Psych Mods 26-30

Learning

The process of acquiring new and relatively enduring information or behaviors

Habituation

An organism’s decreasing response to a stimulus with repeated exposure to it

Associative Learning

Learning that certain events occur together. The events may be two stimuli (classical conditioning) or a response and its consequences (operant conditioning).

Stimulus

Any event or situation that evokes a response

Cognitive Learning

The acquisition of mental information by observing events, watching others, or through language

Observational Learning

Learning from others experiences

Classical Conditioning

Learning when one learns to link two or more stimuli and anticipate events

Behaviorism

View that psychology should be an objective science that studies behavior without reference to mental processes

Neutral Stimuli (NS)

In classical conditioning, a stimulus that elicits no response before conditioning

Unconditioned Response (UR)

In classical conditioning, an unlearned, naturally occurring response to an unconditioned stimulus

Unconditioned Stimulus (US)

In classical conditioning, a stimulus that unconditionally (naturally and Automatically) triggers a response

Conditioned Response (CR)

In classical conditioning, a learned response to a previously neutral (but now conditioned) stimulus

Conditioned Stimulus (CS)

In classical conditioning, an originally irrelevant stimulus that, after association with an unconditioned stimulus, comes to trigger a conditioned response

Acquisition

In classical conditioning, the initial stage, when one links a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus so the the neutral stimulus begins triggering the conditioned response

Higher-Order/2nd Order Conditioning

A procedure in which the conditioned stimulus in one conditioning experience is paired with a new neutral stimulus, creating a second conditioned stimulus

Extinction

The diminishing of a conditioned response when an unconditioned stimulus does not follow a conditioned response (classical conditioning). When a response is no longer reinforced (operant conditioning)

Spontaneous Recovery

The reappearance after a pause, of an extinguished conditioned response

Generalization

The tendency, once a response has been conditioned, for stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus to elicit similar responses

Discrimination

The learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and stimuli that do not signal an unconditioned stimulus

Operant Conditioning

A type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforcer if diminished if followed by a punisher

Law of Effect

Thorndike’s principle that behaviors followed by favorable consequences become more likely and that behaviors followed by unfavorable consequences become less likely

Operant chamber/skinner box

In operant conditioning research, a chamber contains a bar or key that an animal can manipulate to obtain food or water. Tracks the animal’s rate of pressing the bar/key

Reinforcement

In operant conditioning, any event that strengthens the behavior it follows

Shaping

In operant conditioning, the process of training a learned behavior that would not normally occur

Discriminative Stimulus

In operant conditioning, a stimulus that elicits a response after association with reinforcement

Positive Reinforcement

A stimulus that when presented after a response, strengthens the response. Increases that behavior

Negative Reinforcement

Stimulus that when removed after a response, strengthens the response. Increasing behaviors by stopping or reducing negative stimuli

Primary Reinforcers

An innately reinforcing stimulus, such as one that satisfies a biological need

Conditioned (secondary) reinforcers

Stimulus that gains its reinforcing power through its association with a primary reinforcer

Reinforcement Schedule

A pattern that defines how often a desired response will be reinforced

Continuous Reinforcement

Reinforcing the desired response every time it occurs

Partial/intermittent reinforcement

Reinforcing a response only part of the time or not as consistently

Fixed-ratio schedule

A reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified # of responses

Variable-ratio schedule

A reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response after an unpredictable # of responses

Fixed-interval schedule

A reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response after a specified time has gone by

Variable-interval schedule

A reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals

Punishment

An event that tends to decrease the behavior that it follows

Positive Punishment

Adding an aversive stimulus

Negative Punishment

Withdrawing a rewarding stimulus

Cognitive Map

A mental representation of the layout of one’s environment

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 perform a behavior effectively for its own sake

Extrinsic Motivation

A desire to perform a behavior to receive promised rewards or avoid threatened punishment

Biological Predispositions

Natural predispositions constrain what stimuli and responses can easily be associated (CC). Organisms best learn behaviors similar to their natural behaviors while unnatural behaviors don’t stick as well (OC).

Cognitive Processes

Organisms develop the expectation that CS signals the arrival of the US (CC). Organisms develop the expectation that a response will be reinforced or punished (OC).

Cope

Alleviating stress using emotional, cognitive, or behavioral methods

Problem-focused coping

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

Emotion-focused coping

Attempting to alleviate stress by avoiding or ignoring a stressor and attending to emotional needs related to one’s stress reaction

Learned Helplessness

The hopelessness and passive resignation an animal or human learns when unable to avoid repeated aversive events

Internal Locus of Control

The perception that you control your own fate

External Locus of Control

The perception that chance or outside forces beyond our personal control determine our fate

Self-Control

The ability to control impulses and delay short term gratification for 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 performing certain actions or when observing another doing so. This mirroring of another action enables imitation and empathy

Prosocial Behavior

Positive, constructive, helpful behavior

Antisocial Behavior

Harmful, harassment, distress, shows little regard for others emotions, ignores basic morals

Pavlov’s dog: classical conditioning

What experiment does Pavlov conduct?

Bobo the clown: observational learning

What experiment does Dr. Albert Bandura conduct?