observing and imitating the behavior of others.

Albert Bandura

American psychologist known for his work on social learning and the Bobo doll experiment.

Insight Learning

A sudden realization of a problem's solution.

Wolfgang Köhler

German psychologist known for his studies on insight learning in chimpanzees.

Alfred Binet

French psychologist who developed the first intelligence test measuring mental age.

Stanford-BinetTest

An intelligence test that measures verbal and non-verbal abilities.

IQ Ranges

Categories based on an individual's score on an intelligence test.

Verbal Abilities

Skills such as knowledge of factual information, arithmetic, and verbal memory.

Non-Verbal Abilities

Skills such as spatial awareness, fine motor skills, and speed of manual dexterity.

Reinforcement Schedules

Rules that determine when a behavior will be reinforced.

Fixed Interval Schedule

Reinforcement is given after a fixed amount of time.

Variable Interval Schedule

Reinforcement is given after varying amounts of time.

Fixed Ratio Schedule

Reinforcement is given after a fixed number of responses.

Variable Ratio Schedule

Reinforcement is given after a varying number of responses.

Cognitive Learning

Learning that involves mental processes and may occur without reinforcement.

Social Learning Theory

Theory that suggests people learn from one another, via observation, imitation, and modeling.

Cognitive Dissonance

The mental discomfort that results from holding two contradictory beliefs or attitudes.

Attribution Theory

The theory that individuals interpret their own and other people’s behaviors by attributing feelings, beliefs, and intentions to them.

Self-Efficacy

An individual's belief in their ability to succeed in specific situations.

Vicarious Learning

Learning that occurs through observing the consequences of others' actions.

Organic Intelligence

Intelligence that is observed in biology without education or training.

Cultural Intelligence

The capability to relate and adapt effectively across cultures.

Emotional Intelligence

The ability to identify, understand, manage, and utilize emotions in oneself and others.

Gardner's Multiple Intelligences

Theory suggesting that intelligence is not a single entity but a combination of multiple intelligences.

Emotional Regulation

The ability to manage and respond to emotional experiences.

Schema

A concept or framework that organizes and interprets information.

Heuristic

A mental shortcut that allows people to solve problems quickly.

Meta-cognition

Awareness and understanding of one's own thought processes.

Contextual Intelligence

The ability to relate knowledge to specific contexts.

Test Validity

The extent to which a test measures what it claims to measure.

Test Reliability

The consistency of a test in measuring what it is supposed to measure.

Trait Theory

A psychological approach that seeks to identify personality characteristics.

Mental Age

A measure of intellectual development expressed in terms of the age at which an average child reaches a particular score on an intelligence test.

Chronological Age

The actual age of a person, measured in years from birth.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

A type of psychotherapy that helps individuals understand the thoughts and feelings that influence behaviors.

Behavior Modification

The use of operant conditioning techniques to bring about desired changes in behavior.

Conditioned Taste Aversion

A learned aversion to a specific taste that has been associated with negative reactions.

Behaviorism

A psychological approach that focuses solely on observable behaviors and the ways they can be learned.

Instinctive Drift

The tendency of an animal to revert to instinctive behavior that interferes with the conditioned response.

Functional Fixedness

A cognitive bias that limits a person to using an object only in the way it is traditionally used.

Primary Reinforcer

A stimulus that is naturally satisfying and does not require learning to be pleasurable.

Secondary Reinforcer

A reinforcer that acquires its value through association with primary reinforcers.

Experiential Learning

Learning gained through direct experience.

Transformational Learning

A meaning-making process that can result in a change in perspective.

Neuroscience

The scientific study of the nervous system, encompassing the brain, spinal cord, and neural networks.

Developmental Psychology

The study of how people change throughout the lifespan.

Social Psychology

The study of how people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others.

Persuasion

The process of convincing someone to believe or do something.

Cognitive Development

The progression of thinking and reasoning abilities from infancy to adulthood.

Attachment Theory

A psychological model that describes the dynamics of long-term relationships between humans.

Cultural Relativism

The practice of assessing a culture by its own standards rather than viewing it through the lens of another culture.

Metacognitive Skills

Skills that enable individuals to monitor and control their learning processes.

Sociocultural Theory

A theory that emphasizes the importance of social interactions and cultural context in learning.

Constructivism

A learning theory that asserts that individuals construct knowledge through experience and reflection.

Problem-Solving Skills

The mental process of discovering, analyzing, and solving problems.

Transfer of Learning

The application of skills or knowledge learned in one context to another context.