Modules 3.7-3.9 "Learning"

Learning

The process of acquiring new and enduring info or behaviors by experiences.

Association

The mind’s tendency to naturally connect events that occur in sequence. The way we learn and make habits.

Conditioning/Associative Learning

Learning that certain events occur together.

Respondent Behavior

Occurs as an automatic response to a stimulus in classical conditioning.

Operant Behaviors

Behaviors that depend and operate on the environment, eliciting a response in operant conditioning.

Cognitive Learning

The acquisition of mental info via observation of events, people, or language. Includes Observational Learning.

What was Ivan Pavlov’s Legacy’s 2 Key Ideas?

1. Various stimuli can be classically conditioned to various responses in various organisms.

2. Psychology can be 100% objective: as when Pavlov used the volume of saliva to determine dog’s response to food.

Acquisition (In Classical)

The initial stage where the N.S. and U.C.R are linked. Only occurs if the UCR comes after the NS.

Extinction (In Classical)

After conditioning, diminished response when the CS doesn’t lead to the CR.

Generalization (In Classical)

The tendency for stimuli similar to the CS to also cause the CR: allows adaptation of fears.

Discrimination (In Classical)

The ability to tell between a CS and its similar but irrelevant stimulus: allows adaptation as certain stimuli have bad consequences.

Higher Order Conditioning

A procedure when a NS is paired with a CS that already has a CR, causing that NS to also be a CS.

Perparedness

A biological tendency to learn associations that have survival value.

Taste Aversion Response

Esp. in rats, the aversion to toxic or seemingly toxic food based on it’s taste.

One-Trial Conditioning

The immediate acquisition in conditioning where further associations won’t be strengthened by further responses.

Neural Stimuli

A stimulus that elicits no response before conditioning.

Unconditioned Stimuli

A stimulus that naturally & automatically causes an UCR.

Unconditioned Response

An unlearned, automatic, natural response to a UCS.

Conditioned Stimulus

A NS that has been associated with a UCS, causing a CR.

Conditioned Response

A learned response to a previous neutral stimulus but now conditioned response.

Operant Conditioning

A type of learning where a behavior follows the Law of Effect.

Law of Effect

Edward Thorndike’s theory on how behaviors with rewards are more likely to than those with punishment.

Operant Chamber

Used in operant conditioning research, a chamber with:

• level, key, or button for animal

• dispenser for food

• recorder to record animal’s responses.

Reinforcers (Positive & Negative)

Reinforcers are events that strengthens the behavior it follows. Positive does this by giving a pleasurable stimuli, while negative removes an aversive stimuli.

Primary Reinforcer

A naturally reinforcing stimuli that satisfies a biological need.

Secondary/Conditioned Reinforcer

A stimuli that gains its reinforcing powers via association with a primary reinforcer.

Delayed Reinforcer

Reinforcers that are delayed after a response. In humans, it delays gratification teaching us the importance of grit.

Immediate Reinforcers

Reinforcer that follows a response immediately. It promotes immediate learning. It can be things like receiving live test scores or eating candy on Halloween. It is more alluring, especially for teens.

Discriminative Stimulus

A specific stimulus to be responded in a specific way, while also discerning it from similar stimuli.

Shaping

A procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior toward one that is desired by:

• Building off existing behaviors

• SUCCESIVE APPROXIMATION: giving reinforcers as behavior nears the desired one.

Reinforcement Schedules

A pattern that defines when and how often a response will be reinforced.

Continuous Reinforcement Schedule

Reinforcing the desired response every time. Learning occurs rapidly, but with high likelihood of extinction.

Partial (Intermittent) Reinforcement Schedule

Reinforcing the response only part of the time; Learning is slower, but resistant to extinction.

Punishment (Positive & Negative)

Punishers are events that tend to decrease the behavior it follows. Positive punishers add an aversive stimuli and negative punishers take away an rewarding stimuli to do so.

Instinctive Drift

The tendency of learnt behaviors to gradually revert to biologically predisposed patterns.

Predictability

In classical conditioning, the cognitive ability to determine how often an event precedes an CS that triggers a CR/UCR.

Expectancy

The awareness of how likely the UCS will occur.

Cognitive Map

A mental layout of one’s environment.

Latent Learning

Learning that occurs but is not apparent until there is a need to demonstrate it.

Insight Learning

Solving problems through sudden insight without associations, consequence, or examples.

Obervational/Social Learning

Following Social Learning Theory, learning behavior by observing and imitating others.

Modeling

The process of observing and imitating a specific behavior like speaking a native language.

Vicarious Conditioning

Especially in children, learning via experiencing other’s consequences — especially those we see as similar to us or likeable — through observation.

Mirror Neurons

Neurons that fire (for example in the frontal cortex) when certain actions or observations of others take place. Enables imitation and empathy.

Prosocial Behavior

Positive, Constructive, Helpful behavior that have good effects, like encouraging others to do good deeds.

Antisocial Behavior

Negative, Destructive, Harmful behavior with antisocial effects.

Violence-Viewing Effect

Aggression learned by viewing violent media especially in those that:

• Have an attractive perpetuator.

• Dismiss the violence.

• Justifies/realistically depicts violence.

• Hide the victim’s pain.