Learning Psychology

Flashcards covering key vocabulary terms related to learning, including classical conditioning, operant conditioning, nonassociative learning, and observational learning, as well as associated concepts and techniques.

Learning

A relatively enduring change in behavior, resulting from experience.

Conditioning

The process through which associations develop, either stimulus-stimulus (S-S) via classical conditioning or response-stimulus (R-S) via operant conditioning.

Associative learning

Linking two stimuli, or a response and an event, that occur together.

Nonassociative learning

Learning about a stimulus, such as sight or sound, in the external world without linking it to another event or response.

Observational learning

Learning by watching how others behave.

Habituation

A decrease in behavioral response after repeated exposure to a stimulus, especially if the stimulus is neither harmful nor rewarding.

Sensitization

An increase in behavioral response after repeated exposure to a stimulus, particularly those that are threatening or painful.

Classical (Pavlovian) conditioning

A neutral object comes to elicit a response when it is associated with an emotionally-charged stimulus that already produces that response.

Operant conditioning

A learning process in which the consequences of an action (behavior) determine the likelihood that it will be performed in the future (RàS).

Salivary reflex

An automatic response, such as salivation, when a food stimulus is presented to a hungry animal, studied by Ivan Pavlov.

Neutral stimulus (NS)

Anything an animal can see or hear as long as it is not associated with the reflex being tested.

Unconditioned stimulus (US)

A stimulus that elicits a response, such as a reflex, without any prior learning.

Unconditioned response (UR)

A response that does not have to be learned, such as a reflex.

Conditioned stimulus (CS)

A stimulus that elicits a response only after learning has taken place, previously a neutral stimulus.

Conditioned response (CR)

A response to a conditioned stimulus; a response that has been learned.

Acquisition (classical conditioning)

The gradual formation of an association between the conditioned and unconditioned stimuli (CS–US).

Stimulus generalization

Learning that occurs when stimuli that are similar, but not identical, to the conditioned stimulus produce the conditioned response.

Stimulus discrimination

A differentiation between two similar stimuli when only one of them is consistently associated with the unconditioned stimulus.

Extinction (classical conditioning)

A process in which the conditioned response is weakened when the conditioned stimulus is repeated without the unconditioned stimulus.

Spontaneous recovery

A process in which a previously extinguished conditioned response reemerges after the presentation of the conditioned stimulus.

Conditioned taste aversion

The association between eating a food and getting sick, which can occur in one trial even if the illness occurs hours later.

Biological preparedness

The idea that animals are genetically programmed to fear specific objects or to be conditioned to certain stimuli faster/stronger.

Phobia

A learned fear out of proportion to the real threat of an object or of a situation.

Little Albert case study

An experiment by J. B. Watson demonstrating that classical conditioning can cause people to fear neutral objects, leading to phobia development.

Counterconditioning

A classical conditioning technique used to treat phobias by exposing a patient to small doses of the feared stimulus while engaging in an enjoyable task.

Law of Effect

Edward Thorndike's principle that any behavior leading to a 'satisfying state of affairs' is likely to occur again, and any behavior leading to an 'annoying state of affairs' is less likely to occur again.

Reinforcer

A stimulus that follows a response and increases the likelihood that the response will be repeated.

Shaping

An operant-conditioning technique that consists of reinforcing behaviors that are increasingly similar to the desired behavior through successive approximations.

Primary reinforcers

Stimuli that satisfy biological needs such as food or water.

Secondary reinforcers

Learned events or objects that serve as reinforcers but do not satisfy biological needs (e.g., money or compliments).

Positive reinforcement

The administration of a stimulus to increase the probability of a behavior being repeated (Rà something pleasant given).

Negative reinforcement

The removal of a stimulus to increase the probability of a behavior being repeated (Rà something unpleasant or aversive REMOVED).

Continuous reinforcement

A type of learning in which behavior is reinforced each time it occurs.

Partial reinforcement

A type of learning in which behavior is reinforced intermittently.

Fixed Interval Schedule (FI)

Reinforcement is provided after a certain, fixed amount of time has passed.

Variable Interval Schedule (VI)

Reinforcement is provided after an average, unpredictable amount of time.

Fixed Ratio Schedule (FR)

Reinforcement is provided after a fixed number of responses have been made.

Variable Ratio Schedule (VR)

Reinforcement is provided after an average, unpredictable number of responses.

Punishment

A consequence that decreases the probability that a behavior will recur.

Positive punishment

The administration of a stimulus to decrease the probability of a behavior recurring (e.g., spanking added).

Negative punishment

The removal of a stimulus to decrease the probability of a behavior recurring (e.g., cell phone removed).

Behavior modification

The use of operant-conditioning techniques to eliminate unwanted behaviors and to increase desirable behaviors using positive reinforcement.

Biological Constraints on Operant Learning

The difficulty animals have learning behaviors that run counter to their evolutionary adaptation, despite operant reinforcement.

Observational learning (social learning)

The acquisition or modification of a behavior after exposure to another individual performing that behavior.

Modeling

The imitation of observed behavior.

Vicarious learning

Learning the consequences of an action by watching others being rewarded or punished for performing the same action.