Learning Processes Final Exam Set (Ch. 8-12)

Front 1

conditional relation

Back 1

a relation in which the significance of one stimulus or event depends on the status of another stimulus

Front 2

configural-cue approach

Back 2

an approach to the analysis of stimulus control which assumes that organisms respond to a compound stimulus as an integral whole rather than a collection of separate and independent stimulus elements (compare with the stimulus-element approach)

Front 3

discriminative stimulus

Back 3

a stimulus that controls the performance of instrumental behavior because it signals the availability (or non-availability) of reinforcement

Front 4

excitatory generalization gradient

Back 4

a gradient of responding that is observed when organisms are tested with the S+ from a discrimination procedure and with stimuli that increasingly differ from the S+. The gradient has an inverted U-shape

Front 5

facilitation/occasion setting

Back 5

a procedure in which one cue designates when another cue will be reinforced

Front 6

intradimensional discrimination

Back 6

a discrimination between the stimuli that differ only in terms of the value of one stimulus feature

ie. color, brightness, pitch

Front 7

modulator

Back 7

a stimulus that signals the relation between two other events

ie. that a CS will be followed by a US or that an instrumental response will be enforced

Front 8

multiple schedule of reinforcement

Back 8

a procedure in which different reinforcement schedules are in effect in the presence of different stimuli presented in succession

Front 9

negative patterning

Back 9

a discrimination procedure in which reinforcement is provided when each of two stimuli appear by themselves but not when two appear simultaneously

(A+ and B+) but not (AB-)

Front 10

overshadowing

Back 10

interference with the conditioning of a stimulus because of the simultaneous presence of another stimulus that is easier to condition

Front 11

peak-shift effect

Back 11

a displacement of the highest rate of responding in a stimulus generalization gradient away from the S+ in a direction opposite the S-

Front 12

positive patterning

Back 12

a discrimination procedure in which reinforcement is provided when two stimuli are presented simultaneously, but not when those stimuli appear by themselves

(AB+) but not (A- and B-)

Front 13

stimulus discrimination

Back 13

differential responding in the presence of two or more stimuli

Front 14

stimulus discrimination training

Back 14

training with a stimulus discrimination procedure that results in stimulus discrimination

Front 15

stimulus discrimination procedure
(in classical conditioning)

Back 15

procedure in which one stimulus is paied with the US on some trials and another stimulus is presented without the US on other trials. As a result, the CS+ comes to elicit a conditioned response and the CS- comes to inhibit this response.

Front 16

stimulus discrimination procedure

(in instrumental conditioning)

Back 16

a procedure in which reinforcement for responding is available whenever one stimulus is present and not available whenever another stimulus is present

Front 17

stimulus-element approach

Back 17

an approach to the analysis of control by compound stimuli which assumes that participants respond to a compound stimulus in terms of the stimulus elements that make up the compound (compare with configural-cue approach)

Front 18

stimulus equivalence

Back 18

responding to physically distinct stimuli as if they were the same because of common prior experiences with the stimuli

Front 19

stimulus generalization

Back 19

responding to test stimuli that are different from the cues that were present during training

(first discovered by Pavlov)

Front 20

stimulus generalization gradient

Back 20

a gradient of responding that is observed if participants are tested with stimuli that increasingly differ from the stimulus that was present during training (see excitatory generalization gradient)

Front 21

instrumental conditioning

Back 21

a learning process in which behavior is modified by the reinforcing or inhibiting effects of the resulting consequences

Front 22

discrimination vs. generalization

Back 22

see how organisms respond differently to stimuli and how organisms respond similarly to stimuli

Front 23

Reynolds (1961), results, and significance

Back 23

EXPERIMENT: two pigeons were reinforced on a variable-interval schedule for pecking a circular response key, that was illuminated by a visual pattern (white triangle on a red background) and then pecking rates were measured with the stimuli separate
RESULTS: one pigeon responding more to the white triangle without the red background the other pigeon responded more to the red background without the triangle

SIGNIFICANCE: shows how to experimentally determine what stimuli controls what behavior, and how diff ppl respond diff to diff stimuli

Front 24

generalization gradients

Back 24

S+ signals the availability of reinforcement and causes an excitatory generalization gradient (high point)

S- signals the lack of reinforcement and causes an inhibitory generalization gradient (low point)

Front 25

stimulus and response factors in stimulus control

Back 25

• Sensory Capacity and Orientation

• Relative Ease of Conditioning VariousStimuli

• Type of Reinforcement

• Type of Instrumental Response

• Stimulus Elements Versus Configural Cuesin Compound Stimuli

Front 26

behavior momentum

Back 26

the susceptibility of responding to disruption by manipulations such as pre-session feeding, delivery of free food, or a change in the schedule of reinforcement.

