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Psychology 101 > Learning and Adaptation > Flashcards

Learning and Adaptation Flashcards

1
Q

Historically how have behaviourists defined learning

A

The process by which experience produces a relatively enduring change in an organisms behaviour or capabilities

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2
Q

What role does the environment play in personal adaptation

A

Involves physiological, behavioral, or cultural changes that help an individual survive in their environment. This is short term and on an individual level

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3
Q

What role does the environment play in species adaptation

A

Happens over many generations through natural selection. This is long term and on an evolutionary level

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4
Q

What is Habituation

A

The decrease in the strength of response to a repeated stimulus

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5
Q

what is the adaptive significance of habituation

A

It helps organisms conserve energy and attend to other stimuli that are important

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6
Q

What is sensitization

A

An increase in the strength of response to a stimulus

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7
Q

What is the benefit to sensitization

A

To increase responses to a potentially dangerous stimulus

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8
Q

Classical Conditioning

A

An organism learns to associate two stimuli, such that one stimulus comes to produce a response that originally was produced by the other stimulus

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9
Q

What is the key adaptive function for classical conditioning

A

It alerts organisms to stimuli that signal the impending arrival of an important event

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10
Q

Acquisition

A

The period during which a response is being learned

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11
Q

Neutral Stimulus

A

Doesn’t elicit a response

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12
Q

Unconditional Response

A

Something that would happen without training

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13
Q

Conditioned response

A

A response that is learned

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14
Q

Under what circumstances are conditioned responses typically acquired the quickest

A

When there are repeated Condition Stimuli and unconditioned responses, the unconditioned response is more intense, the sequence involves forward pairing, and the time interval between the Conditioned stimulus and unconditioned response is short

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15
Q

Extinction

A

When the conditioned stimulus isn’t paired with the unconditioned Stimulus, then the conditioned response weakens and eventually disappears

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16
Q

Extinction trial

A

Every time the CS is presented without the UCS

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17
Q

Learning trial

A

When the UCS and UCR are paired together

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18
Q

Spontaneous Recovery

A

The appearance of a previously extinguished Conditioned Response after a rest period and without new learning trials

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19
Q

Generalization

A

Stimuli similar to the original conditioned response elicit a conditioned response

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20
Q

What is the adaptative function of generalization

A

Serves to protect organisms from harm

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21
Q

Discrimination

A

When a CR occurs to one stimulus but not to others

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22
Q

What is the adaptative function of discrimination

A

An animal that becomes alarmed at every stimulus would exhaust itself from stress. Discrimination prevents this

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23
Q

High order conditioning

A

A neutral stimulus becomes a CS after being paired with an established CS

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24
Q

How does classical conditioning explain fear acquisition

A

It explains fear acquisition by pairing neutral stimulus with a fear inducing stimulus

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25
Aversion Therapy
Attempts to condition an an aversion to a stimulus that triggers unwanted behaviour by pairing it with a noxious UCS
26
Ivan Pavlov
Father of Classical Conditioning
27
Law of Effect
In a given situation, a response followed by a satisfying consequence will become more likely to occur, and vice versa
28
Operant Learning
A type of learning in which behaviour is influenced by it's consequences
29
Reinforcement
A response is strengthened by an outcome that follows it
30
Reinforcer
The outcome that increases the frequency of a response
31
Punishment
When a response is weakened by an outcome that follows it
32
Punisher
A consequence that weakens the behaviour
33
Two key differences between Classical and Operant conditioning
Classical is between two stimuli, while Operant is between a behaviour and it's consequences Classical focuses on elicited behaviours, which are involuntary responses. Operant focuses on emitted behaviours, where the organism generates it's own responses
34
Antecedent
Something that comes before and influences a behaviour
35
Discriminative Stimulus
A signal that a particular response will now produce certain consequences
36
Positive Reinforcement
A response is strengthened by the subsequent presentation of a stimulus
37
Negative Reinforcement
A response is strengthened by the removal or avoidance of a stimulus
38
Positive Reinforcers
The Stimulus that follows and strengthens the response
39
Examples of Positive reinforcers
Food, drink, comforting physical contact, attention, praise, and money
40
Operant Extinction
The weakening and eventual disappearance of a response because it is no longer reinforced
41
Positive/Aversive Punishment
A response is weakened by the subsequent presentation of a stimulus
42
Negative Punishment
A response is weakened by the subsequent removal of a stimulus
43
Primary Reinforcers
Stimuli that an organism naturally reinforcing because they satisfy biological needs. Examples include food, water, attention, social recognition and praise
44
Secondary Reinforcers
A learned reinforcer Examples include money, tokens, performance feedback, and grades
45
Shaping
Involves reinforcing successive approximations towards a final response
46
Chaining
Used to develop a sequence of responses by reinforcing each response with the opportunity to preform the next response
47
Operant Generalization
An operant response occurs to a new antecedent stimulus or situation that is similar to the original one
48
Operant Discrimination
An Operant response will occur to one antecedent stimulus but not to another
49
Continuous reinforcement schedule
Every response of a particular type is reinforced
50
Partial Reinforcement
Only some responses are reinforced
51
Fixed-ratio schedule
Reinforcement is given after a fixed number of responses
52
Variable-Ratio schedule
Reinforcement is given after a variable number of correct responses, based on an average
53
Fixed-interval Schedule
The first correct response that occurs after a fixed time interval is reinforced
54
Variable-Interval Schedule
Reinforcement is given to the first response given after a variable time interval
55
Escape Conditioning
Organisms learn a response to terminate an aversive stimulus that is already occurring
56
Avoidance Conditioning
The organism learns to completely avoid an aversive stimulus
57
Two Factor theory of avoidance learning
classical and operant conditioning are involved in avoidance learning
58
Applied behaviour analysis
Combines a behavioural approach with the scientific method to solve individual and societal problems
59
Preparedness
Animals are biologically prewired to learn behaviours related to their survival
60
Instinctive Drift
A conditioned response drifts back towards instinctual behaviour
61
Insight
The sudden perception of a useful relationship that helps to solve a problem
62
Latent Learning
learning that occurs but is not demonstrated until there is an incentive to do so
63
social-cognitive/ social learning theory
People learn by observing the behaviour of models and acquiring the belief that they can produce behaviours to influence events in their lives
64
Observational Learning/ Modelling
The learning that occurs by observing the behaviour of the model

Psychology 101 (9 decks)

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