Chapter 7- Learning

Question 1

What is learning?

Answer 1

Learning is a relatively permanent change in behavior due to experience.

This definition emphasizes the lasting impact of experiences on behavior.

Question 2

What is habituation?

Answer 2

Response to repeated stimulus weakens.

This concept illustrates how organisms adapt to non-threatening stimuli over time.

Question 3

What is classical conditioning?

Answer 3

A neutral stimulus becomes associated with an unconditioned stimulus to elicit a conditioned response.

This concept was famously demonstrated by Pavlov’s experiments with dogs.

Question 4

List the key processes involved in classical conditioning.

Answer 4

• Acquisition
• Extinction
• Spontaneous Recovery
• Generalisation
• Discrimination
• Higher-order Conditioning

These processes describe how associations are formed and modified in classical conditioning.

Question 5

What is operant conditioning?

Answer 5

Behavior is shaped by its consequences.

This concept was developed by B.F. Skinner and focuses on how rewards and punishments influence behavior.

Question 6

What effect does reinforcement have on behavior?

Answer 6

Increases behavior.

Reinforcement can be positive (adding a stimulus) or negative (removing an aversive stimulus).

Question 7

What effect does punishment have on behavior?

Answer 7

Decreases behavior.

Punishment can also be positive (adding an aversive stimulus) or negative (removing a pleasant stimulus).

Question 8

What is shaping in the context of operant conditioning?

Answer 8

Reinforcing successive approximations.

This technique gradually trains a subject to exhibit a desired behavior.

Question 9

What do cognitive models suggest about learning?

Answer 9

Expectations influence learning (e.g., latent learning, insight).

This perspective emphasizes the role of mental processes in understanding how learning occurs.

Question 10

What is observational learning?

Answer 10

Learning by watching others (modeling).

This concept was introduced by Albert Bandura and highlights the importance of social influences on learning.

Question 11

What is a key neuroscience insight related to learning?

Answer 11

Learning changes brain structure, involving dopamine, cerebellum, amygdala.

This indicates that learning is not just behavioral but also physiological, affecting brain regions associated with reward and emotion.