Front 27

consolidation

Back 27

the establishment of a memory in relatively permanent form so that it is available for retrieval a long time after original acquisition

Front 28

continuous reinforcement

Back 28

a schedule of reinforcement in which every occurrence of the instrumental response produces the reinforcer

Front 29

discrimination hypothesis

Back 29

an explanation of the partial-reinforcement extinction effect according to which extinction is slower after partial reinforcement than continuous reinforcement because of the onset of extinction is more difficult to detect following partial reinforcement

Front 30

extinction (in classical conditioning)

Back 30

reduction of a learned response that occurs because of the CS is no longer paired with the US and the procedure of repeatedly presenting the CS without the US

Front 31

extinction (in instrumental conditioning)

Back 31

reduction of the instrumental response that occurs because the response is no longer followed by the reinforcement and the procedure of no longer reinforcing the instrumental response

Front 32

forgetting

Back 32

the loss of a learned response that occurs because information about training is irrevocably lost due to the passage of time

**different than extinction which is because of a specific procedure rather than passage of time)

Front 33

frustration

Back 33

an aversive emotional reaction that results from the unexpected absence of reinforcement

Front 34

frustration theory

Back 34

a theory of the partial-reinforcement extinction effect, according to which extinction i slower after partial reinforcement because the instrumental response becomes conditioned to the anticipation of frustrative nonreward

Front 35

intermittent reinforcement/partial reinforcement

Back 35

a schedule of reinforcement in which only some of the occurrences of the instrumental response are reinforced

Front 36

overtraining extinction effect

Back 36

less persistence of instrumental behavior in extinction following extensive training with reinforcement (overtraining) than following only moderate levels of training

(most prominent with continuous reinforcement)

Front 37

magnitude reinforcement extinction effect

Back 37

less persistence of instrumental behavior in extinction following less training with a large reinforcer than following training with a small or moderate reinforcer

(most prominent with continuous reinforcement)

Front 38

partial reinforcement extinction effect

Back 38

used to describer greater persistence in instrumental responding to extinction after partial (or intermittent) reinforcement training than after continuous reinforcement training

Front 39

reinstatement

Back 39

reappearance of an extinguished response by exposure to the US or reinforcer

Front 40

renewal effect

Back 40

reappearance of an extinguished response produced by a shift away from the contextual cues that were present during extinction

ABA: back to context of acquisition

ABC: to a familiar context unrelated to acquisition of extinction

Front 41

resurgence

Back 41

reappearance of an extinguished response caused by the extinction of another behvior

Front 42

sequential theory

Back 42

a theory of the partial-reinforcement extinction effect according to which extinction is retarded after partial reinforcement because the instrumental response becomes conditioned to the memory of nonreward

Front 43

spontaneous recovery (in extinction)

Back 43

reappearance of an extingished response caused by the passage of time (compare to spontaeou

Front 44

avoidance

Back 44

instrumental conditioning procedure in which the participant's behavior prevents the delivery of an aversive stimulus

Front 45

avoidance trial

Back 45

a trial in a discriminated avoidance procedure in which an avoidance response is made and prevents the delivery of the aversive stimulus

Front 46

discriminated avoidance/signaled avoidance

Back 46

an avoidance conditioning procedure in which occurrences of the aversive stimulus are signaled by a CS, prevents delivery of the aversive stimulis

Front 47

discriminative punishment

Back 47

a procedure in which responding is punished in the presence of a particular stimulus and not punished in the absence of that stimulus

Front 48

escape trial

Back 48

a trial during discriminated avoidance training in which the required avoidance response is not made and the aversive US is presented (performance of the instrumental response results in termination of the aversive stimulus (thus escaping the aversive stimulus)

Front 49

escape from fear (EFF) procedure

Back 49

situation in which subjects learn an instrumental response to escape from or terminate a conditioned stimulus that elicits fear (escape from fear is a part of the two-process theory or avoidance and provides a coping mechanism for individuals suffering from excessive fear)

Front 50

flooding

Back 50

a procedure for extinguishing avoidance behavior in which the CS is presented while the participant is prevented from making the avoidance response.

