Psych Chapter 4: Learning

learning

any relatively permanent change in behavior that results from experience or practice

maturation

any change due to biology, not experience or practice, such as getting taller

classical conditioning

learning to make an involuntary response (reflex) to a stimulus other than the original natural stimulus that normally produces that reflex

unconditioned stimulus (UCS)

stimulus that naturally produces an involuntary response

unconditioned response (UCR)

involuntary response (reflex) that naturally occurs after an unconditioned stimulus

neutral stimulus (NS)

stimulus that does not naturally produce an involuntary response

conditioned stimulus (CS)

the previously neutral stimulus that when paired enough with the UCS can produce an involuntary response on its own

conditioned response (CR)

learned reflex response to the conditioned stimulus

interstimulus interval (ISI)

amount of time between presentation of NS and UCS

stimulus generalization

tendency for a similar stimulus to the conditioned stimulus to produce the same conditioned result

stimulus discrimination

tendency to stop making a conditioned response to a similar stimulus because that similar stimulus is never paired with the UCS

extinction

disappearance or weakening of a conditioned response to a conditioned stimulus after it stops being paired with the UCS

spontaneous recovery

brief and weak reappearance of the conditioned response after the CS is reintroduced after being absent for a while

higher order conditioning

occurs when a strong conditioned stimulus is paired with a new neutral stimulus so that the new stimulus becomes a second conditioned stimulus

conditioned emotional response (CER)

emotional response such as fear that has become classically conditioned to occur to a learned stimulus

vicarious conditioning

classical conditioning of a reflex response or emotion by watching the reaction of another person

conditioned taste aversion

development of a nauseous or sick reaction to a particular taste if that same taste was followed by a nauseous reaction even once in the past

biological preparedness

tendency of animals to learn certain associations, such as taste and nausea, with only one or a few pairings due to survival value of learning

stimulus substitutions (Pavlov’s explanation)

the neutral stimulus activates the same part of the brain as the UCS if paired often enough with it

cognitive perspective (modern theory)

the conditioned stimulus “predicts” that the UCS is coming

law of effect

if an action is followed by a pleasure able effect, it tends to be repeated; if action is followed by unpleasant effect, it tends not to be repeated

operant conditioning

the learning of voluntary behavior through the pleasant and unpleasant effects of our actions

reinforcement

any event or stimulus that, when following a response, makes that response MORE likely to happen again

positive reinforcement

reinforcement of a response by adding a pleasurable stimulus

negative reinforcement

reinforcement of a response by removal of, escape from, or avoidance of an unpleasant stimulus

punishment

any event or stimulus that, when following a response, makes that response LESS likely to happen again

punishment by application (positive punishment)

punishment of a response by adding unpleasant stimulus

punishment by removal (negative punishment)

punishment of a response by the removal of a pleasant stimulus

primary reinforcer

any reinforcer that is naturally reinforcing by meeting a basic biological need, such as hunger, thirst, or touch

secondary reinforcer

any reinforcer that becomes reinforcing after being paired with a primary reinforcer, such as praise, tokens, or gold stars

partial reinforcement

offering the reinforcement after some, but not all, of the desired responses

continuous reinforcement

offering the reinforcement after each and every desired response

interval schedules

reinforcement given based on intervals of TIME

fixed interval

reinforcement given after fixed amounts of time, as long as correct response occurs at least once in that interval

variable interval

reinforcement given after varying amounts of time, as long as the correct response occurs at least once in the interval

ratio schedules

reinforcement given after a fixed amount of correct responses

fixed ratio

reinforcement given after a fixed amount of correct responses

variable ratio

reinforcement given after varying amounts of correct responses

rapid, even rate of response

variable ratio

rapid, broken rate of response

fixed ratio

slow, even rate of response

variable interval

slow, broken rate of response

fixed interval

discriminative stimuli

any stimulus that provides an organism with a cue for making a certain response in order to get reinforcement

shaping

reinforcing simple steps in behavior that lead to a desired, more complex behavior

successive approximations

small steps in behavior, one after the other, that lead to a particular objective behavior

behavior modification

using classical or operant conditioning techniques to bring about desired changes in behavior

applied behavioral analysis (ABA)

term for behavior modification plans in which skills are broke down into simplest steps and then reinforced, typically used for children with disorders such as autism or training animals

biofeedback

using feedback about biological conditions to bring involuntary responses, such as blood pressure, under control

neurofeedback

form of biofeedback using brain scanning techniques to provide feedback about brain activity to modify behavior