Psych: Chapter 7A

Punishment

an event that decreases the behavior that it follows

Primary Reinforcer

an innately reinforcing stimulus, such as one that satisfies a biological need

Stimulus

Any event or situation that evokes a response.

positive reinforcement

Increasing behaviors by presenting positive stimuli, such as food. A positive reinforcer is any stimulus that, when presented after a response, strengthens the response.

Associate Learning

Learning that certain events occur together. The events may be two stimuli (as in classical conditioning) or a response and its consequence (as in operant conditioning).

classical conditioning

a type of learning in which one learns to link two or more stimuli and anticipate events

respondent behavior

behavior that operates on the environment, producing consequences.

According to operant conditioning principles, which approach would NOT be recommended when dealing with a young girl who is resistant to going to school every morning? a. If the girl refuses to get in the car, parents should explain why this is a problem and use time-outs. b. Parents should ignore complaints or whining about school. c. Parents should reward the girl when she cooperates by getting into the car in the morning. d. Parents should express their anger by yelling at the girl.

d. Parents express their anger by yelling at the girl. (what NOT to do according to operant conditionting)

continuous reinforcement schedule

reinforcing the desired response every time it occurs

Extinction

the diminishing of a conditioned response; occurs in classical conditioning when an unconditioned stimulus (US) does not follow a conditioned stimulus (CS); occurs in operant conditioning when a response is no longer reinforced.

Generalization

the tendency, once a response has been conditioned, for stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus to elicit similar responses. (In operant conditioning, generalization occurs when responses learned in one situation occur in other, similar situations).

What are three ways in which Pavlov's principles can influence human health and wellbeing?

Drug and food cravings, immune responses.

Unconditioned Stimulus (US)

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

Acquisition

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.

unconditioned response

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

negative reinforcement

Increasing behaviors by stopping or reducing negative stimuli, such as shock. A negative reinforcer is any stimulus that, when removed after a response, strengthens the response. (Note: negative reinforcement is not punishment.)

Cognitive Learning

The acquisition of mental information, whether by observing events, by watching others, or through language.

Learning

The process of acquiring through experience new and relatively enduring information or behaviors.

Behaviorism

The view that psychology: 1. Should be an objective science that 2. studies behavior w/out reference to mental processes. Most research psychologists today agree with (1) but not with (2).

When Miguel was a child, he was attacked by a swarm of hornets in his backyard. Now, every time he hears the sound of hornets he immediately becomes frightened. This is an example of _____ conditioning.

This is an example of CLASSICAL CONDITIONING. He HEARS hornets, and ANTICIPATES pain.

Law of Effect

Thorndike's principle that behaviors followed by favorable consequences become more likely, and that behaviors followed by unfavorable consequences become less likely

reinforcement schedule

a pattern that defines how often a desired response will be reinforced

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.)

Conditioned Reinforcer

a stimulus that gains its reinforcing power through its association with a primary reinforcer; also known as a secondary reinforcer

operant conditioning

a type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforcer or diminished if followed by a punisher

Which statement does NOT illustrate classical conditioning? a. Marcus always pays his cell-phone bill on time in order to avoid a late charge. b. Thomas felt energized after smelling coffee brewing in the morning, even though he had yet to drink the coffee. c. The sound of a neighbor's drill sends a shudder up Tasha's spine because it reminds her of the dentist's office. d. Whenever Tabitha smells Polo Sport cologne, she feels a romantic excitement b/cuz it reminds her of her boyfriend who always wears that cologne.

a. Marcus always pays his cell-phone bill on time in order to avoid a late charge.