Front 51

free-operant avoidance/ nondiscriminated avoidance

Back 51

an avoidance conditioning procedure in which occurrences of the aversive stimulus are not signaled by an external stimulus

Front 52

overcorrection

Back 52

a procedure for discouraging behavior in which the participant is not only required to correct or rectify a mistake but is also required to go beyond that by, for example, extensively practicing the correct response alternative

Front 53

predatory imminence

Back 53

the perceived likelihood of being attacked by a predator

Front 54

punishment

Back 54

an instrumental conditioning procedure in which there is a positive contingency between the instrumental response and aversive stimulus. (if the participant performs the instrumental response, it receives the aversive stimulus in order to suppress the behavior)

Front 55

R-S interval

Back 55

the interval between the occurrence of an avoidance response and the next scheduled presentation of the aversive stimulus in a nondiscriminated avoidance procedure

Front 56

response blocking

Back 56

blocking the opportunity to make the avoidance response so that the subject if exposed to a fear stimulus without being able to escape from it (usually used in connection with flooding)

Front 57

safety signal

Back 57

a stimulus that signals the absence of the aversive event

Front 58

shock-frequency reduction

Back 58

a hypothesis according to which reduction in the frequency of shock serves to reinforce avoidance better

Front 59

shuttle avoidance

Back 59

a type of avoidance conditioning procedure in which the required instrumental response consists of going back and forth between two sides of an experimental apparatus on successive trials

Front 60

species-specific defense reactions (SSDRs)

Back 60

species-typical responses animals perform in an aversive situation

ie. fleeing, freezing, or fighting

Front 61

S-S interval

Back 61

interval between successive presentations of the aversive stimulus in a nondiscriminated avoidance procedure when the avoidance response is not performed

Front 62

time out

Back 62

a period in which the opportunity to obtain reinforcement is removed (this may involve removing the partcipant from the situation in which reinforcers are available

Front 63

two-process theory of avoidance

Back 63

a theory originally developed to explain discriminated avoidance leaning that presumes the operation of two mechanisms: classical conditioning of fear to the warning signal and instrumental reinforcement of the avoidance response through termination of the warning signal and consequent fear reduction

Front 64

acquisition

Back 64

the initial stage of information processing in which something is learned for the first time

Front 65

amnesia

Back 65

loss of memory

Front 66

anthropromorphism

Back 66

interpretation of complex behavior in nonhuman animals based on the assumption that these animals have the same thoughts, emotions, and intentions as people might have under similar circumstances

Front 67

cognitive ethology

Back 67

a branch of ethology that assumes that consciousness, awareness and intentionality can be inferred from the complexity, flexibility, and cleverness of certain forms of behavior

Front 68

comparative cognition

Back 68

theoretical constructs and models used to explain aspects of behaviors in various animal species that can not be readily characterized in terms of simple S-R mechanisms

Front 69

consolidation window

Back 69

a limited period after the activation of a memory during which the memory is subject to modification by new information or neural or pharmacological interventions

Front 70

delayed matching-to-sample procedure

Back 70

a procedure in which participants are reinforced for selecting a test stimulus that is the same as a sample stimulus that was presented at the start of the trail some time earlier

Front 71

directed forgetting

Back 71

forgetting that occurs because of a stimulus (a forget cue) that indicates that working memory will not be tested on that trail (example of stimulus control of memory)

Front 72

episodic memory

Back 72

memory for a specific event of episode that includes information about what occurred and when and where the event took place

Front 73

forgetting

Back 73

failure to remember previously acquired information because the information is no longer stored in the nervous system

Front 74

memory

Back 74

a term used to characterize instances in which an organism's current behavior is determined by some aspect of its previous experience

Front 75

memory consolidation

Back 75

the establishment of a memory in relatively permanent form of the transfer of information from an active or short-term state to an inactive or long-term state

Front 76

memory failure

Back 76

the inability to accurately recall something from memory can be caused by acquisition deficit, retention deficit or retrieval deficit.

