Chapter 7: Learning Flashcards
(37 cards)
Define: Habituation
A general process in which repeated or prolonged exposure to a stimulus results in a gradual reduction in responding
Define: Learning
The acquisition of new knowledge, skills, or responses from experience that results in a relatively permanent change in the state of the learner
Define: Sensitization
A simple form of learning that occurs when presentation exposure to a stimulus leads to an increased response to a later stimulus
Define: Classical Conditioning
A type of learning that occurs when a neutral stimulus produces a response after being paired with a stimulus that naturally produes a response
Define: Unconditioned Stimulus
Something that reliably produces a naturally occurring reaction in an organism, i.e. a bowl of food
Define: Unconditioned Response
A reflexive reaction that is reliably produced by an unconditioned stimulus, i.e. salivating
Define: Conditioned Stimulus
A previously neutral stimulus that produces a reliable response in an organism after being paired with an unconditioned stimulus
Define: Acquisition
The phase of classical conditioning when the CS and the US are present together, i.e. - food + bell
Define: Second-order conditioning
Conditioning where a CS is paired with a stimulus that became associated with the US in an earlier procedure
Define: Exctinction
The gradual elimination of a learned response that occurs when the CS is repeatedly presented without the CS. The term is used to represent a conditioned response that is no longer observed.
Define: Spontanesous Recovery
The tendency of a learned behavior to recover from extinction after a rest period.
Define: Generalization
The CR is observed even though the CS is slightly different from the CS used during acquisition
Define: Discrimination
The capacity to distinguish between similar but distinct stimuli
Define: fixed-interval schedule (F1)
Reinforcers are presented at fixed-time periods, provided that the appropriate response is made
Define: Variable-interval schedule
An operant conditioning principle in which behavior is reinforces based on an average time that has expired since the last reinforcement
Define: fixed-ration schedule
An operant conditioning principle in which reinforcement is delivered after a specific number of responses have been made.
Define: variable ratio schedule
(VR) An operant conditioning principle in which the delivery of reinforcement is based on a particular average number of responses.
Define: Intermittent Reinforcement
An operant conditioning principle in which only some of the responses made are followed by reinforcement
Define: Intermittent Reinforcement Effect
The fact that operant behaviors that are maintained under intermittent reinforcement schedules resist extinction better than those maintained under continuous reinforcement
Define: Shaping
Learning that results from the reinforcement of successive steps to a final desired behavior
Define: Latent Learning
Something is learned, but it is not manifested as a behavior change until sometime in the future.
Define: Cognitive Map
A mental representation of the physical features of the environment
Define: Observational Learning
A condition in which learning takes place by watching the actions of others
Define: Diffusion Chain
A process in which individuals initially learn a behavior by observing another individual perform that behavior, and then serve as a model from which other individuals learn the behavior.
