Unit 3 Learning

learning

the process of acquiring through experience new & relatively enduring information or behaviors

habituates

decreasing responsiveness with repeated stimulation. as infants gain familiarity with repeated exposure to a stimulus, their interest wanes & they look away sooner

associative learning

learning that certain evens occur together

classical conditioning - two stimuli

operant conditioning - a response & its consequence

stimulus

any event or situation that evokes a response

operant behaviors

behavior that operates on the environment, producing a consequence

respondent behavior

behavior that occurs as an automatic response to some stimulus

cognitive learning

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

classical conditioning

a type of learning in which we link two or more stimuli

behaviorism

the view that psychology (1) should be an objective science that (2) studies behavior without reference to mental processes. most research psychologists today agree with (1) but not with (2)

neutral stimulus (NS)

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

unconditioned response (UCR)

in classical conditioning, an unlearned, naturally occurring response to an UCS

unconditioned stimulus (UCS)

in classical conditioning, a stimulus that unconditionally -naturally & automatically- triggers an UCR

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 NS that, after association with an UCS comes to trigger a CR

acquistion

in classical conditioning, the initial stage, when one likes a NS & an UCS so that the NS begins triggering the CR

in operant conditioning, the strengthening of a reinforced response

higher order conditioning extinction

a procedure in which the CS in one conditioning experience is paired with a new NS, creating a second (often weaker) CS, aka second-order conditioning

spontaneous recovery

the reappearance, after a pause, of a weakened CR

(stimulus) generalization

in classical conditioning, the tendency, once a response has been conditioned, for stimuli similar to the CS to elicit similar responses

in operant conditioning, when responses learned in one situation occur in the other, similar situations

discrimination

(1) in classical conditioning, the learned ability to distinguish between a CS & other stimuli that have not been associated with a CS. (in operant conditioning, the ability to distinguish responses that are reinforced from similar responses that are not reinforced).

preparedness

a biological predisposition to learn associators, such as between taste & nausea, that have survival value

operant conditioning

a type of learning in which a behavior becomes more likely to recur if followed by a reinforcer or less likely to recur if followed by a punisher

law of effect

Thorndike’s principle that behaviors followed by favorable (or reinforcing) consequences become more likely, & that behaviors followed by unfavorable (or punishing) consequences become less likely

operant chamber

in operant conditioning research, a chamber (aka the Skinner box) containing a bar or key to obtain food or water reinforcers; attached devices record the animal’s rate of bar pressing or key pecking

reinforcement

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

shaping

an operant conditioning procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior toward closer & closer approximations of the desired behavior

discriminative stimulus

in operant conditioning, a stimulus that elicits a response after association with reinforcement (in contrast to related stimuli not associated with reinforcement).

positive reinforcement

increasing behaviors by presenting a pleasurable stimulus; a positive reinforcer is any stimulus that, when presented after a response, strengthens the response

negative reinforcement

increasing behaviors by stopping or reducing an aversive stimulus; a negative reinforcer is any stimulus that, when removed after a response, strengthens the response

primary reinforcers

innately reinforces stimulus, such as one that satisfies a biological need

conditioned reinforcers

(aka a secondary reinforcer) a stimulus that gains its reinforcing power through its association with a primary reinforcer

reinforcement schedules

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

continuous reinforcement schedule

reinforcing the desired response every time it occurs

partial reinforcement schedules

reinforcing a response only part of the time; results in slower acquisition of a response but much greater resistance to extinction that does continuous reinforcement

fixed-ratio schedules

in operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified number of responses

variable-ratio schedules

in operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses

fixed-interval schedules

in operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified time has elapsed

variable-interval schedules

in operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals

punishment

an event tends to decrease the behavior that it follows

instinctive drift

the tendency of learned behavior to gradually revert to biologically predisposed patterns

cognitive map

a mental representation of the layout of one’s experiment.

latent learning

learning that occurs but it is apparent until there is an incentive to demonstrate it

insight learning

solving problems through sudden insight; contrasts with strategy-based solutions

observational learning

(aka social learning) learning by observing others

modeling

the process of observing & imitating a specific behavior

mirror neurons

neurons that some scientists believe fire when we perform certain actions or observe another doing so. the brain’s mirroring of another’s action may enable imitation & empathy

prosocial behaviors

anti-social behaviors