UWORLD Learning, Memory, Cognition

Habituation: Decreased response to a stimulus over time. (For example, no longer noticing that a sweater feels scratchy after wearing it for a few minutes).

Dishabituation: A renewed response to a previously habituated stimulus (for example, after taking off the sweater and then putting it back on, it feels scratchy again).

Sensitization: Increased response to stimulus over time (sweater’s scratchiness becomes more irritating until it is unbearable).

Desensitization: Decreased response to a previously sensitized stimulus over time (irritation from previously unbearable scratchiness diminishes over time).

Interactionist theory proposes that language acquisition is the result of both biological (eg, normal brain development) and environmental/social factors, particularly the interaction that occurs between children and their caregivers.

When first memorizing the neuroanatomical structures and their functions, a student associates the amygdala, which starts with the letters A M Y and is involved in processing emotions, with her “emotional” friend AMY. This scenario illustrates: an encoding strategy.

Fixed ratio: Beehaviior rewarded after a consistent number of responses. For example, a customer loyalty program awards a free coffee after ten coffee purchases.

Variable ratio: behavior rewarded after an inconsistent number of responses, usually after some average number of responses.

Fixed interval: Behavior rewarded after a consistent amount of time, regardless of how many behaviors have occurred. For example, employees who are paid weekly salary receive the same amount each Friday regardless of how hard they have worked during the week.

Variable Interval: Behavior rewarded after an inconsistent amount of time, regardless of how many behaviors have occurred. For example, when awaiting an email, the frequency with which users refresh their inboxes does not affect when a new email arrives.

A learned taste aversion is a specific and powerful type of classical conditioning that occurs when an organism becomes ill after consuming something (eg, food, alcohol). Whatever was consumed before the illness becomes associated with the illness (even if it did not cause the illness) and is avoided by the organism afterward.