Unit 3 Topic 3

Question 1

What is classical conditioning?

Answer 1

Where an animal or other organism can passively learn to show a naturally occurring reflex action in response to any stimulus. (learning through association)

Pavlov’s dogs

Question 2

What is association?

Answer 2

Learnt connection between two or more objects or events, especially significant in classical conditioning

Question 3

What are the components of classical conditioning?

Answer 3

Unconditioned stimuli – causing the response
Unconditioned response – response from unconditioned stimuli
Neutral stimulus – something that causes no response
Conditioned stimuli – stimuli that was previously neutral, eventually causes conditioned response when associated with unconditioned stimuli
Conditioned response – automatic response from being trained to typically neutral stimulus.

Question 4

What are the different elements in the life span of classical conditioning?

Answer 4

Extinction – without reinforcement the response disappears
Spontaneous recovery – reappearance of extinguished response after rest period.
Stimulus generalisation – response to similar stimuli to what was associated with in the first place
Stimulus discrimination – only responds to conditioned stimulus.

Question 5

What is operant conditioning?

Answer 5

specific consequences are associated with voluntary behaviour

Question 6

What are the four types of operant conditioning?

Answer 6

Positive Reinforcement – add pleasant stimuli to increase and maintain behaviour
Negative Reinforcement – remove aversive stimulus to increase and maintain behaviour
Positive Punishment – add aversive stimulus to decrease behaviour
Negative Punishment – remove pleasant stimulus to decrease behaviour

Question 7

What is the ABCs of operant conditioning?

Answer 7

Antecedent
Behaviour
Consequence
Antecedent makes the conditions right for the behaviour to be encouraged or discouraged by its consequences

Question 8

What is the social learning theory?

Answer 8

States that people learn from one another via observation, limitation and modelling. Encompasses attention, memory and motivation

Question 9

What are the four steps of the social learning theory (aka observational learning process)

Answer 9

Attention – stimuli focus
Retention – rehearse, encode
Motor Reproduction – practice, feedback
Motivation – reward, reinforce

Question 10

What is vicarious reinforcement? What are the positive and negative definitions of this?

Answer 10

Individuals are more likely to engage in behaviour or activity when they witness another individual being rewarded for this behaviour.

Positive vicarious – individual witnesses reward of other individual for behaviour or activity

Negative vicarious – individual witnesses punishment of other individual for behaviour or activity.