lesson 8

Question 1

Learning

Answer 1

Experience that results in a relatively permanent change in the state of the learner

Question 2

two main approaches to learning

Answer 2

classical conditioning and operant conditioning

Question 3

Classical conditioning

Answer 3

When a neutral stimulus produces a response after being paired with a stimulus that naturally produces a response; first studied by Ivan Pavlov (1849‐1936)

Question 4

Unconditioned stimulus (US)

Answer 4

Something that reliably produces a naturally occurring reaction in an organism

Question 5

Unconditioned response (UR)

Answer 5

Reflexive reaction that is reliably produced by an unconditioned stimulus

Question 6

Conditioned stimulus (CS)

Answer 6

Stimulus that is initially neutral and produces no reliable response in an organism

Question 7

Conditioned response (CR)

Answer 7

Reaction that resembles an unconditioned response but is produced by a conditioned stimulus

Question 8

Acquisition

Answer 8

Phase of classical conditioning when the CS and the US are presented together

Question 9

Extinction

Answer 9

Gradual elimination of a learned response that occurs when the US is no longer presented

Question 10

Second‐order conditioning

Answer 10

Conditioning where the US is a stimulus that acquired its ability to produce learning from an earlier procedure in which it was used as a CS

Question 11

Spontaneous recovery

Answer 11

Tendency of a learned behaviour to recover from extinction after a rest period

Question 12

Generalization

Answer 12

Process by which the CR is observed even though the CS is slightly different from the original one used during acquisition

Question 13

Discrimination

Answer 13

Capacity to distinguish between similar but distinct stimuli

Question 14

Rescorla‐Wagner model suggests that

Answer 14

classical conditioning only occurs when the organism has learned to set up an expectation.

Question 15

Eyeblink conditioning research argues that

Answer 15

classical conditioning draws upon implicit but not explicit memory

Question 16

The amygdala (central nucleus) is responsible for

Answer 16

fear conditioning

Question 17

Biological preparedness

Answer 17

Propensity for learning particular kinds of associations over others

Question 18

Operant conditioning

Answer 18

Type of learning in which the consequences of an organism’s behaviour determine whether it will be repeated in the future

Question 19

Edward Thorndike

Answer 19

(1874‐1949) focused on instrumental behaviours and created a puzzle box to show the law of effect.

Question 20

Law of effect

Answer 20

Principle that behaviours that are followed by a ‘satisfying state of affairs’ tend to be repeated and those that produce an ‘unpleasant state of affairs’ are less likely to be repeated

Question 21

Operant behaviour

Answer 21

Behaviour that an organism produces that has some impact on the environment; coined by B.F. Skinner (1904‐1990)

Question 22

Reinforcer

Answer 22

Any stimulus or event that functions to increase the likelihood of the behaviour that led to it; more effective than punishment in promoting learning

Question 23

Punisher

Answer 23

Any stimulus or event that functions to decrease the likelihood of the behaviour that led to it

Question 24

Over justification effect

Answer 24

Circumstances when external rewards can undermine the intrinsic satisfaction of performing a behaviour

Question 25

Three‐term contingency

Answer 25

discriminative stimulus, response, reinforcer

Question 26

Fixed interval schedule (FI)

Answer 26

Reinforcements are presented at fixed time periods, provided the appropriate response is made

Question 27

Variable interval scheduled (VI)

Answer 27

Behaviour is reinforced based on an average time that has expired since the last reinforcement

Question 28

Fixed ratio schedule (FR)

Answer 28

Reinforcement is delivered after a specific number of responses have been made

Question 29

Variable ratio schedule (VR)

Answer 29

Delivery of reinforcement is based on a particular average number of responses

Question 30

Intermittent reinforcement

Answer 30

When only some of the responses made are followed by reinforcement; produce slightly higher rates of responding and are more resistant to extinction (intermittent‐reinforcement effect)

Question 31

Shaping

Answer 31

Learning that results from the reinforcement of successive steps to a final desired behaviour

Question 32

Superstitions

Answer 32

Rare or odd behaviours may be repeated if they are accidentally reinforced, which may lead to mistaken beliefs regarding causal relationships

Question 33

Edward Tolman

Answer 33

(1886‐1959) saw operant conditioning as a means‐ ends relationship.

Question 34

Latent learning

Answer 34

Condition in which something is learned but it is not manifested as a behavioural change until sometime in the future

Question 35

Cognitive map

Answer 35

Mental representation of the physical features of the environment

Question 36

Pleasure centers of the brain are located

Answer 36

limbic system

Question 37

Structures and pathways in the brain that deliver rewards through stimulation include

Answer 37

Medial forebrain bundle, hypothalamus, nucleus accumbens

Question 38

Observational learning

Answer 38

Condition in which learning takes place by watching the actions of others

Question 39

Albert Bandura

Answer 39

(1925‐) studied aggressive observational learning using the Bobo doll experiment

Question 40

Diffusion chain

Answer 40

Process in which individuals initially learn a behaviour by observing another individual perform that behaviour, and then serve as a model from which other individuals learn the behaviour

Question 41

Implicit learning

Answer 41

Learning that takes place largely without awareness of the process or the products of information acquisition

Question 42

Habituation

Answer 42

General process in which repeated or prolonged

exposure to a stimulus results in a gradual reduction in response

Question 43

Serial reaction time tasks

Answer 43

participants got faster in reaction time but were unaware of the pattern.

Question 44

Cramming

Answer 44

Neglecting to study for an extended period of time and then studying intensively just before an exam

Question 45

Massed practice

Answer 45

Studying information with little or no time between repetition

Question 46

Distributed practice

Answer 46

Spreading out study activities with more time between repetition of the to‐be‐learned information