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Psych GRE > Learning & Ethology > Flashcards

Learning & Ethology Flashcards

(67 cards)

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1
Q

reflex

A

unlearned response elicited by a specific stimulus

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2
Q

unconditioned stimulus

A

stimulus that can reflexively elicit a response

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3
Q

unconditioned response

A

response reflexively elicited by an unconditional stimulus

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4
Q

conditioned stimulus

A

a stimulus that, after conditioning, is able to elicit a nonreflexsive response

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5
Q

conditioned response

A

response that, after conditioning, is elicited by a conditioned stimulus

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6
Q

acquisition

A

period during which an organism is learning the association of the stimuli

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7
Q

extinction in classical conditioning

A

unlearning classical conditioning by not reinforcing conditioned behavior

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8
Q

spontaneous recovery

A

after period of rest after extinction, a weak conditioned response can occur

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9
Q

generalization

A

tendency for stimuli similar to conditioned stimulus to elicit conditioned response

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10
Q

forward conditioning

A

presenting unconditioned stimulus after conditioned stimulus

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11
Q

backward conditioning

A

presenting conditioned stimulus after unconditioned stimulus (generally unsuccessful)

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12
Q

second-order conditioning

A

CS, UCS –> neutral, CS –> neutral

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13
Q

sensory preconditioning

A

neutral 1, neutral 2 –> neutral 2 (becomes CS), UCS –> neutral 1

neutral 1 will elicit salivation even though it was never directly paired with food (UCS)

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14
Q

contingency explanation of classical conditioning

A

classical conditioning is a matter of learned signals for the UCS

  • CS is a good signal for UCS
    (Robert Rescorla)
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15
Q

blocking

A

conditioned stimulus is a good signal for unconditioned stimulus & provides nonredundant information about the occurrence of the UCs

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16
Q

contiguity

A

CS and UCS are contiguous (near) in time

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17
Q

operant conditioning

A

reward learning; based on learning the relationship between one’s actions & their consequences

(instrumental conditioning)

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18
Q

law of effect

A

if a response is followed by an annoying consequence, the animal will be less likely to emit the same response in the future

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19
Q

positive reinforcement

A

behavior is rewarded

increases probability of response

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20
Q

2 types of negative reinforcement

A
  1. escape

2. avoidance

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21
Q

escape

A

type of negative reinforcement; behavior removes something undesirable

(increases probability of response)

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22
Q

avoidance

A

type of negative reinforcement; behavior avoids something undesirable

(increases probability of response)

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23
Q

punishment

A

behavior causes something undesirable

decreases probability of response

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24
Q

extinction in operant conditioning

A

behavior that used to bring reward no longer does so

decreases probability of response

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25
discriminative stimulus
stimulus condition that indicates that organism's behavior will have consequences (pigeon only gets food when light is on)
26
generalization in operant conditioning
if you train an animal to peck when green light is on, after training, the animal will peck also when similarly colored lights are on. the more similar to green, the more it will peck
27
partial reinforcement effect
it takes longer to extinguish lever press for rat who acquired the response while receiving only occasional reinforcement Ex: gambling: once you start gambling, it's hard to stop even though your behavior is reinforced by only an occasional win
28
4 types of partial reinforcement
1. fixed-ratio (FR) 2. variable-ratio (VR) 3. fixed-interval (FI) 4. variable interval (VI)
29
fixed-ratio
behavior reinforced after a fixed number of responses
30
variable-ratio
behavior reinforced after a varying number of responses
31
fixed-interval
behavior reinforced for the first response after a fixed period of time has elapsed since the last reinforcement
32
variable-interval
behavior reinforced for first response after varying period has elapsed since last reinforcement
33
continuous reinforcement schedule (CRF)
animal reinforced for every response
34
which partial reinforcement method is most resistant to extinction?
VR (variable ratio) | very resistant (very rapid) most rapid response rate
35
shaping
reinforce desired response while extinguishing others | step by step. dog fetching slippers
36
another name for shaping
differential reinforcement
37
behavior therapies
psychotherapies based on conditioning models
38
flooding therapy
forcing client to directly experience feared object (CS)
39
implosion
forcing client to imagine feared object (CS)
40
systematic desensitization
forcing client to imagine feared object (CS) while trying to ensure that the client stays relaxed by using deep relaxation & an anxiety hierarchy
41
conditioned aversion
pairing a desired conditioned stimulus with an aversive UCS
42
contingency management
therapy based on operant conditioning - try to change client's behavior by altering the consequences of the behavior
43
behavioral contract
written agreement that states the consequences of certain acts; useful in resolving interpersonal conflicts
44
time-out
removing the client from the potentially reinforcing situation before he can receive reinforcement for the undesirable behavior
45
token economies
given for desirable behaviors & taken away for various undesirable behaviors
46
premack principle
using a more preferred activity to reinforce a less preferred activity "you can play after you study" (using playing to reinforce studying)
47
Thorndike thought puzzle solving was explained by
law of effect (conditioning)
48
Kohler thought animals could solve puzzles by using
insight
49
cognitive map
mental representation of a physical space - rats can make map of maze to figure way out after initial way is blocked
50
biological constraint
different species have different inborn predispositions to learn different things in different ways - affects both classical and operant conditioning
51
garcia effect
example of biological constraint on learning animals innately associate something they eat with illness even if this food is given to them with red light. they won't avoid the red light. conditioning doesn't always work
52
preparedness
rats had in-born tendency to associate certain stimuli with certain consequences
53
instinctual drift
instinctual ways of behaving are able to override behaviors learned through operant conditioning
54
ethology
study of animal behavior under natural conditions
55
species-species / species-typical behaviors
behaviors that are characteristic of a particular species; tend to be instinctual
56
fixed-action pattern (FAP)
stereotyped behavior sequence that doesn't have to be learned by the animal
57
sign stimuli
features of a stimulus sufficient to bring about a particular FAP
58
releaser
sign stimulus that triggers social behaviors between animals
59
supernormal stimulus
model more effective at triggering FAP than actual sign stimulus found in nature
60
innate releasing mechanism (IRM)
a mechanism in the animal's nervous system that connects sign stimuli with the correct FAPs
61
reproductive isolating mechanisms
behaviors that prevent animals of one species from attempting to mate with animals of a closely related species
62
natural selection
Darwin and shit
63
reproductive fitness
number of offspring that live to be old enough to reproduce
64
altruism
an action that increases the reproductive fitness of other members of the species while decreasing your own
65
theory of kin selection
animals act to increase their inclusive fitness rather than reproductive fitness
66
inclusive fitness
takes into account number of offspring that live to be old enough to reproduce & the number of other relatives who live to reproductive age
67
sociobiology
goal: test hypotheses about the effect of social behavior on fitness

Psych GRE (8 decks)

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