PSYC 181 Unit 1 exam- chapter 6

What is learning?

Learning is the process of acquiring new and bad relatively enduring information and behaviors

What are the 3 categories of learning?

Classical Conditioning, Operant Conditioning, and cignitive learning

What is Classical Conditioning?

Learning to link two stimuli in a way that helps us anticipate an event to which we have a reaction

What is Operant Conditioning?

changing behavior in response to consequences

What is Cognitive Learning?

acquiring new behaviors and information through observation and information, rather than by direct experience

What is an example of Classical Conditioning?

In class activity with fun dip and word or covering ears after seeing lightning

What is a stimulus?

What happens to the environment (seeing lightning)

What is a response?

The reaction to it (covering our ears)

What did pavlovs study discover?

proved that specific behaviors and habits are shaped and learned over time through environmental triggers rather than remaining entirely fixed

What are the variables in pavlovs study?

Neutral Stimulus (NS), Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS), Conditioned Stimulus (CS), Unconditioned Response (UCR), and Conditioned Response (CR)

What is a Neutral Stimulis?

A stimulus that evokes no response before conditioning. (The bell before learning)

What is the Unconditioned Stimulus?

A trigger that naturally and automatically causes a reflexive reaction without any prior training (the food)

What is a Conditioned Stimulis?

The former neutral stimulus that, after being repeatedly paired with the food, triggers a learned reaction. (the bell after learning)

What is the Unconditioned Response?

The natural, unlearned reaction to the unconditioned stimulus, such as a dog salivating when it sees or tastes food (salivation to food before learning)

What is the Conditioned response?

Learned response to previously neutral stimuli (salivation to bell after learning)

What is an Acquisition?

Association between a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus

What is the extiction?

A removal of the conditioned response by getting rid of the stimulus

What is spontaneous recovery?

The return of a conditioned response

What is Stimulus generalization?

The tendency to have conditioned responses triggered by related stimuli

What is stimulus discrimination?

Learned ability to respond only to a specific stimulus

What is operant conditoning?

a method of learning where voluntary behavior is modified by its consequences, such as rewards or punishments

What makes Operant Conditioning differnt from Classical Conditioning?

Operant conditioning uses reinforcement to shape behavior. Classical conditioning uses repeated stimuli to achieve the desired behavior.

Describe Thorndike’s Law of Effect

By using favorable consequences (positive reinforcement) the learned behavior is more likely

What is a positive reinforcemnet and an example

Pleasant consequences to strengthen a link between behavior (candy to a child for helping someone)

What is a negative reinforcemnet and an example

Removes an undesirable consequence ( a grounding is shortend by two days for good behavior)

What is positive punishment?

Add something unpleasant ( a spanking)

What is a negative punishment

taking away something pleasant (a trip to the park)

What are the benefits of continuous reinforcement?

Rapid learning, immediate feedback, and good for new skills

What are the consequences of continuous reinforcement?

Higher rate of extinction, decline of interest in rewards, resource- intensive, and dependence on rewards

What are the benefits of intermittent reinforcement?

High persistence, resistance to extinction, efficient maintenance, and dopamine boost

What are the drawbacks of intermittent reinforcement?

Addictive cycles, toxic relationships, anxiety and confusions, eroded self-worth

What is a Fixed ratio?

reinforce behavior after a set number of responses

What is a fixed interval?

reinforced after a fixed time period

What is a Variable Ratio?

reinforce behavior after a varying and unpredictable number of responses

What is a Variable interval?

reinforce behavior after variable time periods

What is Applied Behavior Analysis and how does it relate to operant conditioning?

Applying techniques of behavior modification to people

What is shaping?

Uses reinforcement to guide an individual's actions towards a desired behavior

Describe how to use a Token Economy. What is an example of one?

Tokens (rewards) are provided after desirable behaviors (a dog receives a treat after a trick)

Define Insight Learning and give an example

A cognitive form of learning where a solution to a problem appears suddenly, rather than through slow trial and error (tha a-ha moment)

Deifine Latent Learning and give an example

a type of learning that occurs without any immediate reward or visible sign of the behavior, but remains hidden until there is a motivation or incentive to use it (building a routine)

What happened with the rats in Tolman’s maze?

A rat that only learned a fixed chain of turns would have no reason to choose a brand-new path toward the goal.

Explain observational learning and give an example

The process of acquiring new behaviors, skills, or attitudes by watching and copying others (how to talk to talk)

What happened in the Bobo the Clown Study?

Children can learn aggressive behaviors purely by observing and imitating adults, without any direct rewards or punishments

Who is responsible for describing observational learning?

Alberta Bandura

What is higher-order conditioning?

a learning process where an existing conditioned stimulus is paired with a new neutral stimulus so that the new stimulus starts triggering the conditioned response without ever being paired with the original unconditioned stimulus (old command, new trick)

What type of real-world learning does classical conditioning account for?

involuntary, reflexive, and emotional associative learning

Who was Little Albert and what happened to him

A 9 month infant used to test if human fear can be learned through classical conditioning