(Unit 3) Psychology 1020: Chapter 5 Learning

Learning means the same thing as _____.

conditioning

Learning is defined as the process of ____ due to ____.

changes, experiences

We walk, talk, move our arms, and so on. These actions are called ____ behaviors because they are ways in which we operate on the world.

operant

Automatic, reflexive reactions to things are called ____ behaviors.

respondent

The two types of learning are called ___ conditioning and ___ conditioning.

classical, operant

Any stimulus that causes an automatic reaction is called an ____ stimulus.

unconditioned

Classical conditioning was first extensively studied by a Russian physician named _____.

Ivan Pavlov

In Pavlov’s most famous experiments he used a ____ as a conditioned stimulus.

bell

The fastest learning occurs when the CS-US interval is about _____.

1/2 second

If the US is presented before the CS it is called ___ conditioning.

backward

Recent research indicates that in order for learning to occur using ___ conditioning, the animal must be conscious.

trace

One response that is learned very easily is ____ aversion.

taste

The term ___ means “blank slate”.

tabula rasa

The unlearning of a response is called ____.

extinction

The most successful therapy for extinguishing responses is called _____. In this therapy, the feared stimuli are paired with ____.

systematic desensitization, relaxation

A dog will salivate when he hears other bells that are similar to a bell that was used in the conditioning. This phenomenon is called ____.

generalization

It is possible to learn a response to one stimulus but not to other stimuli that are similar. That is, we could condition a dog to salivate to one sound but not to another similar sound. This is called _____.

discrimination

John B. Watson was an American psychologist who is known as the founder of the school of psychology known as _____. Watson used classical conditioning on an infant known as ____ in order to demonstrate that emotions could be learned.

behaviorism, Little Albert

A treatment that attempts to undo a classically conditioned response by forming an incompatible one is called ____.

counterconditioning.

The Law of Effect was discovered by a psychologist named Edward _____.

Thorndike.

Thorndike built elaborate ____, in which he studied the behavior of ____.

puzzle boxes, catsboxes, animals in problem-solving situations.

Thorndike discovered the Law of _____ which states that a behavior followed by something ____ will become ___, and a behavior followed by something ____ will become ____.

effect, pleasant, more common, unpleasant, less common

B. F. ____ built an experimental device he called an “operant conditioning apparatus,” but we call it ____.

Skinner, the Skinner Box

The consequences that strengthen behaviors are called ____.

reinforcers.

The natural, normal rate at which behavior occurs is called the ____.

operant level

Some reinforcers have strengthening power because of our natural biology. Things like food, water, warmth, and sex are known as ____ reinforcers.

primary, secondary

The initial increase in the rate of a behavior at the beginning of extinction is called ____.

bursting

Escaping from something unpleasant is known as _____.

negative reinforcement

When something pleasant is removed, the process is called _____.

negative punishment

We can increase the rate of learning by using a technique in which we reinforce behaviors that come gradually closer to the goal. This is called ____.

shaping

If a behavior is reinforced every single time it occurs, the schedule of reinforcement is called _____.

continuous

With ___ schedules of reinforcement, a behavior must occur a number of times before it is reinforced, while ____ schedules are based on time passing.

ratio, interval

The behaviors of many people can be reinforced using a ___ economy.

token

It is possible to learn by witnessing someone else have an experience. This is known as ____.

observational learning

When extraneous things are learned almost as a side effect, is called ____ learning or ____ learning.

latent, incidental

The physiological change in the brain that occurs during learning is called ___-___.

long-term potentiation

1. Thorndike

puzzle boxes

2. Pavlov

classical conditioning

3. Skinner

operant conditioning

4. token economy

operant conditioning for groups

5. bursting

increase in response

6. respondent behavior

reflexive reaction

7. S^D

discrimination

8. S^r

secondary reinforcer

9. S^R

primary reinforcer

10. Operant behavior

an action

11. imitation

observational learning

12. partial reinforcer

resists extinction

13. tabula rasa

physiology of learning

14. extinction

unlearning

15. FR

ratio schedule

16. VI

interval schedule

17. Tolman

cognitive maps

Your niece has learned to be nervous around fireworks because of the loud noise they make. What type of learning was involved?

