Ap Psychology Unit 6: Learning

Front 1

Learning

Back 1

A relatively permanent change in an organism's behavior due to experience

* Being taught the ABCs, learning the Alphabet

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Habituation

Back 2

An organism's decreasing response to a stimulus with repeated exposure to it

*Seals slap and bark to get fish.

Front 3

Associative Learning

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Learning that certain events occur together

*Seals associates slapping and bark to get fish.

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Classical Conditioning

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A type of learning in which one learns to link two or more stimuli and anticipate events
*PAVLOV

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Behaviorism

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the view that psychology (1) should be an objective science that (2) studies behavior without reference to mental processes. Most research psychologists today agree with (1) but not with (2).

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Unconditional Response (UR)

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In classical conditioning, the unlearned, naturally occurring response to the unconditioned stimulus (US), such as
*salivation when food is in the mouth

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Unconditional Stimulus (US)

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In classical conditioning, a stimulus that unconditionally - naturally and automatically - triggers a response
*Dog Food

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Conditioned Response (CR)

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in classical conditioning, the learned response to a previously neutral (but now conditioned) stimulus (CS)
* Bell to get food

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Conditioned Stimulus (CS)

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In classical conditioning, an originally irrelevant stimulus that, after association with an unconditioned stimulus (US), comes to trigger a conditioned response.
* Dog salvates

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Acquisition

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in classical conditioning, the initial stage, when one links a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus so that the neutral stimulus begins triggering the conditioned response. In operant conditioning, the strengthening of a reinforced response.
If food appeared before the tone?

Front 11

Higher-Order Conditioning

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a procedure in which the conditioned stimulus in one conditioning experience is paired with a new neutral stimulus, creating a second (often weaker) conditioned stimulus.
For example, an animal that has learned that a tone predicts food might then learn that a light predicts the tone and begin responding to the light alone. (Also called second-order conditioning.)

Front 12

Extinction

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the diminishing of a conditioned response; occurs in classical conditioning when an unconditioned stimulus (US) does not follow a conditioned stimulus (CS); occurs in operant conditioning when a response is no longer reinforced. * Stop using the bell, dog won't salivate

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Spontaneous Recovery

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the reappearance, after a pause, of an extinguished conditioned response
* Starts to salivate at bells again

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Generalization

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the tendency, once a response has been conditioned, for stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus to elicit similar responses
* If the dog salivates to all tones.

Front 15

Discrimination

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in classical conditioning, the learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and stimuli that do not signal an unconditioned stimulus
* Only Salivating to one tone.

Front 16

Learned Helplessness

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the hopelessness and passive resignation an animal or human learns when unable to avoid repeated aversive events
* Doing continuously bad on test, gives you a predisposition to not try the next one.

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Respondent Behavior

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behavior that occurs as an automatic response to some stimulus
* Salivating in responses to meat powder and later in response to a tone

Front 18

Operant Conditioning

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a type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforcer or diminished if followed by a punisher.
* Based on own actions

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Operant Behavior

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behavior that operates on the environment, producing consequences
Rewards or Punishments

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Law of Effect

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Thorndike's principle that behaviors followed by favorable consequences become more likely, and that behaviors followed by unfavorable consequences become less likely
Cats in Puzzle Box

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Operant Chamber

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In operant conditioning research, a chamber (also known as a Skinner box) containing a bar or key that an animal can manipulate to obtain a food or water reinforcer; attached devices record the animal's rate of bar pressing or key pecking
MOUSE getting a reward

Front 22

Shaping

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An operant conditioning procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior toward closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior
* Food, to guide behavior.

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Discriminative Stimulus

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In operant conditioning, a stimulus that elicits a response after association with reinforcement (in contrast to related stimuli not associated with reinforcement)
Being able to discriminate from faces, although they are similar.

Front 24

Reinforcer

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In operant conditioning, any event that strengthens the behavior it follows
* Stopping a kid from whining, give him candy.

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Positive Reinforcement

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increasing behaviors by presenting positive stimuli, such as food. A positive reinforcer is any stimulus that, when presented after a response, strengthens the response.
*Food, will make you be liked by any student

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Negative Reinforcement

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increasing behaviors by stopping or reducing negative stimuli, such as shock. A negative reinforcer is any stimulus that, when removed after a response, strengthens the response. (Note: Negative reinforcement is not punishment.)

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Primary Rienforcer

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an innately reinforcing stimulus, such as one that satisfies a biological need
*getting food when hungry

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Conditioned Reinforcer

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A stimulus that gains its reinforcing power through its association with a primary reinforcer; also known as secondary reinforcer.
Skinner Box Rat learns that the light turns on when food is coming, the rat will learn to turn the light on

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Continuous Reinforcement

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reinforcing the desired response every time it occurs
*Persistent sales.

Front 30

Partial (intermittent) Reinforcement

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reinforcing a response only part of the time; results in slower acquisition of a response but much greater resistance to extinction than does continuous reinforcement
*Gamblers will try over 10 times without rewards

Front 31

Fixed - Ratio Schedule

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in operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified number of responses
*Starbucks gold Card

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Variable- Ratio Schedule

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in operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses
* Flyfishing is hard, unpredictable

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Fixed- Interval Schedule

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in operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified time has elapsed

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Variable - Interval Schedule

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in operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals

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Punishment

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an event that decreases the behavior that it follows

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Cognitive Map

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a mental representation of the layout of one's environment. For example, after exploring a maze, rats act as if they have learned a cognitive map of it

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Latent Learning

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learning that occurs but is not apparent until there is an incentive to demonstrate it

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Insight

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a sudden and often novel realization of the solution to a problem

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Intrinsic Motivation

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A desire to perform a behavior for its own sake

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Extrinsic Motivation

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a desire to perform a behavior due to promised rewards or threats of punishment

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Biofeedback

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a system for electronically recording, amplifying, and feeding back information regarding a subtle physiological state, such as blood pressure or muscle tension

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Observational Learning

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learning by observing others. also called social learning

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Modeling

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The process of observing and imitating a specific behavior.

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Mirror Neurons

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frontal lobe neurons that fire when performing certain actions or when observing another doing so. The brain's mirroring of another's action may enable imitation, language learning, and empathy.

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Pro social Behavior

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positive, constructive, helpful behavior. The opposite of antisocial behavior