Psychology in your life chapter 6

Learning

change in behavior resulting from experience

Behaviorism

study of how observable stimuli affect behavior

Habituation

non-associative learning in which an individual is exposed to a stimulus repeatedly, eventually leading to a decreased response

Sensitization

non-associative learning in which an individual is exposed to a stimulus repeatedly, eventually leading to an increased response

Classical Conditioning

learned response through a neutral object comes to elicit a response when associated with a stimulus that already elicits a response

Operant Conditioning

learning process in which an action's consequences determine how likely an action is to be performed in the future

Associative Learning

Learning a relationship between two pieces of information (classical conditioning and operant conditioning are two types)

Observational Learning

Type of social learning in which our behavior changes after watching another person engage in the task

Modeling

Type of social learning in which an individual displays a behavior that imitates a previously observed behavior

Vicarious Conditioning

Type of social learning in which an individual decided whether or not to engage in a behavior after seeing others being rewarded or punished for the behavior

Unconditioned Stimulus

anything that elicits an innate response without any prior learning learning

Unconditioned Response

response to a stimulus that does not need to be learned

Neutral Stimulus

anything that will be associated through conditioning to the unconditioned stimulus

Conditioned Stimulus

previously neutral stimulus that after conditioning elicits the same response as the unconditioned stimulus

Conditioned Response

response to the conditioned stimulus that was previously related to the unconditioned stimulus (usually slightly weaker than the unconditioned response)

Acquisition

gradual formation of a learned association

Extinction

weakening and eventual loss of association between the unconditioned stimulus and neutral stimulus

Spontaneous Recovery

renewal of the association between the neutral and unconditioned stimulus after a long period without association

Generalization

occurs then stimuli that are similar but not the same as the conditioned stimulus elicit the conditioned response

Discrimination

learning to discriminate between two similar stimuli when one is followed by the unconditioned response and the other is not

Operant

an action that is performed on an environment and has consequences

Reinforcer

stimulus that occurs after a response and increases the likelihood that the response will be repeated

Shaping

process of controlling behavior through reinforcing behaviors that are increasingly similar to the desired behavior

Positive Reinforcement

addition of stimulus increases the likelihood of a behavior being repeated

Negative Reinforcement

removal of stimulus increases likelihood of a behavior being repeated

Positive Punishment

addition of stimulus decreases the likelihood of a behavior being repeated

Negative Punishment

removal of a stimulus decreases the likelihood of a behavior being repeated

Behavior Modification

use of operant conditioning principles to eliminate unwanted behaviors and replace them with desired ones

Cognitive Map

visual representation of an area held in the brain

Latent Learning

learning without reinforcement that is held over time, but not observable

What do modern psychologists agree results from experience?

learning

How might a phobia develop through classical conditioning?

generalization of a fear experience from a rational fear inducing stimulus to an irrational stimulus

How might counterconditioning be used to treat a phobia?

the conditioned stimulus can be associated with a different stimulus through conditioned

How might a taste aversion develop through classical conditioning?

people or animals can learn to associate a food item with feelings of nausea, causing them to avoid the item in the future

How were taste aversions used in Yellowstone National Park?

wolves were conditioned to have an aversion to domesticated livestock in the area, directing them to hunt wild animals

What senses are associated with the rapid formation of taste aversions?

taste and smell

What did Robert Rescorla argue about learning and cognition?

the conditioned stimulus is more effective when it PREDICTS the unconditioned stimulus rather than following the US

What is Thorndike's law of effect?

any behavior that leads to a "satisfying state of affairs" is likely to occur again

What has research concluded about partial-reinforcement extinction?

behavior persists longer under partial reinforcement

What was Skinner's recommendation regarding the use of reinforcement and punishment?

Skinner found that reinforcement was more effective than punishment

What has research found about the effectiveness of spanking?

spanking is not effective in correcting children's behavior

What kind of anti-social behavior has childhood spanking been associated with?

What are the six steps toward a successful behavior modification system using operant conditioning?

identify the behavior, set goals, monitor behavior, select a reinforcer, reinforce the behavior, modify the goals, reinforcers and schedules as needed

What neurotransmitter affects the effectiveness of reinforcement?

dopamine

What kind of factors seem to limit the effectiveness of operant conditioning in animals?

biological

What has research into children and modeled prosocial behavior?

prosocial behaviors can also be acquired through observational learning

Under what circumstances can mirror neurons help people learn?

when attempting to predict what will happen to another person