Pl100 WPR 1 Flashcards

Learning

Learning

Enduring changes in behavior that occur with experience.

Association

A process by which two pieces of information from the environment are repeatedly linked, so that we begin to connect them in our minds.

Conditioning

A form of associative learning in which behaviors are triggered by associations with events in the environment.

Classical Conditioning

A form of associative learning in which neutral stimulus becomes associated with a stimulus to which one has an automatic response.

neutral stimulus

An object or situation that when presented alone does not lead to an automatic (or unconditioned) response.

unconditioned response

The natural, automatic, inborn, and involuntary reaction to a stimulus.

unconditioned stimulus

The environmental input that always produces the same unlearned, involuntary response.

Conditioned stimulus

A previously neutral input that an organism learns to associate with the UCS.

Conditioned response

A behavior that an organism learns to perform when presented with the CS.

stimulus generalization

Extension of the association between the UCS and CS to include a broad array of similar stimuli.

stimulus discrimination

The restriction of a CR to only the exact CS to which it was conditioned.

extinction

The weakening and disappearance of a conditioned response in the absence of reinforcement.

Spontaneous recovery

The sudden reappearance of an extinguished response.

Higher-Order Conditioning

A conditioned stimulus, after having acquired the ability to elicit CR may be used as a UCS for further conditioning. (politicians use to gain support)

Systematic Desensitization

Exposure therapy

Law of effect

The consequences of a behavior increase (or decrease) the likelihood that the behavior will be repeated.

Operant Conditioning

The process of changing behavior by manipulating the consequences of that behavior.

Reinforcer

An internal or external event that increases the frequency of a behavior.

Primary Reinforcers

Innate, unlearned reinforcers that satisfy biological needs (such as food, water, or sex).

Secondary (conditioned) reinforcers

Reinforcers that are learned by association, usually via classical conditioning (such as money, grades, and peer approval).

Positive reinforcement

The presentation or addition of a stimulus after a behavior occurs that increases how often that behavior will occur. (exercise makes you feel better leads to more exercise)

Negative reinforcement

The removal of a stimulus after a behavior to increase the frequency of that behavior. (seat belt being buckled gets rid of annoying sound leads to more seat belt usage)

punishment

A stimulus that decreases the frequency of a behavior.

positive punishment

The addition of a stimulus that decreases behavior. (Park in the teacher lot, receive a fine, and stop parking in the faculty lot)

negative punishment

The removal of a stimulus to decrease behavior. (You talk back to your mom and she takes away your TV, so you stop talking back to your mom)

Shaping

The reinforcement of successive approximations of a desired behavior.

Schedules of reinforcement

Patterns of intermittent reinforcement distinguished by whether reinforcement occurs after a set number of responses or after a certain amount of time has passed since the last reinforcement.

Continuous reinforcement

Reinforcement of a behavior every time it occurs.

Intermittent reinforcement

Reinforcement of a behavior - but not after every response.

fixed-ratio schedule

A pattern of intermittent reinforcement in which reinforcement follows a set number of responses.

Variable-ratio schedule

A pattern of intermittent reinforcement in which the number of responses needed for reinforcement changes.

Fixed-interval schedule

A pattern of intermittent reinforcement in which responses are always reinforced after a set period of time has passed.

Variable-interval schedule

A pattern of intermittent reinforcement in which responses are reinforced after time periods of different durations have passed.

Latent Learning

Learning that occurs in the absence of reinforcement and is not demonstrated until later, when reinforcement occurs.

social learning theory

The kind of learning that occurs when we model the behavior of others.

Observational learning

Learning is influenced by watching the behavior of others.

Bobo Doll Experiment

Children who had viewed aggression were more aggressive with the doll than were those who had not seen aggression, however consequences also mattered. The children who had seen the aggressive adult rewarded for his aggression were more violent with the toys and Bobo doll than were those who had seen the aggressive adult get punished.

4 key processes crucial in observational learning:

attention, retention, reproduction, and motivation.

Motivation

The urge to move toward one’s goals; to accomplish tasks.

Needs

Inherently biological states of deficiency (cellular or bodily) that compel drives.

Drives

The perceived states of tension that occur when our bodies are deficient in some need, creating an urge to relieve the tension.

Incentive

Any external object or event that motivates behavior.

The Drive Reduction Model

Our bodies have physiological systems and when they are out of balance or depleted, we fix this.

Homeostasis

The process by which all organisms work to maintain physiological equilibrium, or balance, around an optimal set point.

Set Point

The ideal fixed setting of a particular physiological system, such as internal body temperature.

The Optimal Arousal Model

We perform/function the best when we are moderately aroused or energized. Not too high or low.

Yerkes-Dodson law

The principle that moderate levels of arousal lead to optimal performance.

Achievement Motivation

A desire to do things well and overcome obstacles.

Extrinsic Motivation

Motivation that comes from outside the person and usually involves rewards and praise.

Intrinsic Motivation

Motivation that comes from within a person and includes the elements of challenge, enjoyment, mastery, and autonomy.

