PSY 105 CH 6 -Learning

:D

What is the difference between instincts and reflexes?

Reflexes are a motor reaction to a specific stimulus. They are simpler than instincts. Instincts, on the other hand, are behaviours triggered by certain events, such as social connection, :D, and basic needs like water, food, and shelter.

What is learning?

Through experience, your behaviours and knowledge is always changing due to what you learn.

What is associative learning, and what are the three kinds?

When you make connections between things in your environment. They are classical, operant, and observational.

What did Ivan Pavlov research, and what term did he come up with?

Dogs associated the sound of the bell/scientist’s footsteps with dinnertime, known as classical conditioning. 

On the topic of classical conditioning, what is the difference between unconditioned and conditioned responses?

Unconditioned responses are natural, whereas conditioned responses are learned. For example, salivation is an unconditioned response. It’s going to happen whether you like it or not. But if you train a dog to associate the bell with food so that he salivates, then that would illicit a conditioned response.

What are the stages before conditioning? Un - stim & resp.

Unconditioned stimulus (UCS) – stimulus that elicits a reflexive response (food).
Unconditioned response –UCR) – a natural unlearned reaction to a stimulus
(salivation in response to food).

                                                     Food (UCS) → Salivation (UCR)

What are the stages during conditioning? -Neutral

Neutral stimulus (NS) - The stimulus on its own does not illicit a response.

Bell (NS) + Food (UCS) → Salivation (UCR)

What are the stages after conditioning?

Conditioned stimulus (CS) – stimulus that elicits a response after repeatedly being
paired with an unconditioned stimulus.
Conditioned response (CR) – the behavior caused by the conditioned stimulus.

Bell (CS) → Salivation (CR)

What is higher-order conditioning and an example?

A conditioned stimulus that has already been established is paired with a new neutral stimulus. For example, a cat could salivate at sound of can opener, and also a squeaky door for where the can is stored.

What is acquisition?

Refers to the period of time when an individual is still connecting an unconditioned stimulus to the neutral stimulus.

What is extinction?

When the unconditioned stimulus is no longer presented with the conditioned stimulus

Spontaneous recovery is:

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

Stimulus discrimination

When an organism responds differently to stimuli that are similar (eg. different bells with different tones mean different things)

Stimulus generalization

When an organism demonstrates a conditioned response to the stimuli that are similar to the conditioned stimulus. For example, you may have been conditioned to dislike one specific spider, then you’ll probably dislike them all.

What is habituation?

When you learn to tune out a stimulus that is consistently presented with no change. Eg, ticking of clock.

What is behaviourism, and who studied it?

John B Watson studied it. Refers to understanding the mind through observable behaviour. He reasoned that the principles of classical conditioning could be applied to emotions.

What was the little albert study?

1. Presented with neutral stimuli (rabbit, dog, cotton wool, a white rat etc).
2. Watson then paired these with a loud sound every time Little Albert touched the stimulus that caused him to feel fear.
3. After repeated pairings, Little Albert became fearful of the stimulus alone, such as the white rabbit.

What is operant conditioning?

Operant conditioning was proposed by BF Skinner. When you associate behaviour with a certain consequence that causes you to either do it/refrain from doing it.

What are the 4 kinds of operant conditioning?

Positive, negative, reinforcement, punishment.

What does each one mean?

Positive – to add something.
Negative– to take something away.
Reinforcement – increasing a behavior.
Punishment – decreasing a behavior.

What is the difference between classical and operant conditioning?

Classical conditioning is when an unconditioned stimulus is paired with a neutral stimulus so that it leads to an involuntary response. Operant conditioning, on the other hand, has to do with learning through consequences that either strengthen or get rid of behaviours.

What was the skinner box?

Studied by bf skinner. To study operant conditioning, Skinner placed animals inside an operant
conditioning chamber (Skinner box) containing a lever that when pressed causes
food to be dispensed as a reward.

Positive vs. negative punishment and examples?

Positive punishment – something is added to decrease the likelihood of a behavior.
- Scolding a student for texting in class.
Negative punishment – something is removed to decrease the likelihood of a behavior.
- Taking away a favorite toy when a child misbehaves.

What is the difference between primary and secondary reinforcers?

Primary reinforcers give you something tangible, like a sticker reward. Secondary reinforcement has to do with things that have NO inherent value; but inherent value has been placed on them. Examples are praise, tokens, and money.

What does norepinephrine have to do with gambling?

Some research suggests that pathological gamblers use gambling to compensate for abnormally low levels of the hormone norepinephrine, which is associated with stress and is secreted in moments of arousal and thrill.

Can learning occur without reinforcement? How?

Yes, through and latent learning, which is learning that occurs but is not observable in behavior until there is a reason to demonstrate it.
For example, children may learn behaviors from their parents that they do not demonstrate until
they are older. Example teacher gave in class loll.

What is the social learning theory? What scientist was behind it?

Albert Bandura, he believed that observational learning had more to do than just with imitation. He said that it had to do with internal mental processes, could be more internal than just copying.

What are the four steps in the modelling process?

1. Attention – focus on the behavior.
2. Retention – remember what you observed.
3. Reproduction – be able to perform the behavior.
4. Motivation – must want to copy the behavior.