Psych of Learning Exam 1 Review

Mental Representations

A mapping between internal symbols and external objects or events.

Passive Learning

Type of learning that occurs without action from the learner.

Active Learning

Type of learning that requires psychical and/or mental action.

Changes

Learning occurs when there are _____ in behavior. When there is new behavior, different frequencies of behavior, or when there are different characteristics.

Speed/Intensity

Learning occurs when there are changes in _____. Responding more quickly or vigorously.

Accuracy

Learning occurs when there is more _____. Getting things correct more often.

Basic Research

Type of research that is highly controlled and specifically tasked. Focuses on mechanisms of learning.

Applied Research

Type of research that is used in real world and authentic contexts.

Quantitative Data

Using specific numbers or measurements to collect data.

Qualitative Data

Complex verbal or behavioral performance inspected for presence or absence of content.

Principle

Described as “what” is important. Identifies certain factors that influence learning and describes specific events. Becomes a law if it is consistently observed over time.

Theory

Described as “why” something is important. Provides information about underlying mechanism involved. Tends to change as new findings are discovered and new methods are developed.

Central Nervous System

Made up of the brain and spinal cord.

Sensory Neurons

Type of neuron that carries information from receptor cells.

Interneurons

Type of neuron that integrates and interprets input. These make up the bulk of the brain’s neurons.

Motor Neurons

Type of neuron that sends messages to the body about how to react.

Soma

Part of the neuron that is the cell body. Generally for the cell well being.

Dendrites

Part of the neuron that receives information from other neurons.

Axon

Part of the neuron that carries information from neuron to neuron.

Terminal Button

Part of the neuron that uses neurotransmitters to activate or signal to the next/other neurons.

Myelin Sheath

Part of the neuron that is the fatty substance that insulates the axon. Speeds up action potential.

Synapse

The space between an axon terminal and a dendrite. Where some learning occurs.

Hindbrain

Part of the brain that is the first in evolution and prenatal development. Located at the lowest part of brain. Made up of the cerebellum, medulla, and pons.

Cerebellum

Part of the hindbrain that deals with coordination, balance, and movement.

Medulla

Part of the hindbrain that deals with breathing, blood flow, and functioning of vital organs.

Pons

Part of the hindbrain that deals with sleeping and waking.

Midbrain

Part of the brain that is second in evolution and prenatal development. Located right above the pons. Supports vision and hearing, regulates sleeping, wakefulness, and attention, and is responsible for dopamine production.

Forebrain

Part of the brain that is last to develop in evolution and prenatal development. Makes up the majority of the brain and is where most complex activities take place. Made up of the cerebral cortex, corpus callosum, thalamus, hypothalamus, and the limbic system.

Cerebral Cortex

Part of the forebrain that is wrinkled and where most complex thoughts and functions happen. Made up of four lobes.

Thalamus

Part of the forebrain that sends and receives information around the cortex.

Hypothalamus

Part of the forebrain that regulates survival activities.

Limbic System

Part of the forebrain that is crucial for learning, emotion, and memory. Made up of the hippocampus and amygdala.

Hippocampus

Part of the limbic system that plays a key role in deliberate memory association.

Amygdala

Part of the limbic system that plays a key role in emotion and emotional memories.

Frontal Lobe

Lobe where most conscious thought occurs. Deals with attention, inhibition, language, planning, reasoning and deliberate control.

Parietal Lobe

Lobe that receives and interprets temperature, pressure, and pain. Also processes word sounds and spatial information.

Occipital Lobe

Lobe that interprets and stores visual information.

Temporal Lobe

Lobe that interprets and stores auditory information.

Modular

Some areas of the brain are _____. A single area performs a single function.

Distributed

Some areas of the brain are _____. The functions are spread out across a variety of areas.

Wernicke’s Area

Area of the brain that allows you to comprehend language.

Broca’s Area

Area of the brain that allows you to produce language.

