Learning (Unit 5)

Question 1

learning

Answer 1

an (often) permanent change in behavior due to new experience

Question 2

habituation

Answer 2

the process of becoming desensitized to a stimulus due to repeated exposure

Question 3

associative learning

Answer 3

a type of learning where an individual forms a connection between 2+ stimuli, learning to associate the two with each other and using this association to predict future occurrences based on past experiences

Question 4

stimulus

Answer 4

an object, event, or situation in the environment that triggers a sensory or behavioral response

Question 5

respondent behavior

Answer 5

an automatic, reflex-like response to a stimulus

Question 6

operant behavior

Answer 6

a voluntary behavior that is influenced by it’s consequences

Question 7

cognitive learning

Answer 7

a type of learning that emphasizes the mental processes involved in acquiring knowledge, including how individuals perceive, process, and store information (thinking about thinking)

Question 8

classical conditioning

Answer 8

a type of learning through association

Question 9

behaviorism

Answer 9

a psychological perspective involving the theory that all behaviors are determined solely by observable, external stimuli in the environment

Question 10

neutral stimulus

Answer 10

a stimulus that initially doesn’t produce a specific response until we learn to associate it with something else

Question 11

unconditioned response

Answer 11

a natural response to a stimulus that occurs without any prior conditioning

Question 12

unconditioned stimulus

Answer 12

a stimulus that naturally triggers a response without any prior learning

Question 13

conditioned response

Answer 13

a behavior that does not come naturally, but must be learned through association with a stimulus

Question 14

conditioned stimulus

Answer 14

a previously neutral stimulus that, after conditioning, illicits a particular response

Question 15

acquisition

Answer 15

the initial stage of learning in which association is first established

Question 16

higher-order conditioning

Answer 16

the process of a neural stimulus becoming linked with a conditioned stimulus

Question 17

extinction

Answer 17

the gradual weakening and eventual disappearance of a learned behavior once it is no longer reinforced

Question 18

spontaneous recovery

Answer 18

the reappearance of a previously extinct behavior

Question 19

generalization

Answer 19

the tendency to respond to stimuli that are similar to the original conditioned stimulus

Question 20

discrimination

Answer 20

the ability to perceive differences among stimuli

Question 21

preparedness

Answer 21

the concept that organisms are biologically predisposed to learn certain associations more readily than others

Question 22

taste aversion

Answer 22

a learned dislike of a particular food based on past bad experiences

Question 23

law of effect

Answer 23

stimuli that produce a satisfying effect are likely to occur again, just as stimuli that produce a dissatisfying effect are less likely to occur again

Question 24

operant chamber

Answer 24

an enclosed space to observe how animal behavior is influenced by reward and punishment

Question 25

reinforcement

Answer 25

a consequence that increases the likelihood of a behavior repeating by providing a more desirable outcome or removing a less desirable one

Question 26

shaping

Answer 26

a method of operant conditioning where you reward behaviors that get progressively closer the the target behavior until the target behavior is achieved

Question 27

discriminative stimulus

Answer 27

a cue to an organism that if they display a behavior they will be rewarded

Question 28

positive reinforcement

Answer 28

a method of strengthening a behavior by providing a reward when it is completed

Question 29

negative reinforcement

Answer 29

the idea of taking away an unwanted stimulus in order to encourage good behavior

Question 30

primary reinforcer

Answer 30

a stimulus that is naturally satisfying without any prior learning

Question 31

conditioned reinforcer

Answer 31

a stimulus that gains its reinforcing power through it’s association with a primary reinforcer

Question 32

reinforcement schedules

Answer 32

a set of rules that determine when and how often a behavior is reinforced

Question 33

continuous reinforcement

Answer 33

a reinforcement schedule where a desired behavior is rewarded every time it occurs

Question 34

partial reinforcement

Answer 34

a reinforcement schedule where a desired behavior is only occasionally reinforced

Question 35

fixed ratio schedule

Answer 35

a reinforcement schedule where a reward is only given after a specified NUMBER of responses

Question 36

variable ratio schedule

Answer 36

a reinforcement schedule where a behavior is rewarded after an unpredictable NUMBER of times, leading to a high response rate

Question 37

fixed interval schedule

Answer 37

a reinforcement schedule where a response is only reinforced after a specific, predetermined amount of time

Question 38

variable interval schedule

Answer 38

a reinforcement schedule where a behavior is rewarded after an unpredictable amount of time, leading to a steady response rate

Question 39

instinctive draft

Answer 39

the tendency of animals to revert to innate, biologically ingrained behaviors, despite the presence of opposing conditioned behaviors

Question 40

cognitive map

Answer 40

a mental image of a real place, used to recall information and navigate places

Question 41

latent learning

Answer 41

a type of learning that occurs but is not applied until there is incentive to do so

Question 42

observational learning

Answer 42

learning through observing and mimicking other people’s behavior