Unit 03: Learning: Operant Conditioning and Social Learning

Operant Conditioning

Involves forming contingencies between voluntary action and its effects.

The Law of Effect

Rewarded behavior is likely to increase; punished behavior is likely to decrease.

Shaping

Rewarding responses that are small and ever-closer to final desired behavior while ignoring all other responses.

Positive Reinforcement

Presenting a pleasant stimulus after response to continue a behavior.

Negative Reinforcement

Removing an unpleasant stimulus after response to continue a behavior.

Avoidance

Taking away aversive stimuli before it begins.

Escape

Taking away aversive stimuli after it has started.

Primary Reinforcer

Stimuli that satisfy some type of biological need.

Secondary Reinforcer

Stimuli that gain power through the association with or promise of a primary reinforcer.

Continuous Reinforcement

Reinforcing desired response each and every time (1:1); leads to the quickest learned associations.

Partial Reinforcement

Reinforcing desired response only part of the time; there are four partial reinforcement schedules.

Fixed Ratio

Reinforces a behavior only after a specific number of responses have been performed. Fast acquisition, very high rate of extinction.

Variable Ratio

Reinforces a behavior only after an unknown number of responses have been performed. Slow acquisition, low rate of extinction.

Fixed Interval

Reinforces a behavior only after a specific amount of time has elapsed. Very fast acquisition, high rate of extinction.

Variable Interval

Reinforces a behavior after an unknown amount of time has elapsed. Very high acquisition, very low rate of extinction.

Positive Punishment

Presenting an unpleasant stimulus after response to decrease a behavior.

Negative Punishment

Removing a pleasant stimulus after response to decrease a behavior.

Latent Learning

Learning that occurs without reinforcement but is not immediately evident; is only shown when motivation to show it is presented.

Cognitive Map

A mental representation of a spatial layout (ex. Map of an area in your head).

Place Cells

Neurons in the hippocampus that only respond when one is in certain spatial areas.

Insight Learning

When the solution to a problem occurs without thought about how to solve the problem.

Overlearning

Practicing newly acquired skills beyond the point of initial mastery, leading to automaticity or other beneficial consequences.

Instinctive Drift

The tendency of an animal to revert to unconscious and automatic behavior that interferes with learned behavior from operant conditioning.

Premack Principle

The notion that people will perform an undesirable action if the reward is to perform a desirable action. Example: I will clean my room if I can play video games.

Intrinsic Motivation

Performing an action simply for the fact that you love to do it.

Extrinsic Motivation

Performing an action for a reward that is external in nature (money, grades).

Overjustification Effect

When one experiences a decrease in intrinsic motivation due to the addition of an extrinsic motivator.

Random Reinforcement

Giving a reward but it's not contingent upon an action.

Non-contingent Reinforcement

Giving a reward but it's not contingent upon an action.

Social Learning Theory

Learning that occurs by observation and does not have to involve personal experience with a consequence.

Modeling

Seeing and repeating a behavior. Setting the standard for others to see and repeat.

Observational Learning

Learning that occurs by observing others.

Vicarious Learning

Learning that occurs by observing the consequences of another person's actions.

Bobo Doll Experiment (1961 and 1963)

Demonstrated how children imitate aggressive behavior based on observed consequences.

Vicarious Reinforcement

An individual's behavior changes based on observing another person receive positive or negative consequences for their actions.

Vicarious Punishment

People do a behavior less often after they've seen someone else behave that same way and experience negative consequences as a result.

Mirror Neurons

Fire both when an animal acts and when the animal observes the same action performed by another. It's for animals to understand the actions and intentions of others.