Learning theories Flashcards
(17 cards)
What was Pavolv’s test?
He paired food with a bell and built up a response to the bell from the dogs.
Who was Edward Thorndike?
First pioneer for operant conditioning 1874-1949
Who was Burrhus Skinner?
tested rats by shocking them in a cage. 1904-1990. Pioneered operant conditioning
Define habituation
A form of learning in which an organism decreases or ceases its response to a stimulus that doesn’t have a consequence after repeated presentation
Define sensitisation
increase in response to a stimulus that has a consequence
Classical conditioning definition
A biologically potent stimulus (food) is paired with a previously neutral stimulus (clicker). If they are paired enough times the neutral stimulus will become a conditioned stimulus
Operant conditioning definition
Consequences following behaviours influence the frequency of future behaviour
Name all 4 Operant conditioning quadrants
Positive reinforcement= adding pleasant stimulus
Negative reinforcment= removal of an unpleasant stimulus
Positive punishment= Adding an unpleasant stimulus
Negative punishment= removal of a pleasant stimulus
define primary reinforcement (biological reinforcer)
stimuli that are naturally reinforcing because they directly satisfy a biological need e.g. food
Define secondary/conditional reinforcer
Stimuli or events that become reinforcing based on their association with a primary reinforcer e.g. a dog learning a squeaky toy is paired with social interaction
Define Salience and how can it be affected
the value something is given. it can be affected by:
- what they like
- removal from daily diet (normal food)
- Make it a training-only thing
- Use high-value food e.g. something they don’t get often, highly palatable etc
- can be lost through overuse
Explain a reinforcement schedule
a set of rules used when teaching an animal. they dictate how often you reward the correct behaviour. can reinforce continuously or intermittently
Define continuous schedules and the downsides and where to use them
Reinforce every time the animal performs the desired behaviour.
downsides: are you have to watch the animal carefully to ensure you reward everytime
can be dull and hard to sustain depending on the reward. Also it can decrease salience through repeated use
use when teaching something new
Intermittent or partial schedules definition
There are a few types of these. means to not reward everytime
Define variable-ration schedules
When a behaviour is reinforced after an unpredictable number of responses. E.g. gambling and lottery games. The variable ratio of 1:3 means that an average of one out of every 3 behaviours are reward
Fixed-ratio schedules definition
Behaviour is reinforced only after it has been performed a specified number of times. E.g. every 3rd time the dog sits
Fix-interval schedules definition
where the first response is reinforced after a specific amount of time has passed. e.g. getting paid every 4 weeks
