Class 6

Question 1

Non-associative learning

Answer 1

When an organism changes the magnitude of its response due to the repeated exposure to a particular stimulus

• habituation
• dishabituation
• sensitization

Question 2

Habituation

Answer 2

Occurs when response diminishes as the organism becomes accustomed to a repeated stimulus

Question 3

Dishabituation

Answer 3

Occurs when an organism that had become habituated time a stimulus recovers its responsiveness because of the removal of the stimulus and or the experience of a different stimulus

Question 4

Sensitization

Answer 4

Occurs when instead of exhibiting habituation the organism demonstrates increasing responsiveness to a repeated stimulus. Sensitization is usually associated with increased arousal

Question 5

Classical conditioning (aka associative learning)

Answer 5

A process in which two stimuli are paired in such a way that the response to one of the stimuli changes. Closely connected to the behaviourist perspective

Question 6

Classical conditioning before during and after conditioning

Answer 6

Before conditioning

• unconditioned stimulus leads to an unconditioned response
• neutral stimulus leads to no response

During conditioning
- neutral stimulus paired with an unconditioned stimulus leads to unconditioned response

After conditioning
- conditioned stimulus leads to a conditioned response

Question 7

What is generalization in classical conditioning

Answer 7

Occurs When stimuli other than the original conditioned stimulus elicit the conditioned response

Question 8

What is discrimination in classical conditioning

Answer 8

Occurs when the conditioned stimulus is distinguished from other stimuli and is the only thing that elicits the conditioned response

Question 9

Operant conditioning (associative learning)

Answer 9

A process in which reinforcement (pleasurable consequences) and punishment (unpleasant consequences) are employed to mold behaviour

Question 10

Who is BF Skinner

Answer 10

Founder of behaviourist perspective

Associated with operant conditioning

Question 11

Explain positive and negative reinforcement and punishment

Answer 11

Positive reinforcement
- adds something desirable to increase the likelihood of behaviour

Positive punishment
- adds something undesirable to decrease the likelihood of behaviour

Negative reinforcement
- takes away something undesirable to increase likelihood of behaviour

Negative punishment
- takes away something desirable to decrease likelihood of behaviour

Question 12

Dopamine Reward Pathway

Answer 12

The reward pathway begins in the ventral tegmental area and connects to the nucleus accumbens

Rewards activate this pathway and lead to dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens

Additive drugs stimulate the release of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens and thus reinforce drug use

Other regions implied in reward are amygdala and hypothalamus

Question 13

What are primary versus secondary reinforcers and punishments

Answer 13

Primary reinforcers and punishments change the rate of response without previous learning

Secondary reinforcers and punishers are stimuli learned to be rewarding or punishing

Question 14

What is a token economy

Answer 14

A system in which behaviours are reinforced with tokens (secondary reinforcers) and can layer be exchanged for desirable stimuli such as playing time screen time or toys

Found effective in managing psychiatric disorders and regularly used with children

Question 15

Reinforcement schedules

Answer 15

Continuous
- reinforced given after every single response

Fixed ratio
- reinforcer given after set number of responses

Variable ratio
- reinforcer given after variable number of responses

Fixed interval
- reinforcer given after set amount of time

Variable interval
- reinforcer given after variable amount of time

Question 16

Define continuous reinforcement schedule

Answer 16

After every single response

Response rate = slow

Extinction rate = fast

Question 17

Define fixed ratio reinforcement

Answer 17

Set number of responses

Response rate = fast

Extinction rate = medium

Question 18

Define variable ratio

Answer 18

Variable number of responses

Response rate = fast

Extinction rate = slow

Question 19

Define fixed interval

Answer 19

Set amount of time

Response rate = medium

Extinction rate = medium

Question 20

Define Variable interval

Answer 20

Variable amount of time

Response rate = medium fast

Extinction rate = slow

Question 21

Discriminative stimulus

Answer 21

Is a stimulus that increases responses when present because the subject has learned that this stimulus signals more likely reinforcement

Question 22

What are two biological processes that might affect associative learning

Answer 22

Biological predispositions
- much easier to condition an organism to perform a response that is similar to behaviours that it is biologically inclined to perform

Instinctive drift
- the tendency for certain conditioned behaviours to trigger similar instinctive behaviours. The closer the similarity between the conditioned behaviour and an innate behaviour the more likely the underlying innate behaviour will be substituted for the desired conditioned response

Question 23

What are biological processes that affect observational learning

Answer 23

Mirror neurons
- in humans many brain neurons fire in the same pattern when we observe another perform a known action

Vicarious emotions
- mirror neurons also appear to be activated when we feel the emotional responses of others

Question 24

What is insight learning

Answer 24

A process in which the solution to a problem suddenly comes to us in what might be described as a flash of insight

Wolfgang Kohler showed the power of insight learning by conducting studies with chimpanzees in which tempting food was placed out of reach

Question 25

Latent learning

Answer 25

A process in which learning occurs without any immediate expression or obvious reinforcement; later when helpful this learning demonstrates itself

Question 26

What are the three processes of memory

Answer 26

Encoding - transfer of sensations into our memory system Storage - retaining information in short-term or long-term memory Retrieval - extracting information that has been stored

Question 27

What is the multi-store memory model

Answer 27

Sensory memory - Sensory input into the sensory memory - unattended information is lost - iconic = less then a second - echoic = 2-4 seconds Short term memory - attention leads sensory info memory to the short term - unrehearsed information is lost - maintenance rehearsal - capacity of 7 +-2 - decays in 15-30 seconds - encoding into STM is primarily acoustic Long term memory - consolidation leads to long term memory - some information may be lost over time - retrieval from long term brings it to the short term memory - permanent storage - unknown capacity - encoding into LTM is primarily semantic (meaning making)

Question 28

What are the different types of long term memory

Answer 28

Explicit memory - declarative memory - conscious recall 1) episodic memory = events you have experienced 2) semantic memory = general knowledge of facts and information Implicit memory - nondeclaritive memory - no conscious recall 1) procedural memory = learning motor skills and physical actions 2) priming 3) classical conditioning

Question 29

Baddeley’s model of working memory

Answer 29

Central executive - responsible for coordination of subsystems shifting between tasks and selective attention and inhibition Phonological loop - short term phonological store with auditory rehearsal - leads to semantic verbal memory Visuospatial sketchpad - temporary storage and manipulation of spatial and visual information - leads to semantic visual memory Episodic buffer - information integration and lining to long term memory - leads to episodic memory