Psych ch 7 SUMMER

Who is modern psychology's most influential and controversial figure? a. Watson b. B.F. Skinner c. Pavlov d. Aristotle

b

respondent behavior

behavior that occurs as an automatic response to some stimulus

operant behavior

behavior that operates on the environment to produce rewarding or punishing stimuli

operant behaviors

behavior that operates on the environment, producing consequences

classical conditioning is _______________ _______________ because it helps humans and other animals prepare for good or bad events

biologically adaptive

we learn by a. practice b. thinking c. association d. helping

c

Ivan Pavlov

classical conditioning

With ______________ conditioning, we learn associations between events we do not control. With ______________ conditioning, we learn associations between our behavior and resulting events.

classical; operant

unconditioned stimulus (US)

in classical conditioning, a stimulus that unconditionally -- naturally and automatically -- triggers an unconditioned response (UR)

conditioned stimulus (CS)

in classical conditioning, an originally irrelevant stimulus that, after association with an unconditioned stimulus (US), comes to trigger a conditioned response

unconditioned response (UR)

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

Watson

psychology should be an objective science based on observable behavior (extreme behaviorist)

spontaneous recovery

reappearance, after a pause, of a (weakened or extinguished) CR

What does classical conditioning also involve?

respondent behavior

acquisition

(initial learning) 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

What have been some applications of Pavlov's work to human health and well-being? How did Watson apply these principles to learned fears?

Classical conditioning techniques are used to improve human health and well-being in many areas, including behavioral therapy for some types of psychological disorders. The body's immune system may also respond to classical conditioning. Pavlov's work also provided a basis for Watson's idea that human emotions and behaviors, though biologically influenced, are mainly a bundle of conditioned responses. Watson applied classical conditioning principles in his studies of "Little Albert" to demonstrate how specific fears might be conditioned.

law of effect

Edward L. Thorndike rewarded behavior is likely to recur, and punished behavior is less likely to recur

Why are habits, such as having something sweet with that cup of coffee, so hard to break?

Habits form when we repeat behaviors in a given context and, as a result, learn associations -- often without our awareness. For example, we may have eaten a seed pastry with a cup of coffee often enough to associate he flavor of the coffee with the treat, so that cup of coffee alone just doesn't seem right anymore!

In slasher movies, sexually arousing images of women are sometimes paired with violence against women. Based on classical conditioning principles, what might be an effect of this pairing?

If viewing an attractive nude or semi nude woman (a US) elicits sexual arousal (a UR), then pairing the US with a new stimulus (violence) could turn the violence into a conditioned stimulus (CS) that also becomes sexually arousing, a conditioned response (CR).

In classical conditioning, what are the processes of acquisition, extinction, spontaneous recovery, generalization, and discrimination?

In classical conditioning, acquisition is associating an NS with the US so that the NS begins triggering the CR. Acquisition occurs most readily when the NS is presented just before (ideally, about a half-second before) a US, preparing the organism for the upcoming event. This finding supports the view that classical conditioning is biologically adaptive. Through higher-order conditioning, a new NS can become a new CS. Extinction is diminished responding when the CS no longer signals an impending US. Spontaneous recovery is the appearance of a formerly extinguished response, following a rest period. Generalization is the tendency to respond to stimuli that are similar to a CS. Discrimination is the learned ability to distinguish between a CS and other irrelevant stimuli.

What was behaviorism's view of learning?

Ivan Pavlov's work on classical conditioning laid the foundation for behaviorism, the view that psychology should be an objective science that studies behavior without reference to mental processes. The behaviorists believed that the basic laws of learning are the same for all species, including humans.

neutral stimuli (NS)

in classical conditioning, a stimulus that elicits no response before conditioning

Who was Pavlov, and what are the basic components of classical conditioning?

Ivan Pavlov, a Russian physiologist, created novel experiments on learning. His early twentieth-century research over the last three decades of his life demonstrated that classical conditioning is a basic form of learning. Classical conditioning is a type of learning in which an organism comes to associate stimuli. In classical conditioning, an NS is a stimulus that elicits no response before conditioning. A UR is an event that occurs naturally (such as salivation), in response to some stimulus. A US is something that naturally and automatically (without learning) triggers the unlearned response (as food in the mouth triggers salivation). A CS is a previously neutral stimulus (such as a tone) that, after association with a US (such as food) comes to trigger a CR. A CR is the learned response (salivating) to the originally neutral (but now conditioned) stimulus.

