Learning

Question 0

What are the applications of classical conditioning?

Answer 0

Learned immune responses

Phobias

Predator control

Question 1

What are the definitions of learning?

Answer 1

1) the process through which experience modifies pre-existing behaviour and understanding
2) relatively persistent change in behaviour as a result of experience
3) an individuals adaptation to environmental events

Question 2

What is Operant conditioning?

Answer 2

• learning process by which the consequence of a response affects the likelihood that the response will occur in the future

Question 3

What is an instrumental response?

Answer 3

Functions like an instrument or tool to make a change in the environment

Question 4

What is an operant response?

Answer 4

Operates in the world to produce some effect

Question 5

What is an operant?

Answer 5

Any behavioural act that has some effect on the environment

Question 6

What is a discriminative stimulus?

Answer 6

Stimulus that signals whether reinforcement is available if a certain response is made

Question 7

Schedules of partial reinforcement - Ratio

Answer 7

Reinforcement after a certain number of responses

Question 8

Schedules of partial reinforcement - Interval

Answer 8

Reinforcement after a certain number of seconds

Question 9

Schedules of partial reinforcement - Fixed

Answer 9

Reinforcement after X amount

Question 10

Schedules of partial reinforcement - Variable

Answer 10

Reinforcement after x amount on average

Question 11

What is reinforcement?

Answer 11

Any process that increases the likelihood that a particular response will occur

Question 12

What is punishment?

Answer 12

Any process that decreases the likelihood that a particular response will occur

Question 13

Describe positive / negative with regards to operant conditioning

Answer 13

Positive - stimulus is presented

Negative - stimulus is removed

Question 14

What is latent learning? (Tolman)

Answer 14

Learning that is not immediately demonstrated in behaviour

Manifests later when a suitable motivation and circumstances appear

Question 15

What are cognitive maps? (Tolman)

Answer 15

Mental representations of the world

An internal perceptual representation of external environment features and landmarks

Focus more on the details which are more important to you

Question 16

What is UCS / US?

Answer 16

Unconditional stimulus

A stimulus that elicits a reflexive / innate response with no conditioning

Question 17

What is UCR / UR?

Answer 17

Unconditioned response

The innate response that occurs from a stimulus with no conditioning

Question 18

What is the CS?

Answer 18

Conditioned stimulus

A stimulus that through an association with the US comes to elicit a conditioned response similar to the original US

Question 19

What is the CR?

Answer 19

Conditioned response

A response elicited by the conditioned stimulus

Question 20

What is acquisition?

Answer 20

The period during which a response is being learned

The CS has to be paired multiple times with the UCS in order to establish a strong CR

CR improves also when the intensity of the UCS increases
(Pavlov - giving more food to the dogs)

If the CS is aversive (electric shock), the conditioning may only need one CS-UCS pairing

Question 21

What is generalisation?

Answer 21

When a CR has been acquired, the organism often responds not only to the original CS but also to stimuli that are similar to it

Question 22

What is discrimination?

Answer 22

When the CR occurs to one stimulus but not to others

Question 23

What is extinction?

Answer 23

When the CR is weakened and eventually disappears after the UCS has been repeatedly presented in the absence of the CS

Question 24

Name research examples of classical conditioning

Answer 24

Pavlov

Watson & Raynor

McGrath et al

Question 25

Explain Thorndike’s work into operant conditioning

Answer 25

• wanted to explore how animals learnt to solve problem
• puzzle boxes - cats had to step on levers to get out
• behaviour improved slowly over trial & error = instrumental learning as the behaviour functioned like an instrument to make a change in the environment
• law of effect developed - response followed by a satisfying consequence will be more likely to occur & vice versa for annoying consequences

Question 26

Describe Skinner’s work into operant conditioning

Answer 26

• expansion of Thorndike’s work
• Skinner boxes - allowed him to study OC experimentally
• rats had to press levers to receive a food pellet
• 2 consequences for behaviour - reinforcement & punishment

Question 27

What is operant extinction?

Answer 27

The weakening & eventual disappearance of a response because it is no longer reinforced

Low resistance = reinforced response stop quickly

High resistance = responses occur 100’s or 1000’s of times afterwards

Question 28

Operant conditioning - what is shaping?

Answer 28

Involves reinforcing successive approximations towards a final response

Question 29

Operant conditioning - what is chaining?

Answer 29

When you develop a series or chain of responses by reinforcing each response with the opportunity to perform the next response

Question 30

What are primary reinforcers?

Answer 30

Stimuli such as food & water that an organism naturally finds reinforcing because they satisfy biological needs

Question 31

What are secondary reinforcers?

Answer 31

Stimuli that acquire reinforcing properties through their associations with primary reinforcers

For example, money is a conditioned reinforcer