ch 6: learning

Question 1

what is learning

Answer 1

the process of acquiring through experience, new & relatively enduring info, or behavior

Question 2

what is habituation

Answer 2

when you respond less strongly over time to repeated stimulus

Question 3

what is sensitization

Answer 3

you respond more strongly over time

Question 4

what is classical conditioning

Answer 4

learning through mere association

Question 4

what is the difference between habituation & sensory adaptation?

Answer 4

sensory adaptation is when sensory receptors themselves become less responsive, while habituation is the brain learning to ignore a repeated, irrelevant stimulus

Question 5

5 components of classical conditioning

Answer 5

neutral stimulus, unconditioned stimulus, unconditioned response, conditioned stimulus, & conditioned response

Question 6

6 principles of classical conditioning

Answer 6

acquisition, extinction, spontaneous recovery, stimulus generalization, stimulus discrimination, higher order conditioning

Question 7

what is acquisition

Answer 7

the process of learning conditioned response (NS becomes CS)

Question 8

what is extinction

Answer 8

CR gradually weakens & eventually disappears; learned behavior becomes dominant (CS is repeatedly presented w/o UCS)

Question 9

what is spontaneous recovery

Answer 9

disappeared CR suddenly reappears after rest period (time gap)

Question 10

what is renewal

Answer 10

seemingly ‘extinct’ CR returns in a diff. context (ex: dog starts to show CR in a diff. location)

Question 11

what is stimulus generalization?

Answer 11

once acquisition, similar stimuli to CS can also trigger CR

Question 12

what is stimulus discrimination?

Answer 12

learned to respond only to a specific conditioned stimulus (when only a specific CS provokes the CR)

Question 13

What is higher order conditioning

Answer 13

new NS becomes a CS by pairing already-established CS; first CS-CR relationship is strongest

Question 14

What is a higher order conditioning example

Answer 14

light (new NS) + bell (learned CS) -> salivation; light alone (new cs) -> salivation

Question 15

what can classical conditioning explain

Answer 15

survival, phobias, and advertising strategy

Question 16

what is operant conditioning

Answer 16

learning through reward & punishment (voluntary, not automatic)

Question 17

what is law of effect

Answer 17

behaviors that lead to satisfying outcomes are more likely to be repeated, while behaviors that lead to unpleasant outcomes are not

Question 18

skinner box/operant chamber

Answer 18

lever inside chamber for animal to ‘operate’ to obtain food/water as a reinforcer

Question 19

what is reinforcement

Answer 19

any outcome that increases the probability of a response

Question 20

what is punishment

Answer 20

any outcome that decreases the probability of a response

Question 21

what is positive reinforcement

Answer 21

giving a desirable stimulus; you behave in certain ways to get something; can be physical or psychological

Question 22

what is negative reinforcement

Answer 22

taking away an undesirable stimulus; you behave in certain ways to avoid/remove something; can be physical or psychological

Question 23

what is positive punishment

Answer 23

giving an undesirable stimulus; you DONT behave in certain ways to not get something; can be physical or psychological

Question 24

what is negative punishment

Answer 24

taking away a desirable stimulus; you DONT behave in certain ways to not lose something; can be physical or psychological

Question 25

principles of operant conditioning

Answer 25

extinction & stimulus discrimination

Question 26

what is extinction (OC)?

Answer 26

what you learned will gradually decrease and eventually disappear if no longer reinforced (related to positive reinforcement)

Question 27

what is stimulus discrimination (OC)?

Answer 27

we perform behavior only when a specific cue is present

Question 28

what is discriminative stimulus (OC)?

Answer 28

"cue" that guides learning (stimulus discrimination = learning outcome; discriminative stimulus = stimulus itself)

Question 29

example of stimulus discrimination vs discriminative stimulus

Answer 29

stimulus discrimination = a student raises a hand in math class, but not gym; discriminative stimulus = a teacher in the class room