Psychology In Your Life Ch. 6

25 July 2022
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learning
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A process based on experience that results in a relatively permanent change in behavior or behavioral potential.
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3 Critical Elements of learning
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1. Based on experience 2. Change in behavior/behavior potential 3.Relatively consistent change
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learning-performance distinction
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The difference between what has been learned and what is expressed in overt behavior. Some learned behaviors may not always be measurable because they are not performance based
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Stimulus generalization
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The automatic extension of conditioned responding to similar stimuli that have never been paired with the unconditioned stimulus. Examples: High tone conditioning of dogs-> will respond similarly to low tones; child bitten by large dog -> fears even small dogs.
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classical conditioning
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A type of learning in which a behavior (conditioned response) comes to be elicited by a stimulus (conditioned stimulus) that has acquired its power through an association with a biologically significant stimulus (unconditioned stimulus). In classical conditioning the organism learns a new association between two stimuli- a stimulus that did not previously elicit the response and one that naturally elicited the response.
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The Process of classical conditioning
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1.An unconditioned stimulus automatically elicits an unconditioned response (example: food elicits salivation in dogs) 2.A conditioned stimulus elicits no/irrelevant response (example: a tone/chime elicits no response in dog) 3.During conditioning, the conditioned stimulus is paired with the unconditioned stimulus which elicits the unconditioned response (tone/chime followed by food causes dog to salivate) 4.After conditioning, conditioned stimulus elicits conditioned response (tone/chime causes dog to salivate)
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neutral stimulus
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in classical conditioning, a stimulus that elicits no response before conditioning
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unconditioned stimulus
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In classical conditioning, the stimulus that elicits an unconditioned response
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Unconditioned response
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In classical conditioning, the response elicited by an unconditioned stimulus without prior training or learning. Reflex.
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conditioned stimulus
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In classical conditioning, a previously neutral stimulus that comes to elicit a conditioned response.
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conditioned response
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In classical conditioning, a response elicited by some previously neutral stimulus that occurs as a result of pairing the neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus.
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extinction
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In conditioning, the weakening of a conditioned association in the absence of a reinforcer or unconditioned stimulus. Extinction is said to have occurred when the conditioned response (salivation) no longer appears in the presence of the conditioned stimulus (tone) (and absence of unconditioned stimulus-food).
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spontaneous recovery
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The reappearance of an extinguished conditioned response after a rest period. Extinction only weakens performance, it does not wipe out the original learning, so re-exposure will cause a quick re-learning of the response.
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stimulus discrimination
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A conditioning process in which an organism learns to respond differently to stimuli that differ from the conditioned stimulus on some dimension. Example: An organism learns to discriminate which tone will signal food when food is presented only with one specific tone and not in the presence of other tones.
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"Little Albert" research
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Watson and Raynor trained a baby, Albert, to fear a white rat he had initially liked in order to prove that many fear responses could be understood as a pairing of a neutral stimulus with something naturally fear provoking: 1. they paired paired the appearance of the rat with a loud noise behind Albert 2. the unconditioned startle response and the emotional distress to the noxious noise formed the basis of Albert's learning to react with fear to the white rat 3. emotional conditioning was extended to behavioral conditioning when Albert learned to escape from the feared stimulus 4. Albert's fear then generalized to other furry objects- a rabbit, dog, even a Santa Claus mask
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Operant Conditioning
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Learning in which the probability of a response is changed by a change in its consequences.
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Operant vs. classical conditioning
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in operant conditioning a behavior is learned; in classic conditioning a response to a stimuli is learned
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reinforcer
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Any stimulus that, when made contingent on a response, increases the probability of that response
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positive reinforcement
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A behavior is followed by the presentation of an appetitive stimulus, increasing the probability of that behavior. (giving something desired)
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negative reinforcement
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A behavior is followed by the removal of an adverse stimulus, increasing the probability of that behavior. (taking something undesired away)
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primary reinforcer
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Biologically determined reinforcer, such as food and water.
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secondary reinforcer
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stimulus such as money that becomes reinforcing through its link with a primary reinforcer; also termed a conditioned reinforcer
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positive punishment
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A behavior is followed by the presentation of an adverse stimulus, decreasing the probability of that behavior (example: spanking)
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negative punishment
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A behavior is followed by the removal of an appetitive stimulus, decreasing the probability of that behavior. (example: removal of privileges)
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discriminative stimulus
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Stimulus that acts as the predictor of reinforcement, signaling when particular behaviors will result in positive reinforcement; for example, pigeons can be taught that a green light (discriminative stimulus) means to peck and they will get food but a red light (also discriminative stimulus) means no food
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shaping by successive approximations
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A behavioral method that reinforces responses that successively approximate and ultimately match the desired response. Example: training a dog or other animal
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punishment vs negative reinforcement
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Punishment REDUCES the probability of a response where reinforcement INCREASES the probability of a response
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Schedule of reinforcement
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In operant conditioning, a pattern of delivering and withholding reinforcement
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Partial reinforcement effect
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The behavioral principle that states that responses acquired under intermittent reinforcement are more difficult to extinguish than those acquired with continuous reinforcement.
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fixed-ratio (FR) schedule
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A schedule of reinforcement in which a reinforcer is delivered for the first response made after a fixed number of responses
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variable-ratio (VR) schedule
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A schedule of reinforcement in which a reinforcer is delivered for the first response made after a variable number of responses whose average is predetermined. For example, on average reinforcement may follow every 10th response but it could follow the first or the 20th. Generate the highest rate of responding and the greatest resistance to extinction
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fixed interval (FI) schedule
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A schedule of reinforcement in which a reinforcer is delivered for the first response after a fixed period of time.
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variable interval (VI) schedule
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A schedule of reinforcement in which a reinforcer is delivered for the first response made after a variable period of time whose average is predetermined. generates a moderate but very stable response rate.
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Observational Learning
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The process of learning new responses by watching the behavior of another.
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Albert Bandura's observational learning research
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Children who watched an adult showing aggression toward a large plastic doll showed greater frequency of aggressive behaviors than children who did not watch the aggressive behavior.
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Cognitive map
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a mental representation of physical space; Helps animals 1. recognize and identify features of their environment 2. to find important goal objects in their environment (cached food) 3. to plan their route through an environment
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Biological constraints on learning
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Any limitation on an organisms capacity to learn that is caused by inherited sensory, response, or cognitive capabilities of members of a given species
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Taste Aversion Learning
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A biological constraint on learning in which an organism learns in one trial to avoid a food whose ingestion is followed by illness.
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Instinctual drift
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The tendency for learned behavior to drift toward instinctual behavior over time. Instinctual behaviors that the animal naturally displays will overcome operant conditioning.
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Howard Rachlin's research on operant principles
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to understand and control behavior, both the reinforcements acting on the selected behavior and the reinforcements acting on the alternative behaviors must be considered