PSYC 1000U - Chapter 7: Learning - Active Recall Flashcards

What is the definition of learning in psychology?

A relatively durable change in behavior or knowledge due to experience or practice.\n

What areas of behavior are affected by learning besides academics?

Habits, emotional responses, preferences, fears, personality traits.\n

What are the three major behavioral approaches to learning?

Classical Conditioning, Operant Conditioning, Observational Learning.\n

Who are the key figures in the behaviorist approach?

John B. Watson and B.F. Skinner.\n

What did behaviorists focus on and reject?

Focused on observable behavior; rejected introspection.\n

What did Watson and Skinner believe about behavior?

It could be predicted and controlled.\n

What were Watson's and Skinner's real-world applications?

Watson went into advertising; Skinner envisioned utopian societies.\n

What is an Unconditioned Stimulus (US)?

A stimulus that naturally triggers a response (e.g., food, pain).\n

What is an Unconditioned Response (UR)?

A natural, unlearned response to the US (e.g., salivation).\n

What is a Neutral Stimulus (NS)?

A stimulus that elicits no response before conditioning.\n

What is a Conditioned Stimulus (CS)?

A former NS that now triggers a response due to learning.\n

What is a Conditioned Response (CR)?

A learned response to a previously neutral stimulus.\n

What happened in Pavlov's dog experiment?

Dogs were conditioned to salivate to a bell that signaled food.\n

In Pavlov's experiment, what was the NS, US, UR, CS, and CR?

NS = Bell; US = Food; UR = Salivation; CS = Bell; CR = Salivation to bell.\n

What matters most in classical conditioning?

The stimulus causing the behavior, not the behavior itself.\n

How is classical conditioning seen in everyday life?

Altoid prank (The Office), pets reacting to can openers, etc.\n

What did Watson's "Little Albert" study show?

Fears can be learned through classical conditioning.\n

What did Little Albert generalize his fear to?

White rabbit, fur coat, Santa Claus mask.\n

What is acquisition?

Initial learning of the association between NS and US.\n

What is the optimal timing between NS and US?

~0.5 seconds before US.\n

What is generalization?

Similar stimuli elicit the same conditioned response.\n

What is discrimination?

Ability to distinguish between different stimuli.\n

What is extinction?

CR fades when CS is presented without US.\n

What is spontaneous recovery?

Return of CR after time delay without retraining.\n

What is systematic desensitization?

Gradual exposure to feared stimulus + relaxation to extinguish CR.\n

What is aversive conditioning?

Pairing an unwanted behavior with an unpleasant stimulus.\n

Why does aversive conditioning often fail long-term?

Due to extinction and cognitive awareness of context.\n

What is operant conditioning?

Learning in which behavior is influenced by its consequences.\n

What is Thorndike's Law of Effect?

Behaviors followed by satisfying outcomes are likely to be repeated.\n

What did Skinner use to study behavior?

The Operant Chamber (Skinner Box).\n

What is positive reinforcement?

Adding a pleasant stimulus to increase behavior.\n

What is negative reinforcement?

Removing an unpleasant stimulus to increase behavior.\n

What is positive punishment?

Adding an aversive stimulus to decrease behavior.\n

What is negative punishment?

Removing a pleasant stimulus to decrease behavior.\n

Give an example of positive reinforcement.

Dog sits → gets a treat.\n

Give an example of negative reinforcement.

Fasten seatbelt → annoying beep stops.\n

Give an example of positive punishment.

Spray water on dog for barking.\n

Give an example of negative punishment.

Teen misses curfew → phone taken away.\n

What does positive mean in conditioning?

Adding something (not necessarily good).\n

What does negative mean in conditioning?

Removing something (not necessarily bad).\n

Scolded for late homework — which type?

Positive punishment.\n

Praise for studying — which type?

Positive reinforcement.\n

Headache gone after Advil — which type?

Negative reinforcement.\n

What is shaping in operant conditioning?

Reinforcing successive steps toward a desired behavior.\n

What is continuous reinforcement?

Reinforcing behavior every time it occurs.\n

What is partial reinforcement?

Reinforcing behavior only some of the time.\n

Fixed-Ratio Schedule?

Reinforcement after a set number of responses.\n

Variable-Ratio Schedule?

Reinforcement after unpredictable number of responses.\n

Fixed-Interval Schedule?

Reinforcement after a fixed time period.\n

Variable-Interval Schedule?

Reinforcement at unpredictable time intervals.\n

What is observational learning?

Learning by watching others and imitating their behavior.\n

Who studied observational learning?

Albert Bandura.\n

What did the Bobo Doll Experiment show?

Children imitated aggressive behavior seen in adults.\n

What is vicarious reinforcement?

Learning through observing others being rewarded.\n

What is vicarious punishment?

Learning through observing others being punished.\n