learning 2

Question 1

Define acquisition

Answer 1

-Initial increase in responding to a CS when it paired with a UCS

Question 2

Define extinction

Answer 2

-Weakening of conditioned response if CS is presented without UCS

Question 3

Define spontaneous recovery

Answer 3

-Increase in an extinguished conditioned response due to passage of time

Question 4

What is an application of extinction?

Answer 4

-Exposure therapy

Question 5

Define law of effect

Answer 5

-Behaviour followed by positive consequences are more likely to be repeated

Question 6

Define continuous reinforcement

Answer 6

-Reward is delivered every time a response is made

Question 7

Define ratio schedule

Answer 7

-Reward delivered after a certain number of responses made
-Fixed/Variable ratio

Question 8

Define interval schedule

Answer 8

-Reward delivered after first response is made after a certain interval has passed
-Fixed/variable interval

Question 9

Instrumental/operant conditioning is…

Answer 9

-Widespread - all manner of species can be trained
-Hard to get started

Question 10

Why is there a conservative approach to learning?

Answer 10

1: Physiology - brains made up on connections between neurons
2: Occams razor - simplest explanation for a variety of observations is the best

Question 11

Describe Adams (1982) study

Answer 11

-Stage 1 = level pressed meant they would receive a sugar pellet, occurred 100 times
-Stage 2 (exp. group) = next day, they were given pellets which would cause illness
-Stage 2 (control group) = next day, they were given pellets which never caused illness
-Final test = exp. group made significantly fewer mean lever responses per minute

Question 12

What was found when the amount of lever presses changed to 500?

Answer 12

-Exp. group actually continued pressing the lever for the pellet, ignoring devaluation from the illness
-Doesn’t understanding consequences of behaviour