Chapter 6 Learning

What is learning?

A relatively permanent change in behavior brought about by experience.

What type of conditioning is sometimes called Pavlovian conditioning?

Classical conditioning.

How is the unconditioned stimulus (UCS) defined?

It is a stimulus that elicits a response naturally, without prior learning.

What happens to a neutral stimulus in classical conditioning?

It becomes a conditioned stimulus after being paired with the unconditioned stimulus.

What is Discrimination in classical conditioning?

It is when an organism learns to respond only to a specific stimulus and not to similar stimuli.

What does Extinction refer to in conditioning?

It is the process by which a conditioned response decreases and eventually disappears when the conditioned stimulus is presented without the unconditioned stimulus.

Who is associated with the concept that consequences of behavior determine future responses?

Edward Thorndike.

What is Operant Conditioning?

A type of learning where the consequences of a behavior are manipulated to increase or decrease that behavior.

What are successive approximations in operant conditioning?

They are gradual steps towards a desired behavior that are reinforced.

What is Positive Reinforcement?

It refers to behavior occurring more frequently because it is followed by a pleasant consequence.

What is Negative Reinforcement?

It refers to a behavior learned because it results in the removal of an unpleasant condition or stimulus.

What is Secondary Reinforcement?

It is reinforcement that is acquired or learned through association with other reinforcers.

What is the role of reinforcement in learning?

Reinforcement increases the likelihood that a behavior will be repeated.