Chapter 7 - Learning

Front 1

Learning

Back 1

undergoing changes in behaviour that occur with experience

Front 2

Orienting response

Back 2

the automatic shift of attention toward a new stimulus (a response)

Front 3

Habituation

Back 3

a sensory process where individuals adapt to constant stimulation

Front 4

Association

Back 4

when two pieces of information from the environment are repeatedly linked so that we begin to connect them in our minds

Front 5

Conditioning

Back 5

a form of associative learning where behaviours are triggered by associations with events in the environment

Front 6

Classical conditioning

Back 6

a form of associative learning in which a neutral stimulus becomes associated with a stimulus to which one has an automatic, inborn response

Front 7

Unconditioned stimulus

Back 7

the stimulus that always produces the same, unlearned response

Front 8

Fixed stimulus-response pattern

Back 8

fixed responses to specific types of environmental stimulation

Front 9

Unconditioned response

Back 9

the automatic, inborn reaction to a stimulus

Front 10

Conditioned stimulus

Back 10

a previously neutral stimulus that an individual learns to associate with the unconditioned stimulus

Front 11

Conditioned response

Back 11

a behaviour that an individual learns to perform when presented with the conditioned stimulus

Front 12

Stimulus generalization

Back 12

the extension of association between the unconditioned stimulus and the conditioned stimulus to include a broad array of similar stimuli

Front 13

Stimulus discrimination

Back 13

occurs when a conditioned response occurs only to the exact conditioned stimulus

Front 14

Extinction

Back 14

the weakening and disappearance of a conditioned response, which occurs when an unconditioned stimulus is no longer paired with the conditioned stimulus

Front 15

Higher-order conditioning

Back 15

a form of conditioning whereby a neutral stimulus is paired with a conditioned stimulus (beer and Canadian flag)

Front 16

Law of effect

Back 16

the consequences of a behaviour increase (or decrease) the likelihood that the behaviour will be repeated

Front 17

Operant conditioning

Back 17

learning based on the consequences of behaviour

Front 18

Reinforcer

Back 18

an internal or external event that increases the frequency of behaviour

Front 19

Primary reinforcers

Back 19

innate, unlearned reinforcers that satisfy biological needs (e.g. food, water, sex)

Front 20

Secondary reinforcers

Back 20

reinforcers that are learned by association, usually via classical conditioning (e.g. money, grades)

Front 21

Positive reinforcement

Back 21

the presentation or addition of a stimulus after a behaviour occurs that increases how often that behaviour occurs

Front 22

Negative reinforcement

Back 22

the removal of a stimulus after a behaviour to increase the frequency of that behaviour

Front 23

Positive punishment

Back 23

the addition of a stimulus that decreases behaviour (e.g. spanking)

Front 24

Negative punishment

Back 24

the removal of a stimulus that decreases behaviour (e.g. revoking TV time)

Front 25

Skinner box

Back 25

simple chamber used for operant conditioning of small animals

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Shaping

Back 26

the reinforcement of successive approximations of a desired behaviour

Front 27

Continuous reinforcement

Back 27

reinforcement of a behaviour every time it occurs

Front 28

Intermittent reinforcement

Back 28

reinforcement of a behaviour - but not after every behaviour

Front 29

Schedules of reinforcement

Back 29

patterns of reinforcement distinguished by whether reinforcement occurred after a set number of responses before the last reinforcement

Front 30

Fixed interval schedule

Back 30

reinforcement always follows its first response after a set amount of time (schedule)

Front 31

Variable interval schedule

Back 31

the first response is reinforced after time periods of different duration have passed

Front 32

Instinctive drift

Back 32

learned behaviour that shifts toward instinctive, unlearned behaviour tendencies

Front 33

Biological constraint model

Back 33

view of learning proposing that some behaviours are inherently more likely to be learned than others

Front 34

Latent learning

Back 34

learning that occurs in the absence of reinforcement and is not demonstrated until later, when reinforcement occurs

Front 35

Enactive learning

Back 35

a type of learning by doing

Front 36

Observational learning

Back 36

a type of learning by watching the behaviours of others

Front 37

Social learning theory

Back 37

a theory of the kind of learning that occurs when we model or imitate the behaviours of others

Front 38

Modelling

Back 38

the imitation of behaviours performed by others