LEARNING

Instincts

unlearned behaviour, innate drives or tendencies that lead to particular patterns of behaviour. MORE COMPLEX

Reflexes

unlearned, automatic, involuntary responses to specific stimuli. Primitive parts of CNS

Learning

Relatively permanent change in behaviour (skills) or knowledge that results from experience.

Habituation/desensitization

We become less responsive to a stimulus.

Sensitization

Become more reactive/responsive to stimulus over time.

Classical Conditioning

Process by which we learn to associate stimuli and consequently to anticipate events.

Neutral stimulus

A stimulus that initially does not elicit a specific response.

Unconditioned stimulus

Stimulus that naturally triggers a response.

Unconditioned response

The natural, automatic reaction to the Unconditioned Stimulus.

conditioned stimulus

once neutral stimulus that later elicits a conditioned response because it has a history of being paired with UNS

Conditioned response

learned response that occurs to the CONDITIONED stimulus

acquisition

initial phase of learning in which a response is ESTABLISHED (NS+US)

Extinction

Conditioned response decreases and eventually disappears.

Spontaneous recovery

Conditioned response reappears.

Renewal effect

Response reappears when brought back to original environment.

Stimulus generalization

After a response has been conditioned, stimuli that are similar to the original produce the same response.

Stimulus discrimination

If two stimuli are sufficiently distinct from one another that one triggers a conditioned response but the other doesn't.

Fetishes

A sexual fixation on non sexual objects.

Conditioned taste aversion

Develops after only one trial; learning still possible even with very long delays (6-8 hours).

Operant Conditioning

Organisms learn to associate a behaviour and its consequences (reinforcement or punishment).

Positive reinforcement

Something is added to increase the likelihood of a behaviour.

Negative reinforcement

Take something away to increase the likelihood of a behaviour.

Punishment

process decreases the future possibility of a behaviour

Law of effect

Reward= behaviour more likely to occur; punishment= behaviour less likely to occur.

Schedules of reinforcement

Behaviours differ depending on schedule of reinforcement

Continuous reinforcement

Reinforces a behaviour every time it occurs; faster learning but faster extinction

Partial reinforcement

Only occasional reinforcement of behaviour; eg. every other time or every 3 times; slower extinction, better maintenance

Fixed schedule

The number of responses between reinforcement or the amount of time between reinforcement is set and unchanging

Variable schedule

The number of responses between reinforcement or amount of time between reinforcement varies or changes

Interval schedule

Schedule is based on the time between reinforcement

Ratio schedule

Schedule is based on number of responses between reinforcement

Fixed interval

Reinforcement is delivered at predictable time intervals (patients take pain relief medication at set times)

Variable interval

Reinforcement is delivered at unpredictable time intervals (checking facebook)

Fixed ratio

Reinforcement is delivered after a predictable number of responses (factory workers being paid for every x number of items manufactured)

Variable ratio

Reinforcement is delivered after an unpredictable number of responses (getting a big tip)

Positive punishment

Something is ADDED to DECREASE the likelihood of a behaviour (eg. scolding students for talking in class)

Negative punishment

Something is REMOVED to DECREASE the likelihood of a behaviour (eg. confiscating a toy when a child misbehaves)

Instinctive drift

Tendency for animals to return to innate behaviours following repeated reinforcement

Superstitious behaviour

When a behaviour is accidentally reinforced by coincidence

Cognitive approaches to learning

Not all learning is due to operant and classical conditioning; unseen mental processes that occur during learning

Latent learning

Learning that occurs without immediate reinforcement and becomes apparent only when there's a reason to use it

Observational learning

Learning by watching the behaviour of another person or model

Steps of observational learning

Paying attention and perceiving the critical features, remembering the behaviour, reproducing the action, being motivated to carry it out