Learning and Behaviorism

Flashcards covering key vocabulary terms related to learning, unlearned behaviors, classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and observational learning, based on the provided lecture notes.

Learning

A relatively permanent change in behavior or knowledge that results from experience, involving both conscious and unconscious processes.

Unlearned Behaviors

Behaviors simpler than instincts, involving the activity of specific body parts and primitive centers of the CNS, such as reflexes.

Reflexes

Motor or neural reactions to a specific stimulus, which are innate behaviors.

Instincts

More complex innate behaviors involving the organism as a whole and higher brain centers, triggered by a broader range of events.

Associative learning

When an organism makes connections between stimuli or events that occur together in the environment.

Behaviorism

An approach to learning that includes classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and observational learning, founded by John B. Watson.

Classical conditioning

A process by which we learn to associate stimuli and, consequently, to anticipate events.

Unconditioned stimulus (UCS)

A stimulus that naturally and automatically elicits a reflexive response.

Unconditioned response (UCR)

A natural, unlearned reaction to an unconditioned stimulus.

Neutral stimulus (NS)

A stimulus that does not naturally elicit a response before conditioning.

Conditioned stimulus (CS)

A previously neutral stimulus that, after repeated association with an unconditioned stimulus, comes to elicit a conditioned response.

Conditioned response (CR)

The learned behavior caused by the conditioned stimulus.

Higher-order conditioning

A process where an established conditioned stimulus is paired with a new neutral stimulus, causing the new stimulus to eventually also elicit the conditioned response.

Acquisition

The initial period of learning when an organism acquires the association between a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus.

Extinction

The decrease in the conditioned response when the unconditioned stimulus is no longer presented with the conditioned stimulus.

Spontaneous recovery

The return of a previously extinguished conditioned response following a rest period.

Stimulus discrimination

When an organism learns to respond differently to various stimuli that are similar.

Stimulus generalization

When an organism demonstrates the conditioned response to stimuli that are similar to the conditioned stimulus.

Habituation

Learning not to respond to a stimulus that is presented repeatedly without change.

John B. Watson

Founder of behaviorism who studied human emotion using classical conditioning principles, including the Little Albert study.

Edward Thorndike

Proposed the law of effect, stating that behaviors with pleasant consequences are more likely to be repeated.

Law of effect

A principle stating that behaviors followed by pleasant consequences or desired results are more likely to occur again, while those followed by unpleasant consequences are less likely.

B.F. Skinner

Proposed principles of operant conditioning based on the law of effect, finding that organisms associate a behavior with its consequences.

Operant conditioning

A type of learning where organisms associate a behavior with its consequences (reinforcement or punishment).

Reinforcement

A consequence that increases the likelihood of a behavior occurring again.

Punishment

A consequence that decreases the likelihood of a behavior occurring again.

Positive (consequence nature)

Refers to the addition of a consequence following a behavior.

Negative (consequence nature)

Refers to the removal of a consequence following a behavior.

Positive Reinforcement

Adding a desirable consequence to make a behavior more likely to occur in the future (e.g., a dog getting a treat for a trick).

Positive Punishment

Adding an undesirable consequence to make a behavior less likely to occur in the future (e.g., getting a ticket for speeding).

Negative Reinforcement

Removing an undesirable consequence to make a behavior more likely to occur in the future (e.g., fastening a seat belt silences a car's beeping).

Negative Punishment

Removing a desirable consequence to make a behavior less likely to occur in the future (e.g., losing phone privileges after sneaking out).

Skinner box

An operant conditioning chamber containing a lever (or similar mechanism) where pressing it dispenses food as a reward, used in Skinner's experiments.

Shaping

A tool used in operant conditioning to reward successive approximations of a target behavior, breaking complex behaviors into small, achievable steps.

Primary reinforcers

Reinforcers that have innate reinforcing qualities and whose value is unlearned (e.g., food, water, sleep).

Secondary reinforcers

Reinforcers that have no inherent reinforcing value but whose value is learned through association with primary reinforcers (e.g., money, tokens).

Token economies

Systems used in various settings (schools, prisons) to encourage correct behavior by using secondary reinforcers (tokens) that can be exchanged for primary reinforcers.

Continuous reinforcement

When an organism receives a reinforcer each time it displays a behavior, the quickest way to teach a behavior.

Partial reinforcement

When an organism is reinforced intermittently, not every time it displays the desired behavior.

Fixed interval (FI)

A partial reinforcement schedule where reinforcement is delivered at predictable time intervals.

Variable interval (VI)

A partial reinforcement schedule where reinforcement is delivered at unpredictable time intervals.

Fixed ratio (FR)

A partial reinforcement schedule where reinforcement is delivered after a predictable number of responses.

Variable ratio (VR)

A partial reinforcement schedule where reinforcement is delivered after an unpredictable number of responses.

Edward Tolman

A psychologist who found that learning could occur without immediate reinforcement, suggesting a cognitive aspect to learning like latent learning.

Latent learning

Learning that occurs but is not demonstrated until there is a reason or incentive to do so.

Observational learning (modeling)

Learning by watching others and then imitating their behavior.

Model

The individual performing the imitated behavior in observational learning.

Social learning theory

Proposed by Albert Bandura, explaining how learning occurs without external reinforcement, often involving internal mental states and a four-step modeling process.

Attention (modeling step)

The first step in the modeling process, where an individual focuses on the behavior being observed.

Retention (modeling step)

The second step in the modeling process, where an individual remembers what they observed.

Reproduction (modeling step)

The third step in the modeling process, where an individual is able to perform the observed behavior.

Motivation (modeling step)

The fourth step in the modeling process, where an individual must want to copy the behavior, often influenced by vicarious reinforcement or punishment.

Vicarious reinforcement

A process where an observer sees a model rewarded for a behavior, making the observer more likely to imitate that behavior.

Vicarious punishment

A process where an observer sees a model punished for a behavior, making the observer less likely to imitate that behavior.

Bobo doll experiment

A famous study by Albert Bandura demonstrating that children can learn aggressive and violent behaviors through observational learning by watching adults.