ap psychology ch6 learning

learning

the process of acquiring new and relatively enduring information or behaviors

habituation

an organism’s decreasing response to a stimulus with repeated exposure to it

• reduced sensitivity, lose it to a repeated stimulus

associative learning

learning that certain events occur together

stimulus

any event or situation that evokes a response

cognitive learning

the acquisition of mental information, whether by observing events, by watching others, or through language

classical conditioning

a type of learning in which one learns to link two or more stimuli and anticipate events

behaviorism

the view that psych 1. should be an objective science that 2. studies behavior without references to mental processes

neutral stimulus

in classical conditioning, a stimulus that elicits no response before conditioning

unconditioned response

in classical conditioning, an unlearned, naturally occurring response

unconditioned stimulus

in classical conditioning, a stimulus that unconditionally-naturally and automatically- triggers a response

conditioned response

in classical conditioning, a learned response to a previously neutral stimulus

conditioned stimulus

in classical conditioning, an originally irrelevant stimulus that, after association with an unconditioned stimulus, comes to trigger a conditioned response

acquisition

in classical conditioning, the initial stage, when one links a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus so that the neutral stimulus begins triggering the conditioned response

• learning stage where transition occurs

higher-order conditioning

a procedure in which the conditioned stimulus in one conditioning experience is paired with a new neutral stimulus, creating a second conditioned stimulus

extinction

the diminishing of a conditioned response; occurs in classical conditioning when an unconditioned stimulus does not follow a conditioned stimulus

spontaneous

the reappearance, after a pause, of an extinguished conditioned response

generalization

the tendency , once a response has been conditioned, for stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus to elict similar responses

• same response to similar objects

discrimination

in classical conditioning, the learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and stimuli that do not signal an unconditioned stimulus

• recognizing differences in learning

operant conditioning

a type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforcer or diminished if followed by a punisher

law of effect

thorndike’s principal that behavior followed by favorable consequences become more likley and that behaviors followed by unfavorable consequences become less likley

operant chamber

in operant conditioning research, a chamber containing a bar or key that an animal can manipulate to obtain a food or water reinforcer; attached devices record the animals rate of bar pressing or key pecking

reinforcement

in operant condtioning, any event that strengthens the behavior it follows

• can be primary or secondary

  • P- naturally reinforcing ( good)

  • S- something you learn is good

shaping

an operant conditioning procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior toward closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior

discriminative stimulus

in operant condtioning, a stimulus that elicits a response after association with reinforcement

positive reinforcement

increasing behaviors by presenting positive reinforcers. A positive reinforcer is any stimulus that, when presented after a response, strengthens the response

• add something

negative reinforcement

increasing behaviors by stopping or reducing negative stimuli. A negative reinforcer is any stimulus that, when removed after a response

• take away sometihing

primary reinforcer

an innatley reinforcing stimulus, such as one that satisfies a biological need

conditioned reinforcer

a stimulus that gains its reinforcing power through its association with a primary reinforcer; also known as a secondary reinforcer

reinforcement schedule

a pattern that defines how often a desired response will be reinforced

continuous reinforcement

reinforcing the desired response every time it occurs

partial reinforcement

reinforcing a response only part of the time; results in slower acquisition of a response but much greater resistance to extinction than does continuous reinforcement

fixed-ratio schedule

in operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified number of responses

variable-ratio schedule

in operant condtioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses

fixed-interval schedule

in operant condtioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified time has elapsed

variable-interval schedule

in operant condtioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals

punishment

an event that tends to decrease the behavior that it follows

biofeedback

a system for electronically recording, amplifying, and feeding back information regarding a subtle physiological state, such as blood pressure or muscle tension

respondent behavior

behavior that occurs as an automatic response to some stimulus

operant behavior

behavior that operates on the environment, producing consequences

cognitive map

a mental representation of the layout of one’s environment

• after exploring a maze, rats act as if they have learned the map

• created by tolman

latent learning

learning that occurs but is not apparent until there is an incentive to demonstrate it

insight

a sudden realization of a problems solution

intrinsic motivation

a desire to perform a behavior effectively for its own sake

• doing something because you like it and want to do it

extrinsic motivation

a desire to perform a behavior to reverie promised rewards or avoid threatened punishment

• doing it bc it is expected of you

coping

alleviating stress using emotional, cognitive, or behavioral methods

problem focused coping

attempting to alleviate stress directly, by changing the stressor or the way we interact with that stressor

emotion focused coping

attempting to alleviate stress by avoiding or ignoring a stressor and attending to emotional needs related to one’s stress reaction

learned helplessness

the hopelessness and passive resignation an animal or human learns when unable to avoid repeated averise events

external locus of control

the perception that chance or outside forces beyond our personal control determine our fate

internal locus of control

the perception that you control your own fate

self control

the ability to control impulses ad delay short-term gratification for greater long-term rewards

observational learning

learning by observing others

• social learning

modeling

the process of observing and imitating a specific behavior

mirror neurons

frontal lobe neurons that some scientists believe fire when performing certain actions or when observing another doing so

• brain’s mirroring of another actions which initiates imitation

prosocial behavior

positive, constructive, helpful behavior. The oppoiste of antisocial behavior

pavlov

conditioned the dog to salivate

skinner

trained animals in obstacle courses

watson

conditioned the baby to cry when it saw furry white objects

bandura

imitation experiment with children and the bobo doll

thorndike

“law of effect”

• positive consequences are more likely and negative consequences are less likely

garcia

taste aversion

rescorla

tolman

created the concept of cognitive map after testing rats in a maze

• having a mental layout of your enviorment