Learning- Psychology

Unit 6 in the Textbook, How we learn and classical conditioning, Operant conditioning, Biology, cognition, and learning, Observational Learning

Learning

the process of acquiring new info through experience

Habituates

decreasing responsiveness with repeated exposure to a stimulus

Associative Learning

learning that certain events occur together

Respondent Behavior

behavior that occurs as an automatic response to some stimulus

Operant Behaviors

behavior that operates on the environment, producing consequences

Cognitive Learning

acquisition of mental information

Classical Conditioning

a type of learning where we link two or more stimuli

Neutral Stimulus

a stimulus that elicits no response before conditioning

Unconditioned Response

an unlearned naturally occurring response to an unconditioned stimulus

Unconditioned Stimulus

a stimulus that unconditionally triggers an unconditioned response

Conditioned Response

a learned response to a previously neutral stimulus

Conditioned Stimulus

an originally neutral stimulus that comes to trigger a conditioned response

Acquisition

the initial learning of the stimulus-response relationship

Higher-Order Conditioning

the conditioned stimulus is paired with a new neutral stimulus creating a second, weaker, conditioned stimulus

Extinction

the diminishing of a conditioned response

Spontaneous Recovery

the reappearance of a extinguished conditioned response

Generalization

similar stimuli will give similar conditioned responses

Operant Conditioning

a type of learning in which behavior is punished or rewarded

Law of Effect

Rewarded behavior is more likely to reoccur vs punished behavior

Reinforcement

Any event that strengthens the behavior it follows

Shaping

guiding current behavior to the desired behavior

Primary Reinforcers

unlearned stimuli that satisfy a biological need

Conditioned Reinforcers

a learned stimulus reinforced by primary reinforcers

Biofeedback

a system of recording, amplifying, and feeding back information about subtle physiological state

Preparedness

a biological predisposition to learn associations that have survival value

Latent Learning

learning that occurs but is not apparent until there is an incentive to demonstrate it

Insight

a sudden realization of a problem’s solution

Intrinsic Motivation

a desire to preform a behavior effectively for it’s own sake

Extrinsic Motivation

a desire to preform a behavior to receive promised rewards and avoid threatened punishments

Problem-Focused Coping

attempting to alleviate stress directly by changing the stressor or the way we interact with the stressor

Emotion-Focused Coping

attempting to alleviate stress by ignoring the stressor and dealing with the emotional needs related to the stress reaction

Learned Helplessness

the hopelessness a person learns when unable to avoid repeated aversive events

External Locus of Control

the perception that chance and forces beyond our control determine our fate

Internal Locus of Control

the perception that we control our own fate

Self-control

the ability to control impulses for greater long-term rewards

Observational Learning

learning by observing others

Modeling

the process of observing and imitating a specific behavior

Mirror Neurons

Frontal lobe neurons that fire when we preform certain actions or observe another doing so

Prosocial

positive, constructive, helpful behavior