4 types of intrinsic motivation:

Challenge, enjoyment, mastery, and autonomy and self-determination.

Perceived Organizational Support

Employees’ beliefs about how much the organization appreciates and supports their contributions and well-being.

Central nervous system

The part of the nervous system that comprises the brain and spinal cord.

Peripheral nervous system

The part of the nervous system that comprises all the nerve cells in the body outside the central nervous system. (Somatic and Autonomic)

Somatic Nervous System

Nerve cells of the peripheral nervous system that serve the skeletal muscles. Somatic nerves transmit from the central nervous system (CNS) to the skeletal muscles and sensory information from the skeletal muscles back to the CNS.

Autonomic Nervous System

All the nerves of the peripheral nervous system that serve involuntary systems of the body, such as the internal organs and glands.

Sympathetic Nervous System

The branch of the autonomic nervous system that activates bodily systems in times of emergency.

Parasympathetic nervous system

The branch of the autonomic nervous system that usually relaxes or returns the body to a less active, restful state.

Neurons

The cells that process and transmit information in the nervous system.

Neurotransmitters

Chemicals that transmit information between neurons.

Hindbrain

Regulate breathing, heart rate, arousal, and other basic functions of survival.

Midbrain

Controls the eye muscles, process auditory and visual information, and initiate voluntary movement of the body

Forebrain

Controls cognitive, sensory, and motor function and regulate temperature, reproductive functions, eating, sleeping, and the display of emotions.

Hippocampus

A limbic structure that wraps itself around the thalamus; plays a vital role in learning and memory.

hypothalamus

A limbic structure; the master regulator of almost all major drives and motives we have, such as hunger, thirst, temperature, and sexual behavior; also controls the pituitary gland.

Limbic system

A connection group of forebrain structures (hypothalamus, amygdala, hippocampus, and cingulate gyrus) that share important functions in emotion memory and motivation and regulate autonomic and endocrine function.

Amygdala

A small, almond-shaped structure located directly in front of the hippocampus; has connections with many important brain regions and is important for processing emotional information, especially that related to fear.

4 lobes of brain:

Frontal, parietal, occipital, temporal

Frontal

The lobe that carries out many important functions, including attention, holding information in our minds while we solve problems, planning, abstract thinking, control of impulses, creativity, and social awareness. (front)

Parietal

Sensation and perception of touch. Motor and sensory cortexes… (top and rear sections)

Occipital

Visual information that is processed. See and imagine… (very rear)

Temporal

Main function is hearing, houses the hippocampus and amygdala and are involved with memory/emotion. (by ears)

Neuroplasticity

Free Throw Practice

Broca’s Area

The area in the left frontal lobe responsible for the ability to produce speech.

Wernicke’s area

The area deep in the left temporal lobe responsible for the ability to speak in meaningful sentences and to comprehend the meaning of speech.

Sensation

A physical process involving the stimulation of our sense organs by features of the outer world.

Perception

A psychological process involving the act of organizing and interpreting sensory experience.

Sensory Adaptation

The process by which our sensitivity diminishes when an object constantly stimulates our senses.

Absolute threshold

The lowest intensity level of a stimulus a person can detect half of the time.

Signal Detection Theory

The viewpoint that both stimulus intensity and decision-making processes are involved in the detection of a stimulus.

Difference Threshold

The smallest amount of change between two stimuli that a person can detect half of the time.

Weber’s Law

The finding that the size of a just noticeable difference is a constant fraction of the intensity of the stimulus.

retina

The thin layer of nerve tissue that lines the back of the eye.

Rods

Photoreceptors that function in low illumination and play a key role in night vision; responsive to dark-and-light contrast.

Cones

Photoreceptors that are responsible for color vision and are most functional in conditions of bright light.

Dark adaptation

The process of adjustment to seeing in the dark.

Nociceptive Pain

Pain from skin and/or tissue damage or injury.

Pain perception

Pain is subjective and the perception of pain varies from 1 person to another.

Gate control theory of pain

The idea that the spinal cord regulates the experience of pain by the balancing of signals to the brain from small pain nerve fibers and larger non-pain fibers. The pain “gate” opens when more pain signals are sent to the brain than non-pain signals. Pain is blocked when the reverse happens.

4 outcomes of signal detection:

Hit, miss, false alarm, and correct rejection

4 steps in forming memories:

Encoding, consolidation, storage, retrieval

Encoding

The process by which the brain attends to, takes in, and integrates new info; 1st stage in long-term memory formation.

Consolidation

The process of establishing, stabilizing, or solidifying a memory; the 2nd stage of long-term memory.

Storage

The retention of memory over time; 3rd stage of long-term memory formation.

Retrieval

The recover of info stored in memory; last stage of long term memory formation.

Semantic processing

The deepest level of processing

Phonemic Processing

Midlevel processing

Structural Processing

Shallowest level of processing

Sleep

Important to consolidate memory and facilitate new neural growth.

Flashbulb Memory

Where you were when you heard major news.