Ruben is reading the descriptions of some of the psychology courses in his college's course catalog. The description of one course reads in part, "An introduction to the processes whereby new and enduring behavior and information is acquired through experience." This course is MOST likely titled: a. The Psychology of Learning. b. Sensation and Perception. c. Human Development. d. Cognition.

a. The Psychology of Learning

Adam was stung by a bee. Now he is frightened not only of bees but of all flying insects. This example illustrates: a. generalization. b. association. c. discrimination. d. extinction.

a. generalization

Janine, who completed several tours of duty in Afghanistan, suffers from posttraumatic stress disorder. Now back home in Texas, she is frightened by firecrackers and cars backfiring. The fact that these sounds scare her reflects: a. generalization. b. discrimination. c. extinction. d. association.

a. generalization

Sonya had leukemia as a child and had to undergo numerous bouts of chemotherapy. The chemotherapy always made her nauseous. As she underwent a year of treatment, the waiting room started to make her nauseous. The chemotherapy is the: Please choose the correct answer from the following choices, and then select the submit answer button. Answer choices: a. unconditioned stimulus. b. neutral stimulus. c. conditioned stimulus. d. conditioned response.

a. unconditioned stimulus

What are the five major conditioning processes discovered by Ivan Pavlov?

acquisition, extinction, spontaneous recovery, generalization, and discrimination.

Shaping

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

Five-year-old Destiny is frightened by the noise thunder makes. Destiny associates lightning with thunder because lightning always precedes thunder. Thus, when Destiny sees lightning she often cries in anticipation that she will hear thunder soon afterward. This is an example of: a. operant conditioning. b. classical conditioning. c. observational learning. d. stimulus experience.

b. classical conditioning (a type of learning in which we associate 2+ stimuli. Lighting then thunder, drooling then food etc.)

Which choice correctly pairs a type of learning or conditioning with a closely related concept? Please choose the correct answer from the following choices, and then select the submit answer button. Answer choices: a. classical conditioning - operant behavior b. operant conditioning - observational learning c. cognitive learning - observational learning d. operant conditioning - respondent behavior

c. cognitive learning - observational learning

You feel fine at a picnic until a spider very similar to the one that bit you last year and made you sick starts to walk onto your picnic blanket. You begin to become anxious and fearful. This reaction is MOST likely a(n): a. conditioned stimulus. b. unconditioned stimulus. c. conditioned response. d. unconditioned response.

c. conditioned response

Jane had leukemia as a child and had to undergo numerous bouts of chemotherapy. She had grown to associate the waiting room with nausea. Now 35 years old, she had to take her mother to the same hospital for breast cancer treatment. She became nauseous while in the waiting room with her mother. Her nausea BEST illustrates: a. delayed reinforcement. b. shaping. c. spontaneous recovery. d. latent learning.

c. spontaneous recovery

Carla had leukemia as a child and had to undergo numerous bouts of chemotherapy. The chemotherapy always made her nauseous. As she underwent a year of treatment, the waiting room started to make her nauseous. The nausea from the chemotherapy is the: Please choose the correct answer from the following choices, and then select the submit answer button. Answer choices: a. conditioned response. b. neutral stimulus. c. unconditioned response. d. unconditioned stimulus.

c. unconditioned response

Classical and operant conditioning involve learning through _____, whereas observational learning involves learning through _____. Please choose the correct answer from the following choices, and then select the submit answer button. Answer choices: a. sensation; perception b. imitation; association c. conscious behaviors; unconscious behaviors d. association; imitation

d. association; limitation

reinforcement

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

neutral stimulus

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

conditioned stimulus

in classical conditioning, an originally neutral stimulus that, after association with an unconditioned stimulus, comes to trigger a conditioned response

Discrimination

in classical conditioning, the learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and similar stimuli that do not signal an unconditioned stimulus. (Operant Conditioning: Ability to distinguish between responses that are reinforced and unreinforced responses.)

Conditioned Response

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

Operant Chamber

in operant conditioning research, a chamber (also known as a Skinner box) 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.

Variable-ratio schedule

in operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses

fixed-ratio schedule

in operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified number of responses

partial (intermittent) reinforcement schedule

reinforcing a response only part of the time; results in slower acquisition of a response but much greater resistance to extinction than does continuous reinforcement

spontaneous recovery

the reappearance, after a pause, of an extinguished conditioned response