Front 77

mental time travel

Back 77

the ability to project one;s experience into the future (prospection) or the past (retrospection)

Front 78

proactive interference

Back 78

disruption of memory caused by exposure to stimuli before the event to be remembered (already stored information)

Front 79

procedural memory

Back 79

memory for learned behavioral and cognitive skills that are performed automatically, without the requirement of conscious control

ie. tying your shoes, cooking, goin to the bathroom

Front 80

prospective coding/prospection

Back 80

memory code for an expected future event or response

Front 81

reconsolidation

Back 81

the process of stabilizing or consolidating a reactivated memory. The disruption of it can cause loss of the original memory, or modification of it.

Front 82

reference memory

Back 82

long-term retention of back-ground information necessary for successful use of incoming and recently acquired information (compare to working memory)

Front 83

rehearsal

Back 83

maintaining information in an active state, available to influence behavior or influence the processing of other information

Front 84

retention interval

Back 84

the time between acquisition of information and a test of memory for that information

Front 85

retrieval cues

Back 85

stimuli related to an experience that facilitate the recall of other information related to that experience

Front 86

retrieval

Back 86

the recovery of information from a memory store

Front 87

retrieval failure

Back 87

a deficit in recovering information from a memory store

Front 88

retroactive interference

Back 88

disruption of memory caused by exposure to stimuli following the event to be remembered

Front 89

retrograde amnesia

Back 89

a gradient of memory loss going back in time from the ocurrence of brain injury or disturbance of the nervous system

Front 90

retrospective coding/retrospection

Back 90

memory code for a previously experienced or event response

Front 91

stimulus coding

Back 91

how a stimulus is represented in memory

Front 92

trials-unique procedure

Back 92

a matching-to-sample procedure in which different sample and comparison stimuli are used on each trial

Front 93

working memory

Back 93

temporary retention of information that is needed for successful responding on the task at hand but not on subsequent (or previous) similar tasks (compare to reference memory)

Front 94

adjunctive behaviors

Back 94

systematic activities or responses that occur when reinforcers are delivered at fixed intervals. different adjunctive behaviors develop at different points in the interval between reinforcers

Front 95

duration estimation

Back 95

a discrimination procedure in which the discriminative stimulus is the duration of an event

Front 96

duration production

Back 96

a procedure in which participants learn to respond a set time after the onset of a stimulus or the start of a trial

Front 97

model-rival technique

Back 97

an observational learning procedure in which the participant observes a trainer teaching a student and trues to compete with that student for the trainers attention

Front 98

paired-associate learning

Back 98

learning of the associations between successive pairs of an ordered list of stimuli

Front 99

peak procedure

Back 99

a discrete-trial variation of a fixed interval schedule used to study timing in animals. Each trial begins with a stimulus. The reinforcer is set up a fixed time after the onset of the stimulus and is delivered when the participant responds. After training, nonreinforced test trials shows a peak at the fixed interval value of the training schedule.

Front 100

response chain

Back 100

a consecutively ordered series of responses in which each response produced the cue for the next response in the sequence

Front 101

scalar invariance

Back 101

a property of the temporal control of behavior that emphasizes that participants response to time intervals in terms of their relative or proportional durations rather that their absolute durations

Front 102

serial-representation learning

Back 102

the learning of a mental representation of the order of a list or series of stimuli

Front 103

serial order performance

Back 103

learning to respond to a set of stimuli in a specified order. serial order performance can be achieved by a learning series of S-R or S-S associations or by forming a mental representation of the order of the stimuli

Front 104

simultaneous chain procedure

Back 104

a procedure for studying the learning of serial order in which all of the stimuli in the series are presented at the same time and the participant has to select the stimuli in a specified order

Front 105

compound stimulus

Back 105

simultaneous presentationof two or more CS to gain control of behavior bycombinations of two or moreseparate (or so-called“elemental”) stimuli.

Front 106

Spence's theory of discrimination learning

Back 106

when a stimulus is paired with reinforcement, a gradient of excitation develops around it

Front 107

discrimination learning as a two-step process

Back 107

1. Learns to whichstimuli to attend.

2. Learns to dospecific things inpresence of specificstimuli.

Front 108

transposition

Back 108

the idea that the subject has transferredthe relational rule to a new pair of stimuli.

Front 109

long-term potentiation (LTP)

Back 109

a lasting increase in neural excitability observed in a (post-synaptic) neuron that has been strongly depolarized

(linked with the activation of the NMDA receptor)

Front 110

NMDA receptor

Back 110

a specialized receptor that functions as a gated channel, released due to strong depolarization and binding of the neurotransmitter glutamate