classical conditioning

A psychologist says he used operant conditioning to help a patient develop better social skills. This means the psychologist used ____.

reinforcers

If negative reinforcement causes a person to make more excuses, it means the person is getting ___.

away from something unpleasant when making excuses

An ad for chewing gum uses upbeat music that makes listeners feel happy. What principle is at work here?

higher-order conditioning

What principle is involved when a worker tends to repeat old habits during a new task?

generalization

Mike’s dog barks every time the doorbell rings. One day when they were out for a walk, Mike’s pager rang and his dog began to bark. What kind of response is “barking,” and what principle was demonstrated?

negative punishment; discrimination

A consequence that has an effect on an operant behavior is called a ____.

reinforcing stimulus

If a flash of light is followed by a loud, unexpected noise, a person might later react to the flash of light. The flash of light is then called _____.

a conditioned stimulus.

If a student only asks a question when they are with a certain friend, then a friend is known as a _____.

discriminative stimulus.

If a dog learns to salivate when he sees a triangle but not when he sees a circle, this is called ____.

discrimination

If a child learns to say “I’m sorry” in order to stop his mother from yelling at him, the process of learning is called:

negative reinforcement

A behavior may be operantly conditioned if a negative reinforcer is ____.

removed, following the behavior

A rat pushes a bar and receives a reduction in a painful stimulus. His bar pushing increases in frequency. This procedure is called ___.

negative reinforcement

Each time a rat pushes a bar he is shown a red triangle. He pushes the bar less and less. What do we call this procedure?

positive punishment

If a sales person is paid only when she makes a sale, she is on a ___ schedule of reinforcement.

ratio

Partial schedules of reinforcement make extinction ___.

more difficult

A sales manager tells his staff that they will get paid each time they make a sale. But, of course, they must call a number of people to make a sale. What type of schedule is this?

VR

Mikey took a new route through his neighborhood on his way to school, but knew which way to turn at each point because he had a formed a ____.

cognitive map

Your uncle had an accident on a train and now he is too nervous to ride one again. A psychologist would recommend therapy focused on ____.

extinction

A student runs around the room when it is time to do arithmetic. The S^D is ____.

time to do arithmetic

If a person learns fear of butterflies because people scream when they see a butterfly, then what is the CS?

the butterfly

In the above question, what is the CR?

the fear of butterflies

If a child swears only when dad is around, then what is the R?

swearing

In the above question, what do we call dad?

the S^D

Each time he scores a basket, Frank’s coach says he can do 2 fewer push-ups after practice. What type of learning is this?

negative reinforcement

Susan is learning to play the violin and finds the fingering easy because she plays guitar. What principle is involved here?

generalization

When talking to one sister, Mark has learned not to mention babies, but he talks about babies with his other sister all the time. What principle is involved here?

discrimination

Which of these is an example of classical conditioning?

Mary gets nervous when it’s time to do math

A little girl was startled by a loud noise just as she reached for an ice cream cone and now she is frightened of ice cream cones. What type of learning is this?

classical conditioning

In the previous question, what is the CS?

The ice cream cone

Where on the learning curve does learning occur at the fastest rate?

the beginning

In backwards conditioning the _____.

US comes before the CS

In trace conditioning, the CS ____.

is off when the US comes on

If a rat learns to dislike a certain food because it make him sick, this is called ____.

taste aversion

If an American flag is used as a stimulus to condition people to like a politician, this is an example:

higher-order conditioning

A professor pauses, opens his eyes wide, and raises his eyebrows when he expects students to write something into their notes. These gestures serve as ____.

discriminative stimuli

Psychologists usually do not recommend ____.

punishment

Stimulus control is sometimes used to change behavior. This involves using the ____.

discriminative stimulus

Which of the following is an example of negative reinforcement?

a student takes a different route to school to avoid a bully