BCC Psych - Learning & Conditioning

made by hannah w

Learning

the process by which experience or practice results in a relatively permanent change in behavior or potential behavior

Conditioning

the acquisition of specific patterns of behavior in the presence of well-defined stimuli

Classical (Pavlovian) Conditioning

the type of learning in which a response naturally elicited by one stimulus comes to be elicited by a different, formerly neutral stimulus

Operant (Instrumental) Conditioning

the type of learning in which behaviors are emitted (in the presence of specific stimuli) to earn rewards or avoid punishments

Unconditioned Stimulus (US)

a stimulus that invariably causes an organism to respond in a specific way

Unconditioned Response (UR)

a response that takes place in an organism whenever an unconditioned stimulus occurs

Conditioned Stimulus (CS)

an originally neutral stimulus that is paired with an unconditioned stimulus and eventually produces the desired response in an organism when presented alone

Conditioned Response (CR)

after conditioning, the response an organism produces when only a conditioned stimulus is presented

Desensitization therapy

a conditioning technique designed to gradually reduce anxiety about a particular object or situation

Conditioned food (or taste) aversion

conditioned avoidance of certain foods even if there is only one pairing of conditioned and unconditioned stimuli

Operant Bx

behavior designed to operate on the environment in a way that will gain something desired or avoid something unpleasant

Reinforcer

a stimulus that follows a behavior and increases the likelihood that the behavior will be repeated

Punisher

a stimulus that follows a behavior and increases the likelihood that the behavior will be repeated

Law of Effect

Thorndike’s theory that behavior consistently rewarded will be “stamped in” as learned behavior, and behavior that brings about discomfort will be “stamped out” (principle of reinforcement)

Positive reinforcer

any event whose presence increases the likelihood that ongoing behavior will occur

Negative reinforcer

any event whose reduction or termination increases the likelihood that ongoing behavior will recur

Punishment

any event whose presence decreases the likelihood that ongoing behavior will recur

Avoidance training

learning a desirable behavior to prevent the occurrence of something unpleasant such as punishment

Learned helplessness

failure to take steps to avoid or escape from an unpleasant or aversive stimulus that occurs as a result of previous exposure to unavoidable painful stimuli

Response acquisition

the “building phase” of conditioning during which the likelihood or strength of the desired response increases

Intermittent pairing

pairing the conditioned stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus on only a portion of the learning trials

Skinner box

a box often used in operant conditioning of animals, limits the available response and increases likelihood that desired response will occur

Shaping

reinforcing successive approximations to a desired behavior

Extinction

a decrease in the strength or frequency of a learned response because of failure to continue pairing the US & CS (classical conditioning) or withholding of reinforcement (operant conditioning)

Spontaneous recovery

the reappearance of an extinguished response after the passage of time, w/o further training

Stimulus generalization

the transfer of a learned response to different but similar stimuli

Stimulus discrimination

learning to respond to only one stimulus and to inhibit the response to all other stimuli

Response generalization

giving a response that is somewhat different from the response originally learned to that stimulus

Higher-order conditioning

classical conditioning in which a conditioned stimulus is used to reinforce further learning; that is a CS is used as if it were a US

Primary Reinforcer

natural properties are reinforcing; food, water, rest, etc.

Secondary Reinforcer

things we have learned to value as reinforcers; praise, money, vacation days, etc.

Contingencies (contingency)

the presence of one response is dependent on one stimulus

Schedule of Reinforcement

a rule or plan for determining which responses will be reinforced and when

Fixed-Interval schedule

schedule requires that a certain amount of time elapse before a response will result in reinforcement (ex. vocab quiz everyday)

Variable-Interval schedule

schedule varies in the amount of time required to elapse before a response will result in reinforcement (ex. pop quiz)

Fixed-Ratio schedule

schedule provides reinforcement after a set number of responses (ex. buy three lattes, get one free)

Variable-Ratio schedule

schedule provides reinforcement based on number of responses, but number varies and is unknown (ex. slot machine)

Biofeedback (instinctive drift)

operant conditioning limited to behaviors that do not go against an animal’s natural instinct

Cognitive learning

higher level learning involving, thinking, knowing, understanding, and anticipation

Latent learning

learning that occurs without obvious reinforcement and that remains unexpressed until reinforcement is provided

Cognitive Map

internal images or other mental representations of an area (maze, city, etc.) that underlie an ability to choose alternative paths to the same goal

Insight

a sudden mental reorganization of a problem that makes the solution obvious

Social learning Theory

combines learning principles with cognitive processes, socialization and modeling to explain bx

Observational Learning Theory (modeling)

learning achieved by watching and imitating the actions of others, or noting the consequences of those actions

Vicarious Reinforcement/Punishment

learning brought about by watching another person react to a stimulus