Unit 3: Behavioral Learning: Classical and Operant Conditioning

classical conditioning

occurs when a neutral stimulus paired with a previously meaningful one, eventually takes on some meaning itself (associating one with the other)

conditioned stimulus

the initially neutral stimulus (ex. the light)

unconditioned stimulus

the initially meaningful stimulus (ex. the food)

unconditioned response

the naturally occurring response to the unconditioned stimulus (US), (ex. swimming to top of tank)

conditioned response

response to the conditioned stimulus (CS) after conditioning (ex. swimming to top of tank)

generalization

when you associate objects that resemble each other

discrimination

exhibited when a person can distinguish among similar but distinct stimuli

acquisition

takes place when the pairing of the natural and neutral stimuli have occurred with enough frequency that the neutral stimulus alone will elicit the CR

extinction

the elimination of the CR, can be achieved by presenting the CS without the US repeatedly

spontaneous recovery

when the original response disappears on its own, but is elicited again by the previous CS later on (ex. fish will eventually ignore the light), demonstrates how CS and CR is stored in brain

higher-order conditioning

occurs when a previous conditioned stimulus is used as the unconditioned stimulus

contiguity approach

approach where the paring of the neutral and natural stimuli occurred because they were paired in time, Pavlov and Watson

contingency apporach

approach that the CS and US get paired because the CS comes to predict the US (ex. fish come to expect food upon seeing the light), Robert Rescorla

conditioned taste aversion/CTA/Garcia effect

demonstrates that animals that eat food and then experience nausea will not eat that food again, can be demonstrated with forward or backward conditioning, resistant to extinction

operant conditioning

involves an organism’s learning to engage in an action in order to obtain a reward or avoid punishment, B.F. Skinner

law of effect

a behavior is more likely to recur if reinforced, Edward L. Thorndike

shaping/differential reinforcement of successive approximations

an operant conditioning technique used teach complex behaviors by rewarding gradual, successive approximations of a final target behavior

natural reinforcement

something you don’t have to learn to like, ex food

primary reinforcement

natural reinforcers such as food and water, provide ____

secondary reinforcement

provided by learned reinforcers, ex money

positive reinforcement

a reward/event that increases the likelihood that a particular type of behavior will be repeated

negative reinforcement

the removal of an aversive event in order to encourage a behavior

omission training

seeks to decrease the frequency of behavior by withholding the reward until the desired behavior is demonstrated

punishment

an event that decreases the likelihood that the behavior will be repeated

instinctive drift

refers to the phenomenon in which animals that have been classical conditioned to perform similarly natural behaviors revert back to those instinctive behaviors

learned helplessness

occurs when efforts consistently fail to bring rewards, if situation persists then subject will stop trying

escape

when an individual learns how to get away from an unpredicted aversive stimulus by engaging in a particular behavior

avoidance

when a person performs a behavior to ensure a predicted aversive stimulus is not presented

schedule of reinforcement

the frequency with which an organism receives reinforcement for a given type of response

continuous reinforcement schedule

in this, every correct response that is emitted results in a reward, producing rapid learning and extinction

partial/intermittent reinforcement schedules

schedules of reinf. in which not all behaviors are reinforced

fixed-ratio schedule

schedule in which the reward always occurs after a fixed number of behaviors

variable-ratio schedule

a schedule where the ratio of operant behaviors to reinforcement is variable and unpredictable (ex. slot machines)

fixed-interval schedule

schedule in which reinforcement is presented as a function of fixed periods of time, as long as there is one operant behavior (ex. a salaried employee’s paycheck)

variable-interval schedule

schedule where reinforcement is presented at differing time intervals, as long as there is at least on operant behavior

behavior modification

a combination of reinforcers and punishers designed to alter behavior

token economy

an artificial economy based on tokens that act as secondary reinforcers to increase the number of positive behaviors that occur