Psych Modules 26-27

Learning

Learning

The process of acquiring new and relatively enduring information or behaviors

Habituation

An organism’s decreasing response to a stimulus with repeated exposure to it 

Associative Learning

Learning that certain events occur together

The events may be two stimuli (as in classical conditioning) or a response and its consequences (as in operant conditioning)

Stimulus

Any event or situation that evokes a response

Cognitive Learning

The acquisition of mental information, whether by observing events, by watching others, or through language

Classical Conditioning

A type of learning in which one learns to link two or more stimuli and anticipate events

Behaviorism

The view that psychology (1) should be an objective science that (2) studies behavior without references to mental processes

Most research psychologists today agree with (1) but not (2)

Neutral Stimulus (NS)

A stimulus that elicits no response before conditioning

Unconditioned Response (UR)

An unlearned, naturally occurring response (ex. salivation) to an unconditioned stimulus (US) (ex. food in the mouth)

Unconditioned Stimulus (US)

A stimulus that unconditionally- naturally and automatically- triggers a response (UR)

Conditioned Response (CR)

A learned response to a previously neutral, but now conditioned stimulus (CS)

Conditioned Stimulus (CS)

An originally irrelevant stimulus that, after association with an unconditioned stimulus (US), comes to trigger a conditioned response (CR)

Acquisition

In classical conditioning, the initial stage where one links a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus so that the neutral stimulus begins triggering the conditioned response

In operant conditioning, the strengthening of a reinforced response

Higher-order Conditioning

(AKA second-order conditioning)

A procedure in which the conditioned stimulus in one conditioning experience is paired with a new neutral stimulus, creating a second (often weaker) conditioned stimulus 

Extinction

The diminishing of a conditioned response; occurs in classical conditioning when an unconditioned stimulus (US) does not follow a conditioned stimulus (CS)

Occurs in operant conditioning when a response is no longer reinforced

Spontaneous Recovery

The reappearance, after a pause, of an extinct conditioned response

Generalization

The tendency, once a response has been conditioned, for stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus to elicit similar responses

Discrimination

The learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and stimuli that do not signal an unconditioned stimulus

Operant Conditioning

A type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforcer or diminished if followed by a punisher

Law of Effect

Thorndike’s principle that behaviors followed by favorable consequences become more likely, and that behaviors followed by unfavorable consequences become less likely

Operant Chamber

(AKA Skinner Box)

A chamber containing a bar or key that an animal can manipulate to obtain a food or water reinforcer

Attached devices record the animal’s rate of bar pressing or key pecking

Reinforcement

Any event that strengthens the behavior it follows

Shaping

A procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior toward closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior

Discriminative Stimulus

A stimulus that elicits a response after association with reinforcement (in contrast to related stimuli not associated with reinforcement)

Positive Reinforcement

Increasing behaviors by presenting positive reinforcers

Any stimulus that, when presented after a response, strengthens the response

Negative Reinforcement

Increasing behaviors by stopping or reducing negative stimuli

Primary Reinforcer

An innately reinforcing stimulus, such as one that satisfies a biological need

Negative Reinforcer

Any stimulus that, when removed after a response, strengthens the response

Conditioned Reinforcer

(AKA secondary reinforcer)

A stimulus that gains its reinforcing power through its association with a primary reinforcer

Reinforcement Schedule

A pattern that defines how often a desired response will be reinforced

Continuous Reinforcement

Reinforcing a desired response every time it occurs

Partial (intermittent) Reinforcement

Reinforcing a response only part of the time

Results in slower acquisition of a response but much greater resistance to extinction than does continuous reinforcement

Fixed-Ratio Schedule

A reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified number of responses

Variable-Ratio Schedule

A reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses

Fixed-Interval Schedule

A reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified time has elapsed

Variable-Interval Schedule

A reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals

Punishment

An event that tends to decrease the behavior that it follows

Positive Punishment

Giving an undesirable consequence after an unwanted behavior to make it less appealing

Negative Punishment

Reduces a behavior by taking away a favorable stimulus following that action