Synaptic Consolidation

Quick processes where the synapse between two neurons changes to allow for easier firing.

Systems Consolidation

Longer processes where permanent connections are built between different parts of the brain.

Left Hemisphere

Hemisphere of the brain that controls the right side of the body. Deals with verbal and broad processing.

Right Hemisphere

Hemisphere of the brain that controls the left side of the body. Deals with visual and broad processing.

Corpus Callosum

What connects the two hemispheres of the brain together?

Aphasia

A language disorder that affects a person’s ability to communicate. Typically caused by damage to the brain’s language areas.

Single Cell Recording

Electrophysiological study used for observing changes in voltage or current in a single neuron. A micro electrode is inserted into the skull and into a specific neuron.

Event-Related Potentials

Electrophysiological study that gives data about timing of responses to stimuli.

Neuroimaging

The study of blood flow in the brain. Things like PET scans, fMRI, and TMS.

Synaptogenesis

The formation of synapses and the development of the lobes of the brain in infancy and early child brain development.

Differentiation

When neurons form synapses with each other and take on particular functions in infancy and early child brain development.

Synaptic Pruning

The process where some synapses are used frequently while others will disintegrate in infancy and early child brain development. Also when chemicals relocate away from lesser used synapses to more highly used ones.

Myelination

The process where myelin is added to neurons in infancy and early child brain development.

Experience-Expectant

The development of neuron connections from common and universal experiences in a normal environment.

Experience-Dependent

The development of neuron connections unique to cultures and social groups.

Equipotentiality

Says that the principles of learning are applied across humans and animals.

Blank Slate

An assumption in behaviorism is that the organism is a _____ and learns from experience.

Higher-Order Conditioning

When a conditioned stimulus is created it can be paired with a new neutral stimulus to create another pairing. CS₁ + NS₂ = CS₂

Generalization

Where stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus will also produce the conditioned response even though it was never associated with the unconditioned stimulus.

Discrimination

When individuals respond differently to the same reinforcers under different stimulus conditions.

Extinction

When the conditioned stimulus is no longer followed by the unconditioned stimulus, responding will slow down and then ceases to exist.

Spontaneous Recovery

Occurs when extinction only occurs in one context.

Systematic Desensitization

The use of direct conditioning and social imitation to counter a conditioned response to remove said conditioned response.

Direct Conditioning

When you pair the unpleasant conditioned response with a pleasant stimulus.

Social Imitation

This is when you watch other people demonstrate the unpleasant conditioned response to alleviate fear.

Contiguity

The closeness in time and space between the conditioned stimulus and unconditioned stimulus. The closer they are associated, the stronger the conditioning is.

Contingency

The number of times the conditioned stimulus is paired with the unconditioned stimulus.

Reinforcer follows a response, contiguity, and contingency

The three key conditions of operant conditioning.

Primary Reinforcer

A reinforcer that satisfies built-in desires and biologically based needs.

Secondary Reinforcer

A reinforcer that is conditioned and is associated with another reinforcer.

Continuous

A reinforcement schedule where every response is reinforced. This results in faster learning.

Intermittent

A reinforcement schedule where behavior is reinforced every other, third, or fourth time. Made up of ratio and interval schedules.

Fixed Ratio

When a reward is given for a fixed number of reinforcements. Providing one reward for every five responses.

Variable Ratios

When you change the number of reinforcements for a reward. One reward for every two responses, then one reward for every six responses.

Fixed Interval

A set period of time before a reinforcement occurs.

Variable Interval

A variable period of time before reinforcement occurs.

Antecedent Stimuli/Responses

These set the stage for certain behaviors to occur or not occur by using things like cueing.

Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI)

This is slideshow based learning that uses behaviorist principles. When someone reads something, then answers a question, then gives feedback.

Mastery Learning (ML)

This is when someone achieves a set level of performance on a specific task. Someone can move on to further levels based on how the previous one went.