Chapter 3 - Learning and Memory

Question 1

Define Learning

Answer 1

Learning refers specifically to the way in which we acquire new behaviours.

Question 2

What can be defined as a Stimulus?

Answer 2

Anything to which an organism can respond.

Question 3

What is Habituation?

Answer 3

The process of becoming used to a stimulus.

Question 4

What is Dishabituation?

Answer 4

Occurs when a second stimulus intervenes, causing a desensitization to the original stimulus.

Question 5

What is Associative Learning?

Answer 5

The creation of a pairing, or association, either between two stimuli or between behaviour and a response.

Question 6

What is Classical Conditioning?

Answer 6

An unconditional stimulus that produces an instinctive, unconditional response is paired with a neutral stimulus. With repetition, the neutral stimulus becomes a conditional stimulus that produces a conditioned response. This process is also referred to as Acquisition.

Question 7

What is Generalization?

Answer 7

A broadening effect by which a stimulus similar enough to the conditional stimulus can also produce the conditional response.

Question 8

What is Discrimination?

Answer 8

When an organism learns to distinguish between two similar stimuli.

Question 9

What is Operant Conditioning?

Answer 9

Behaviour is changed through the use of consequences. Reinforcement increases the likelihood of a behaviour, whereas Punishment decreases he likelihood of a behaviour.

Question 10

What is the Schedule of Reinforcement?

Answer 10

Affects the rate at which behaviour is performed. Schedules can be based on a ratio of behaviour to reward or on an amount of time, and can be either fixed or variable. Behaviours learned this way are the hardest to extinguish.

Question 11

What is Latent Learning?

Answer 11

Learning that occurs without a reward but that is spontaneously demonstrated once a reward is presented.

Question 12

What is Preparedness?

Answer 12

A predisposition to learn, or not to learn, behaviours based on natural abilities and instincts.

Question 13

What is Instinctive Drift?

Answer 13

Difficulty in overcoming instinctual behaviours.

Question 14

What is Observational Learning?

Answer 14

The acquisition of behaviour by watching others. Also called modelling.

Question 15

What are Mirror Neurons?

Answer 15

Located in the Frontal and Parietal Lobes of the cerebral cortex and fire both when an individual performs an action and when individuals observe someone else performing that action.

Question 16

Which of the following might cause a person to eat more food during a meal; eating each course separately and moving to the next only when finished, or interrupting the main course several times by eating side dishes?

Answer 16

Eating each course causes habituation, each bite less enjoyable, less likely to finish.

Mixing up the courses causes dishabituation, causing a person to eat more.

Question 17

A college student pops a balloon behind his roommate’s head every time he’s making popcorn. Before long, the smell of popcorn makes the roommate nervous. Which part of the story corresponds to each of the four classical conditioning concepts? (Conditioned Stimulus, Unconditional Stimulus, Conditioned Response, Unconditioned Response.

Answer 17

Conditioned Stimulus: Smell of popcorn
Unconditional Stimulus: Popping of balloon
Conditioned Response: Fear in response to smell of popcorn
Unconditioned Response: Fear in response to balloon popping.

Question 18

What is Negative Reinforcement?

Answer 18

Causes an increase of given behaviour by removing something unpleasant.

Question 19

What is Positive Punishment?

Answer 19

Reduces behaviour by adding something unpleasant.

Question 20

What is Encoding?

Answer 20

Refers to the process of putting new information into memory. It can be automatic to effortful. Semantic encoding is stronger than both acoustic and visual encoding.

Question 21

What is the Self-Reference Effect?

Answer 21

We tend to recall information best when we put it into the context of our own lives.

Question 22

Describe Sensory and Short-Term Memory

Answer 22

They are transient and are based on neurotransmitter activity.

Question 23

What is Working Memory?

Answer 23

Requires short term memory attention and executive function to manipulate information.

Question 24

What does Long-Term Memory require?

Answer 24

Elaborative rehearsal and is a result of increased neuronal connectivity.

Question 25

What’s the difference between Explicit (Declarative) memory and Implicit (Nondeclarative) memory?

Answer 25

Explicit: Stores facts and stories. Facts are stored
Implicit: Stores skills and conditioning effects.

Question 26

What is Retrieval?

Answer 26

Information retrieval is often based on priming inter connected nodes of the semantic network.

Question 27

What is Recognition?

Answer 27

The process of merely identifying a piece of information that was previously learned.

Question 28

What is Relearning?

Answer 28

Another way of demonstrating that information has been stored in long-term memory.

Question 29

What is the Spacing Effect?

Answer 29

Helps to explain why cramming is not as effective as spacing out studying.

Question 30

What are 5 ‘forgetting’ disorders?

Answer 30

1. Alzheimers
2. Korsakoff’s Syndrome
3. Agnosia
4. Decay
5. Interference

Question 31

In what way is Maintenance Rehearsal different from Elaborative Rehearsal?

Answer 31

Maintenance: Repetition of information to keep it within short term memory for intermediate use.
Elaborative: The association of information to other stored knowledge. Can transition short-term to long-term memory.

Question 32

What is Neuroplasticity and how does it change during life?

Answer 32

The ability of the brain to form new connections rapidly. Quickly drops after childhood.

Question 33

What is the term for removing weak neural connections?

Answer 33

Pruning

Question 34

What is the term for strengthening memory connections through increased neurotransmitter release and receptor density?

Answer 34

Long-Term Potentiation