Exam 2 Review - Learning and Conditioning

These flashcards cover key concepts about learning, conditioning, and memory as discussed in the lecture notes.

What is learning?

A process that results in a relatively permanent change in behavior or behavior potential based on experience.

What is habituation?

The decline in the tendency to respond to a stimulus that has become familiar due to repeated exposure.

Who is Ivan Pavlov?

A scientist who studied involuntary behaviors and classical conditioning, known for his work with dogs and salivation reflex.

What is an unconditioned stimulus (UCS)?

A stimulus that evokes a response innately and automatically.

What is a conditioned stimulus (CS)?

A stimulus that through association evokes a response normally associated with the unconditioned stimulus.

What are the key components of classical conditioning?

A CS-UCS association leading to a conditioned response (CR).

What does generalization mean in classical conditioning?

The conditioned response (CR) is elicited by stimuli similar to the original conditioned stimulus (CS).

What is discrimination in operant conditioning?

Responding to only one specific situation or stimulus.

What is the Law of Effect?

When a response is followed by a desirable consequence, the probability of that response is increased; when followed by an undesirable consequence, it decreases.

What distinguishes positive reinforcement from negative reinforcement?

Positive reinforcement adds something desirable to increase a response rate, while negative reinforcement takes something undesirable away to increase a response rate.

What is positive punishment?

A consequence that decreases the probability of a response by adding something undesirable.

What is shaping in operant conditioning?

Reinforcing successive approximations of a desired response.

What are continuous and partial reinforcement schedules?

Continuous reinforcement provides reinforcement after every response; partial reinforcement provides reinforcement only part of the time.

What is cognitive learning?

Learning that involves mental processes that cannot be directly observed, emphasizing the active role of organisms in processing information.

What was the outcome of Bandura's Bobo doll experiment?

Children who observed an adult hitting a Bobo doll were more likely to hit the doll themselves.

What is memory?

A set of skills that involve the mental capacity to store and later retrieve previously experienced events.

What factors influence attention?

Motivation, emotion, and the presence of stress or anxiety.

What is change blindness?

The phenomenon where people fail to notice changes in their visual field due to focused attention.