Modules 20-22: Learning
Terms
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- associative learning
- learning that certain events (a response and its consequences in operant conditioning) occur together.
- classical conditioning
- a type of learnign in which an organism comes to associate stimuli, a neutral stimulus that signals an unconditioned stimulus (UCS) begins to produce a responses that anticipates and prepares for teh unconditioned stimulus. also called pavolovian conditioning.
- learning
- a relatively permanent change in an organism's behavior due to experience.
- behaviorism
- the view that psychology 1. should be an objective science that 2. studies behavior without reference to mental processes. most reserach psychologists today agree with 1. but not with 2.
- unconditioned response (UCR)
- in classical conditioning, teh unlearned, naturally occurring response to the unconditioned stimulus (UCS), such as salivation when food is in teh mouth.
- unconditioned stimulus (UCS)
- in classical conditioning, a stimulus that unconditionally-naturally and automatically -tirggers a response.
- conditioned response (CR)
- in clascical conditioning, teh learned response to a previously netural conditioned stimulus (CS)
- conditioned stimulus (CS)
- in calssical conditioning, an originally irrelevant stimulus that, after association with an unconditioned stimulus (UCS), comes to trigger an conditioned response
- acquisition
- the inital stage in classical conditioning; the phase associating a neutral stimulus wiht an uconditioned stimulus so that teh netural stimulus comes to elicit a conditioned response.
- extinction
- the diminishing of a conditoned response; occurs in classical conditioning when an unconditioned stimulus (UCS) does not follow a conditioend stimulus (CS).
- spontaneous recovery
- the reappearance, after a rest period, of an extinguished conditoined response
- generalization
- the tendency, once a response has been conditioned, for stimuli similar to teh conditoned stimulus to elicit similar responses.
- discrimination
- in classical conditioning, the learned ability to distinguish between a conditoined stimulus and other stimuli that do not signal an unconditoned stimuls.
- operant conditoining
- a type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforcer or diminshed if followed by a punisher.
- repondent behavior
- behavior that occurs as an automatic response to some stimulus; skinner's term ofr behavior learned through classical conditioning.
- operant behavior
- behavior that operates on teh environment, producing consequences.
- law of effect
- thorndike's principle that behaviors followed by favorable consequcnes become more likely, and that behaviors follwed by unfavorable consequences become less likely.
- operant chamber (skinner's box)
- a chamber containing a bar or key that an animal can manipulate to obtain a food or water reinforcer, with attached edevieces to record teh animal's rate of bar pressing or key pecking. used in operant conditioning research.
- shaping
- an operant conditioining procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior toward closer and closer apporximations of a desired goal
- reinforcer
- in operant conditioning, an event that strengthens teh behavior it follows.
- primary reinforcer
- an innately reinforcing stimulus, such as one that satisfies a biological need.
- conditioned reinforcer
- a stimulus that gains its reinforcing power through its association with a primary reinforecer; also known as secondary reinforcer.
- continuous reinforcement
- reinforcing the desired response every time it occurs
- partial (intermittent) reinforcement
- reinforcing a response only part of the time; results in slower acquisition of a response but much tgreater resistance ot extinction that does continuous reinforcemtn.
- fixed ratio schedule
- in operant conditioning, a schedule of reinforcement that reinforces a response only after a specified number of responses
- variable-ratio schedule
- in operant condionting, a schedule of reinforcement that reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses.
- fixed interval scedule
- in operant conditioining, a schedule of reinforcemtn that reinforces a response only after a specified time has elapsed.
- variable-interval schedule
- in operant conditioning, a schedule of reinforcemtn that reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals.
- punishment
- an event that decreases the behavior that it follows.
- cognitive map
- a mental representation of teh layout of one's environemtn. for example after exploring a maze, rats act as if they have laerned a cognitive map of it.
- latent learnign
- learnign that occurs but i snot apparent until there is an incentive to demonstrate it.
- overjustification effect
- the effect of promising a reward for doing what one already likes to do. the person may now see the reward, rather than intrinsic interest, as the motivation for performing the task.
- intrinsiv motivation
- a desire to perform a behavior for its own sake and to be effective.
- extrinsic motivation
- a desire to perform a behavior due to promised rewards or threats of punishment.
- prosocial behavior
- positive, constructive, helpful behavior. the opposite of antisocial behavior.
- observational learning
- learning by observing others.
- modeling
- the process of observing and imitating a specific behavior.
- mirror neurons
- frontal lobe neurons that fire when performing certain actions or when observing another doing so. teh brain's mirroring of another's action may enable imitation, language learning, and empathy.