An Introduction To Theories of Learning: Chapter 1: What Is Learning

Learning must be observed by?

A change in behavior

What is a reflex?

A reflex can be defined as an unlearned or an innate response in reaction to a specific class of stimuli.

Kimble Defines Learning as ?

A relatively permanent change in behavioral potentiality that occurs as a result of reinforced practice.

What do Skinnerian's believe about rewards?

A reward is usually thought of as something that is given or received for a worthy accomplishment or for an act deemed desirable by society.

Temporary body states is defined as?

A temporary condition of the body such as fatigue, illness, emotion, the presence of drugs or sleep loss that causes modification in behavior.

A number of psychologists have studied a phenomenon called "Short-term memory" how is it defined?

Also called immediate memory and primary memory; the memory of an experience that persists only for a short time after the experience.

For definition, learning is given the status of what ?

An Intervening variable

What is Classical Conditioning?

An experimental arrangement whereby stimulus is made to elicit a response that was not previously associated with the stimulus. (I.e the conditioned stimulus comes to elicit a response similiar to the one elicited by the unconditioned stimulus)

What is instrumental Conditioning

An experimental procedure whereby the rate of probability of a response is changed from one value before conditioning to another value following conditioning

In Pavlov's Work, an example of a "reinforcer" is defined as ?

Any unconditioned stimulus, that is any stimulus that elicits a natural and automatic reaction from the organism

Who stated this, " People are rewarded but behavior is reinforced"?

B.F Skinner

What does reinforcement increacse the probability of ?

Behavior

Learning is indexed by a change in ?

Behavior.

List the different kinds of Learning

Classical Conditioning Instrumental Conditioning Operant Conditioning Escape Learning Avoidance Learning

Learning is an inferred?

Construct

If the independent variable (Learning) causes change to the intervening variable, which other variable would also be changed?

Dependent Variable

What kind of variable causes change to the intervening variable?

Independent Variable.

When complex behavior patterns are genetically determined, they are generally referred to as examples of ?

Instincts

Why do tend to use species-specific behavior instead of instincts?

It is more descriptive.

Performance is translation of__________ into________

Learning into behavior

Define Learning using Kimble's Revised Definition.

Learning is a relatively permanent change in behavior or in behavioral potentiality that results from experience and cannot be attributed to temporary body states such as those induced by illness, fatigue or drugs.

Except for the Skinnerians, most learning theorists look at learning as a process that does what?

Mediates Behavior.

What are some expamples of instincts?

Migration and hibernation

In Pavlovian Research it is not uncommon to see what kind stimuli being used?

Mild acid solution or electric shock.

Do Reflexes require learning?

No

Learning can be _________ or _________

Overt or covert

Learning is a change in________ to_______

Potential to behave

Sensitization is the process of ?

Process whereby an organism is made more responsive to certain aspects of its environment.

What terms do Skinnerians oppose equating?

Reinforcer and reward.

In terms of "Reinforcer" what do Skinnerian's believe?

Reinforcer strengthens any behavior that immediately precedes its occurrence.

Learning is_________ permanent.

Relatively

Reinforced Practice is defined as?

Repeated performance under the conditions in which correct response is followed by reinforcement. Reinforced practice is thought by many learning theorists to be a necessary condition for learning to take place; other theorists do not agree.

Accepting the qualification of "relatively permanent" in the definition of learning we will also determine whether the processes of__________and__________ are excepted in as crude examples of learning?

Sensitization and Habituation

Instincts are more often called ?

Species- Specific Behavior

Behavioral Potentiality is defined as ?

The ability to perform some act, although the act is not being performed at the present time. Learning may result in a change in behavioral potentiality although the learning may not be translated into behavior until sometime after the learning has taken place.

What is Avoidance Conditioning?

The experimental arrangement whereby an organism can avoid experiencing an aversive stimulus by engaging in appropriate behavior.

What is Escape Conditioning?

The experimental arrangement whereby an organism can terminate an aversive stimulus by engaging in appropriate behavior.

Habituation is the process of?

The process whereby an organism becomes less responsive to its environment.

An intervening variable is defined as ?

Theoretical process that is assumed to take place between the observed stimuli and responses.

True or False: Some Theorists insist that reinforcement is necessary?

True

True or False: Some theorist see reinforcement as a possible contributor?

True

True or False: Some theorists see no need for reinforcement?

True