What is learning, and what are some basic forms of learning?

Learning is the process of acquiring through experience new information or behaviors. In associative learning, we learn that certain events occur together. In classical conditioning, we learn to associate two or more stimuli (a stimulus is any event or situation that evokes a response). We associate stimuli that we do not control, and we respond automatically. This is called respondent behavior. In operant conditioning, we learn to associate a response and its consequences. These associations produce operant behaviors. Through cognitive learning, we acquire mental information that guides our behavior. For example, in observational learning, we learn new behaviors by observing events and watching others.

An experimenter sounds a tone just before delivering an air puff to your blinking eye. After several repetitions, you blink to the tone alone. What is the NS? The US? The UR? The CS? The CR?

NS: tone before conditioning US: air puff UR: blinking to air puff CS: tone after conditioning CR: blink to tone

Why does Pavlov's work remain so important?

Pavlov taught us that significant psychological phenomena can be studied objectively, and that classical conditioning is a basic form of learning that applies to all species.

If the aroma of a baking cake sets your mouth to watering, what is the US? The CS? The CR?

US: baking cake (and it's taste) CS: aroma CR: salivating to the aroma

In Watson and Rayner's experiments, "Little Albert" learned to fear a white rat after repeatedly experiencing a loud noise as the rat was presented. In this experiment, what was the US? The UR? The NS? The CS? The CR?

US: loud noise UR: crying because of the noise NS: rat before it was paired with the noise CS: rat after pairing CR: crying because afraid of rat

What is one way that virtually all organisms learn to adapt to their environment? a. classical conditioning b. operant conditioning c. learning d. cognitive learning

a

higher-order conditioning

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)

classical conditioning

a type of learning in which one learns to link two or more stimuli and anticipate events all organisms adapt to their environment

What 5 major conditioning processes did Pavlov explore?

acquisition, extinction, spontaneous recovery, generalization, and discrimination

The first step of classical conditioning, when an NS becomes a CS, is called _____________. When a US no longer follows the CS, and the CR becomes weakened, this is called ____________.

acquisition; extinction

respondent behavior

actions that are automatic responses to a stimulus (such as salivating in response to meat powder and later in response to a tone)

stimulus

an event or situation that evokes a response

shaping

an operant conditioning procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior toward closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior

the process of learning associations is _________

conditioning

actions followed by punishments a. increase b. decrease

decrease

discrimination

in classical conditioning, the learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and stimuli that do not signal an unconditioned stimulus in social psychology, unjustifiable negative behavior toward a group and its members

conditioned response (CR)

in classical conditioning, a learned response to a previously neutral (but now conditioned) stimulus (CS)

operant chamber (Skinner box)

in operant conditioning research, a chamber 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

reinforcement

in operant conditioning, any event that strengthens the behavior it follows

actions followed by reinforcers a. increase b. decrease

increase

conditioned

learned

associative learning

lessening that certain events occur together the events may be two stimuli (as in classical conditioning) or a response and it's consequences (as in operant conditioning)

observational learning

let's us learn from other's experiences

classical conditioning forms associations between _____________

stimuli (a CS and the US it signals)

conditioning helps an animal ___________ and _________ -- by responding to cues that help it gain food, avoid dangers, locate mates, and produce offspring

survive; reproduce

extinction

the diminished response that occurs when the CS no longer signals an impending US -the diminishing of a conditioned response; occurs in classical conditioning when an US does not follow a CS; occurs in operant conditioning when a response is no longer reinforced

learning

the process of acquiring new and relatively enduring information or behaviors

generalization

the tendency, once a response has been conditioned, for stimuli similar to the CS to elicit similar responses

behaviorism

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

unconditioned

unlearned

cognitive learning

we acquire mental info that guides our behavior

operant conditioning

we learn to associate a response (our behavior) and its consequence

classical conditioning

we learn to associate two stimuli and thus to anticipate events