learning and language

acquisition

initial learning of the stimulus-response relationship

as the NS and UCS are paired more often, the CR becomes stronger

extinction

diminished CR when an UCS no longer follows the CS

spontaneous recovery

reappearance of a weakened CR after a pause; suggests that extinction surprises the CR rather than extinguishes it

stimulus generalization

once a response has been conditioned, the tendency to respond in a similar way to stimuli similar to the CS

stimulus discrimination

the learned ability to distinguish between a CS and other similar stimuli that do not signal a US

associative learning

linking two events that occur close together

classical conditioning

learning associations between events and automatic behavioral responses

higher order conditioning

using the conditioned stimulus to condition another neutral stimulus, creating a second condition stimulus

counterconditioning

use extinction or new conditioning to help change unwanted responses

exposure therapy or systematic desensitization

taste aversion

survival mechanism - recognize foods determined to be poisonous

shaping

reinforces guide behavior toward desired goal

law of effect

a behavior that leads to a satisfying state of affairs tends to strengthen behavior, a behavior that leads to an unsatisfying state of affairs tends to be diminished or not repeated

primary reinforcer

innately satisfying, one that satisfies a biological need

secondary reinforcer

learned; gain power through association with primary

reinforcement

will always ensure behavior continues or strengthens

positive reinforcement

a pleasant or desired stimulus is added or presented

negative reinforcement

an aversive or undesired stimulus is subtracted or taken away

punishment

to suppress undesirable behavior or make it less likely

positive punishment

an aversive stimulus is presented or added as a consequence of behavior

negative punishment

a desirable stimulus is taken away as a consequence of behavior

operant conditioning

learning of associations between responses and consequences in situations where behavior is voluntary

BF skinner

created operant conditioning

continuous reinforcement

reinforced for response every time

partial reinforcement

response reinforced only sometimes, slower acquisition than continuous, but more resistant to extinction

fixed interval

receives reinforcement after a certain amount of time has elapsed

fixed ratio

subject receives reinforcement after a specified number of responses (consistent but prone to extinction)

variable ratio

receives reinforcement after an unpredictable number of responses

variable interval

receives reinforcement after an unpredictable time period (produces slow, steady, responses & most reliable producing the desired behaviors)

ivan pavlov

demonstrated classical conditioning with his dog that learned to salivate at the sound of a bell after it was repeatedly paired with food

escape learning

the subject must first experience the aversive stimulus and then make it go away

avoidance learning

if the subject can avoid the aversive stimulus altogether by performing the behavior in advance

association

the mental connection or link between two or more concepts, thoughts, feelings, or experiences

scalloped graph

the rate of responding is low immediately after reinforcement and gradually increases as the next reinforcement period approaches under fixed interval reinforcement

conditioned response

learned, automatic reaction to a previously neutral stimulus (now a conditioned stimulus)

conditioned stimulus

a formerly neutral stimulus that, after being repeatedly paired with an unconditioned stimulus, triggers a conditioned response on its own

unconditioned response

an automatic, unlearned reaction to a stimulus

unconditioned stimulus

a stimulus that naturally and automatically triggers a response without any prior learning

neutral stimulus

something in the environment that initially produces no specific, relevant response in a subject

instinctive drift

instinctive/innate tendencies interfering with learning

latent learning

learning that becomes apparent only when there is an incentive to demonstrate

cognitive map

mental representation of the physical features in the environment

insight learning

abrupt realization of a problem’s solution

learned helplessness

when animals or people experience have no control over repeated bad events, they become passive and resigned

albert bandura

psychologist that suggested the people learn behaviors through observing others

social learning theory

vicariously learning, modeling, observational learning

modeling

the process of learning new behaviors, skills, or attitudes by observing and imitating others

phoneme

individual speech sound

morpheme

smallest meaning unit for language; can be prefixes, suffixes, or words

semantics

set of rules by which we derive meaning from morphemes of words

syntax

the rules for combining words into grammatically sensible sentences

grammar

system of rules in a language that enables us to communicate and understand others

cooing/babbling

nonsense syllables, experimenting with speech sounds

one word stage

use single words to express complete ideas or sentences

telegraphic speech

combining single words into simple, meaningful two-word phrases

overgeneralization

apply a grammatical rule too widely and therefore create incorrect forms

one trial conditioning

conditioning happens after just one pairing

vicarious conditioning

learning new behaviors, attitudes, or fears by watching others experience them

biological preparedness

we have instinctive associations that help with survival

behavioral perspective

views behavior as learned responses to environmental stimuli, focusing on observable actions rather than internal thoughts

habituation

a basic form of learning where an organism's response to a repeated, harmless stimulus decreases over time

overjustification effect

describes how offering extrinsic rewards for an activity someone already enjoys can paradoxically decrease their internal desire to do it, making them less motivated once the rewards stop

john b watson

little albert experiment, demonstrated that fear could be classically conditioned in humans

superstitious behavior

accidentally associating an action with a positive result or a desire to create order in uncertain situations, leading to false causal links

reinforcement discrimination

reinforcement happens when one can discriminate stimulus properly

reinforcement generalization

reinforcement occurs when one can generalize stimulus properly

reinforcement schedules

rules in operant conditioning dictating when to reward a behavior, influencing how strongly and consistently it's learned