Modules 3.7 and 3.8 - Behaviorism

Learning

The process of acquiring through experience new and relatively enduring information or behaviors

Habituation

Type of learning where an organisms response to a repeated stimulus decreases over time

Sensory Adaptation

When sensory receptors stop registering the presence of an unchanging stimulus

Associative Learning

Connections form between stimuli or between a stimulus and a response, enabling them to anticipate events and guide behavior

Classical Conditioning

We associate 2 stimuli and it helps anticipate an event

Operant Conditioning

We associate a behavior and its consequence

Stimulus

Any event or situation that evokes a response

Respondent Behavior

Behavior that occurs as an automatic response to some stimulus

Operant Behavior

Behavior that operates on an environment producing a consequence

Behaviorism

Asserts that psychology should be an objective science and study behavior without reference to mental process

Neutral Stimulus

A stimulus that elicits no response before conditioning (bell —> no salivation)

Unconditioned Response

an unlearned, naturally occurring response (salivation)

Unconditioned Stimulus

A stimulus that naturally and automatically triggers an unconditioned response (meat powder —> salivation)

Conditioned Response

A learned response to a previously neutral but now conditioned stimulus (bell —> salivation after conditioning)

Conditioned Stimulus

An originally neutral stimulus after US comes to trigger a response (salivation after the bell)

Acquisition

The first time the response occurs when only the NS is presented (when the dog began to associate the bell/NS with the meat powder/US)

Higher-order conditioning

When the CS is paired with a neutral stimulus, creating a second (often weaker) conditioned stimulus

Extinction

The diminishing of a CR; occurs when the US does not follow a CS

Spontaneous Recovery

The reappearance, after a pause, of an extinguished conditioned response (once food/US and bell/CS are paired again dog will salivate with bell)

Generalization

The tendency, once a response has been conditioned, for similar stimuli to the CS to elicit similar responses (dog salivates/CR to any bell/CS even if it sounds slightly different)

Discrimination

The learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and similar stimuli that do not signal the US (dog does not salivate/CR to other bells only the original tone/CS)

Biological Preparedness

A predisposition to learn associations … taste aversions if made sick we will stay away (blue jays rejecting monarch butterflies. They taste bad due to milkweed toxins)

One-trial learning

The single pairing of the food and illness may be enough to make the association (getting violently ill from food poisoning after eating sushi once)

Law of Effect

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

Operant Chamber (a.k.a. Skinner Box)

A chamber containing a lever that an animal can manipulate to obtain a food or water reinforcer: attached devices record the animals rate of bar pressing or key pecking

Reinforcement

Any event that strengthens the behavior it follows

Shaping

Reinforcers guide behavior towards closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior (clapping and booing)

Positive Reinforcement

Increasing behaviors by presenting a pleasurable stimulus, when presented after a response, strengthens the response

Negative Reinforcement

Increasing behaviors by stopping or reducing an aversive stimulus, when removed offer a response, strengthens the response (not a punishment)

Primary Reinforcer

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

Secondary Reinforcer

Stimulus that gains its reinforcing power through its association with a primary reinforcer

Immediate Reinforcer

Follows a behavior instantly (works with ALL)

Delayed Reinforcer

Occurs after a time gap (getting paid) - works better for humans

Reinforcement Schedule

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

Continuous Reinforcement Schedule

Reinforcing the desired response every time it occurs. Most shaping. Learning and extinction = fast

Partial/Intermittent Reinforcement

Reinforcing a response only part of the time. Learning and extinction = slower

Fixed-Ratio / Set #

Reinforces a response only after a specified number of responses

Variable-Ratio / Random #

Reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses (ex. fishing)

Fixed-Interval / Set time

Reinforces a response only after a specified time has elapsed (ex. weekly paycheck)

Variable-Interval / Random Time

Reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals (ex. waiting for an elevator)

Positive punishment

Administering an averse stimulus (ex. speeding ticket)

Negative punishment

Withdrawing a desirable stimulus (ex. losing phone privileges)

Instinctive Drift

Tendency of learned behavior to gradually revert to biologically predisposed patterns (ex. Pigs trained to “pick up” coins revert to pushing with snout)