Chapter 6 - Conditioning and Learning

Question 1

What is learning?

Answer 1

Relatively permanent change in behaviour due to experience

Question 2

What is associative learning?

Answer 2

Formation of simple associations between stimuli and responses

Question 3

What is cognitive learning?

Answer 3

Higher-level learning involving thinking, knowing, understanding, and anticipation

Question 4

What is reinforcement?

Answer 4

Any event that increases the probability of a response occurring again

Question 5

What is a reflex?

Answer 5

An automatic response to a stimulus

Question 6

What are antecedents and consequences?

Answer 6

Antecedents: events that precede a response
Consequences: effects that follow a response

Question 7

What is classical conditioning?

Answer 7

Learning in which reflex responses are associated with new stimuli

Question 8

What is operant conditioning?

Answer 8

Learning based on the consequences of responding

Question 9

What is an unconditioned stimulus?

Answer 9

Elicits a response by itself

Question 10

What is an unconditioned response?

Answer 10

An innate reflex response elicited by a US

Question 11

What is a neutral stimulus?

Answer 11

A stimulus that does not evoke a response

Question 12

What is a conditioned stimulus?

Answer 12

A stimulus that evokes a response because it has been paired up with a US

Question 13

What is a conditioned response?

Answer 13

A learned response elicited by a conditioned stimulus

Question 14

What is acquisition?

Answer 14

The period in conditioning during which a response is reinforced

Question 15

What is respondent reinforcement?

Answer 15

Reinforcement that occurs when a US closely follows a CS

Question 16

What is the optimal delay between a CS and a US?

Answer 16

1/2 to 5 seconds

Question 17

What is higher order conditioning?

Answer 17

Classical conditioning in which a conditioned stimulus is used to reinforce further learning (CS used as US, look at table on pg. 230)

Question 18

What did Pavlov believe?

Answer 18

Classical conditioning does not involve any higher mental processes

Question 19

What is the informational view?

Answer 19

Perspective that explains learning in terms of information imparted by events in the environment.

Question 20

What is expectancy?

Answer 20

Anticipation concerning future events

Question 21

What is extinction?

Answer 21

Weakening of a conditioned response through removal of reinforcement

Question 22

What is spontaneous recovery?

Answer 22

Reappearance of a learned response after its extinction

Question 23

What is stimulus generalization?

Answer 23

Responding similarly to stimuli which are similar to an already conditioned stimulus

Question 24

What is stimulus discrimination?

Answer 24

The learned ability to respond differently to similar stimuli

Question 25

What is a conditioned emotional response?

Answer 25

Emotional responses linked to previous nonemotional stimuli by classical conditioning (A boy being scared of a dog once and thus being scared of dogs)

Question 26

What happens in the brain when a CER occurs?

Answer 26

The amygdala becomes more active, producing feelings of fear

Question 27

What is desensitization?

Answer 27

Gradually exposing a phobic person to feared stimuli while the person is relaxed

Question 28

What is vicarious classical conditioning?

Answer 28

Classical conditioning brought on by observing another person react to a stimulus

Question 29

What is the law of effect?

Answer 29

Responses that lead to desirable effects are repeated | Responses that lead to undesirable effects are not repeated

Question 30

What is an operant reinforcer?

Answer 30

Any event that reliably increases the probability or frequency of responses it follows

Question 31

What happens in operant conditioning?

Answer 31

Subjects learn to expect that a certain response will have a certain effect

Question 32

For rats in a Skinner box, minimal learning would occur if the delay between pressing the bar and receiving food past what time?

Answer 32

50 seconds

Question 33

What is response chaining?

Answer 33

Assembly of separate responses into a series of actions that lead to reinforcement

Question 34

What are superstitious behaviours?

Answer 34

Behaviours repeated because they seem to produce reinforcement, even though they are unnecessary

Question 35

What is shaping?

Answer 35

Gradually molding responses to a final desired pattern

Question 36

What is operant extinction?

Answer 36

Weakening or disappearance of nonreinforced operant responses

Question 37

What is positive reinforcement?

Answer 37

Reinforcement in which a response is followed by a reward or something similar

Question 38

What is negative reinforcement? (careful!)

Answer 38

Reinforcement in which a response is followed by an end to discomfort or something similar

Question 39

What is punishment?

Answer 39

Any event that follows a response and decreases its likelihood of it occurring again

Question 40

What is response cost?

Answer 40

Removal of a positive reinforcer after a response is made

Question 41

What are primary reinforcers?

Answer 41

Non-learned reinforcers that satisfy physiological needs

Question 42

What are secondary reinforcers?

Answer 42

Learned reinforcers that gain reinforcing properties by association with primary reinforcers

Question 43

What are token reinforcers?

Answer 43

Tangible secondary reinforcers. e.g. money

Question 44

What are social reinforcers?

Answer 44

Reinforcement based on receiving attention, approval, or affection from others

Question 45

What is feedback?

Answer 45

Information returned to a person about the effects a response had

Question 46

What three things make feedback most effective?

Answer 46

When it is: Frequent Immediate Detailed

Question 47

What is programmed instruction?

Answer 47

Any learning format that presents information in small amounts, gives immediate practice, and continuous feedback

Question 48

What is partial reinforcement?

Answer 48

A pattern in which only a portion of all responses are reinforced

Question 49

What is the partial reinforcement effect?

Answer 49

Responses acquired with partial reinforcement are more resistant to extinction

Question 50

What is a fixed ratio schedule? How strong are the response rates it produces?

Answer 50

A set number of correct responses must be made to get a reinforcer. Very high response rates

Question 51

What is variable ratio schedule? How strong are the response rates it produces?

Answer 51

A varied number of correct responses must be made to get a reinforcer (random). High response rates

Question 52

What is a fixed interval schedule? How strong are the response rates it produces?

Answer 52

A reinforcer is given only when a correct response is made after a set amount of time has passed since the last reinforced response. Responses made during the time interval are not reinforced. (Rat on an FI-30-second schedule has to wait 30 seconds after the last reinforced response before pressing the bar will pay off) Moderate response rates

Question 53

What is a variable interval schedule? How strong are the response rates it produces?

Answer 53

A reinforcer is given for the first correct response made after a varied amount of time has passed since the last reinforced response. Responses made during the time interval are not reinforced. (Rat has to wait a varied amount of time before pressing the bar again will pay off) Slow, steady response rates with tremendous resistance to extinction