Chapter 7: Learning

Question 1

Learning

Answer 1

relatively permanent change in behavior due to experience

Question 2

Classical Conditioning (aka Pavlovian conditioning)

Answer 2

association between 2 previously unrelated stimuli

Question 3

Operant conditioning (aka instrumental conditioning)

Answer 3

association between acts and their consequences

Question 4

Consequences

Answer 4

effects that follow a response

Question 5

Ivan Pavlov

Answer 5

Pavlov was a Russian doctor who initially was studying digestion
• Used dogs to study salivation when dogs were presented with meat powder

Question 6

Neutral Stimulus (NS)

Answer 6

a stimulus that does not evoke a response

Question 7

Unconditioned Stimulus (US)

Answer 7

a stimulus innately capable of eliciting a response

Question 8

Unconditioned Response (UR)

Answer 8

an innate reflex response elicited by an unconditioned stimulus

Question 9

Conditioned Stimulus (CS)

Answer 9

a stimulus that evokes a response because it has been repeatedly paired with an unconditioned stimulus

Question 10

Conditioned response (CR)

Answer 10

a learned response elicited by a conditioned stimulus

Question 11

Pavlov’s Experiments

Answer 11

Before conditioning, food (Unconditioned Stimulus, US) produces salivation (Unconditioned Response, UR). However, the tone (neutral stimulus) does not.

During conditioning, the neutral stimulus (tone) and the US (food) are paired, resulting in salivation (UR). After conditioning, the neutral stimulus (now Conditioned Stimulus, CS) elicits salivation (now Conditioned Response, CR)

Question 12

Acquisition

Answer 12

the initial learning stage in which an association between a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus takes place
• In most cases, for conditioning to occur, the neutral stimulus needs to come before the unconditioned stimulus. (half a second before)

Question 13

Higher Order Conditioning

Answer 13

a conditioned stimulus is used to reinforce further learning

Question 14

Expectancy

Answer 14

expectation about how events are interconnected

Question 15

Extinction

Answer 15

When the US (food) does not follow the CS (tone), CR (salivation) begins to decrease and eventually causes extinction.

Question 16

Spontaneous Recovery

Answer 16

After a rest period, an extinguished CR (salivation) spontaneously recovers, but if the CS (tone) persists alone, the CR becomes extinct again.

Question 17

Generalization

Answer 17

tendency to respond to stimuli similar to the CS

Question 18

Discrimination

Answer 18

the learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and other stimuli that do not signal an unconditioned stimulus

Question 19

Phobia

Answer 19

intense, unrealistic, irrational fear of a specific situation or object

Question 20

Conditioned Emotional Response

Answer 20

learned emotional reaction to a previously neutral stimulus

Question 21

Desensitization

Answer 21

exposing phobic people gradually to feared stimuli while they stay calm and relaxed

Question 22

Vicarious Classical Conditioning

Answer 22

learning to respond emotionally to a stimulus by observing another’s emotional reactions

Question 23

Conditioned emotional response

Answer 23

n a famous experiment conducted by (Watson & Raynor, 1920) Little Albert was trained through classical conditioning to fear a rat.

Question 24

A stimulus that does NOT cause a relevant reaction or response before
conditioning

Answer 24

Neutral stimulus

Question 25

A stimulus that causes an involuntary | reflexive response

Answer 25

Unconditioned stimulus

Question 26

A reaction or response that is not | learned. It is innate or something you are born with.

Answer 26

Unconditioned response

Question 27

In Pavlov’s study, what the bell is called after conditioning or learning takes place.

Answer 27

Unconditioned response??

Question 28

In Pavlov’s study, what is the meat | powder referred to as?

Answer 28

Unconditioned stimulus??

Question 29

A type of classical conditioning where a second neutral stimulus is associated with a conditioned stimulus.

Answer 29

Higher order conditioning

Question 30

Operant conditioning

Answer 30

the process by which a response becomes more or less likely to occur depending on its consequences

Question 31

Edward L. Thorndike (1874-1949)

Answer 31

“Behavior is controlled by their consequences.”

Question 32

Law of Effect

Answer 32

actions that lead to a “satisfying state | of affairs” are more likely to be repeated

Question 33

B. F. Skinner (1904-1990)

Answer 33

Foremost proponent of behaviorism. •Worked with pigeons in his “Skinner Box.”

Question 34

Operant chamber (Skinner box)

Answer 34

comes with a bar or key that an animal manipulates to obtain a reinforcer like food or wate

Question 35

Positive reinforcement

Answer 35

something pleasant that is given and that makes the preceding behavior (the target response) more likely to occur in the future

Question 36

Negative reinforcement

Answer 36

the removal of something unpleasant that makes the preceding behavior more likely to occur in the future

Question 37

Operant extinction

Answer 37

When learned responses that are NOT reinforced gradually fade awa

Question 38

Operant reinforcement works best when it is

Answer 38

response contingent – it must be given only after a desired response has occurred.

Question 39

Punishment

Answer 39

an unpleasant event that makes the preceding behavior less likely to occur in the future

Question 40

Positive Punishment

Answer 40

give something to decrease behavior

Question 41

Negative Punishment

Answer 41

take something away to decrease behavior

Question 42

Operant reinforcement is most effective when

Answer 42

given immediately after a correct response

Question 43

Superstitious Behavior

Answer 43

Behavior that is repeated to produce reinforcement, even though it is not necessary

Question 44

Shaping

Answer 44

operant conditioning procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior towards the desired target behavior through successive approximations

Question 45

Primary Reinforcer

Answer 45

nonlearned and natural; satisfies biological needs

Question 46

Secondary Reinforcer

Answer 46

learned reinforcer (money, grades, approval)

Question 47

Token Reinforcer

Answer 47

tangible secondary reinforcer (money, gold stars, poker chips)

Question 48

Social Reinforcer

Answer 48

learned desires for attention and approval

Question 49

Premack principle

Answer 49

a more probable activity can be used to reinforce a less probable one

Question 50

Continuous Reinforcement

Answer 50

a reinforcer follows every correct response

Question 51

Partial Reinforcement

Answer 51

a pattern in which only a portion of all responses will be reinforced

Question 52

Schedules of Reinforcement

Answer 52

a rule or plan for determining which responses will be reinforced

Question 53

Fixed Ratio Schedule (FR)

Answer 53

A set number of correct responses must be made to obtain a reinforcer. – produce very high response rates

Question 54

Variable Ratio Schedule (VR)

Answer 54

Varied number of correct responses must be made to obtain a reinforcer. – greatest resistance to extinction

Question 55

Fixed Interval Schedule (FI)

Answer 55

The first correct response made after a certain amount of time has elapsed is reinforced – produces moderate response rate

Question 56

Variable Interval Schedule (VI)

Answer 56

Reinforcement is given for the first correct response made after a varied amount of time – tremendous resistance to extinction

Question 57

Stimulus Control

Answer 57

Stimuli that consistently precede a rewarded response tend to influence when and where the response will occur

Question 58

Discriminative stimuli

Answer 58

Stimuli that precede reinforced and non-reinforced responses.

Question 59

Operant Stimulus Generalization

Answer 59

Tendency to respond to stimuli similar to those that preceded operant reinforcement

Question 60

Operant Stimulus Discrimination

Answer 60

One learns to differentiate between the stimuli that signal either an upcoming reward or a nonreward condition