Learning

Question 1

Assumptions of learning

Answer 1

Experience shapes behaviour, learning is adaptive, laws of learning can be uncovered by experiment.

Question 2

Psychoneuroimmunology

Answer 2

Study of interaction between physiological processes and the nervous and immune systems.

Question 3

Blocking

Answer 3

When a stimulus fails to elicit a conditioned response because it is combined with another stimulus that already elicits the response.

Question 4

Paradoxical conditioning

Answer 4

When the conditioned response is the opposite to the unconditioned response.

Question 5

Habituation

Answer 5

Decreasing strength of a reflex response after repeated presentations of the stimulus.

Question 6

Operant conditioning/ instrumental conditioning

Answer 6

Focuses on voluntary behaviours. Learning that results when an organism associates a response with a particular environment effect.

Question 7

Thorndike’s law of effect

Answer 7

The tendency of an organism to produce a behaviour depends on the effect the behaviour has on the environment.

Question 8

Operant

Answer 8

Behaviour that is emitted rather than elicited by the environment.

Question 9

Positive reinforcement

Answer 9

Adding a pleasant stimulus (reward).

Question 10

Negative reinforcement

Answer 10

Removing an unpleasant stimulus (avoid).

Question 11

Positive punishment

Answer 11

Adding an unpleasant stimulus (punish).

Question 12

Negative punishment

Answer 12

Removing pleasant stimulus (deprive).

Question 13

Shaping

Answer 13

Response taught to organism.

Question 14

Chaining

Answer 14

Sequencing existing responsesin novel order.

Question 15

Successive approximations

Answer 15

Gradual stages to teach new behaviour or shaping.

Question 16

Factors that affect operant conditioning

Answer 16

Behaviours already learnt, enduring characteristics of learner, species specific behaviour.

Question 17

Primary reinforcer

Answer 17

Satisfy biological needs.

Question 18

Secondary reinforcer

Answer 18

Money or tokens learnt to exchange.

Question 19

Social/ observational learning

Answer 19

Vicarious reinforcement or learning through modelling of a response. Needs: attention, retention, motor reproduction and motivation.

Question 20

Tutelage

Answer 20

Learning through instruction.

Question 21

Stimulus generalisation

Answer 21

After learning to produce a conditioned response, may respond to a similar stimulus.

Question 22

Stimulus discrimination

Answer 22

Tendency to respond to restricted range of stimuli.

Question 23

Extinction

Answer 23

In classical conditioning, A process of a conditioned response weakening by presenting conditioned stimulus without unconditioned stimulus. In operant conditioning, when operant is not followed by learned environmental consequence.

Question 24

Spontaneous discovery

Answer 24

Reappearance of an extinguished response. Learning is never fully erased.

Question 25

Interstimulus interval

Answer 25

The time between the presentation of the conditioned stimulus and unconditioned stimulus. Affects acquisition (initial learning).

Question 26

Other factors that affect classical conditioning

Answer 26

If a conditioned stimulus is predictive of an unconditioned stimulus, Individuals learning history (prior associations), prepared learning (evolved tendency to learn association more than others).

Question 27

Classical conditioning

Answer 27

Learning where an environmental stimulus produces a response in an organism. Focuses on reflex or involuntary behaviours. A produce of pairing a neutral stimulus to one that elicits a response.

Question 28

Unconditioned stimulus

Answer 28

A stimulus that produces an innate reflex with no learning.

Question 29

Unconditioned response

Answer 29

A response to a stimulus that does not have to be learned (automatic).

Question 30

Conditioned response

Answer 30

Learned to a conditioned stimulus.

Question 31

Conditioned stimulus

Answer 31

Starts as neutral stimulus that does not elicit a response but does after pairing with an unconditioned stimulus.

Question 32

Long-term potentiation LTP

Answer 32

Tendency for group of neurons to fire more readily after consistent stimulation from other neurons.

Question 33

Discriminative stimulus

Answer 33

Precedes a response, can also influence operant behaviour by acting as a signal.

Question 34

Continuous reinforcement schedule

Answer 34

Environmental consequence occurs after every operant.

Question 35

Fixed ratio schedule

Answer 35

Receive reinforcement at fixed rate according to number of operant.

Question 36

Variable ratio schedule

Answer 36

Receive reinforcement on unpredictable percentage of operant (on average amount).

Question 37

Fixed interval

Answer 37

Reinforcement after fixed period of time.

Question 38

Variable interval

Answer 38

Unpredictable interval of time to pass.

Question 39

Latent learning

Answer 39

Forms cognitive maps. Learning that has occurred but not manifested in behaviour.

Question 40

Expectancies

Answer 40

Expectations of the consequence of behaviours making them more or less likely to occur.

Question 41

Locus of control

Answer 41

Generalised expectancies on own behaviour to produce desired outcomes.

Question 42

Explanatory style

Answer 42

The way someone makes sense of events or outcomes, particularly aversive ones (pessimistic, optimistic).