Psychology Chapter 8 quiz

Pavlovian conditioning

classical conditioning.

negative reinforcement

A method for increasing behaviors that allow an organism to escape or avoid an unpleasant consequence.

negative punishment

A method for reducing behavior by removing something desirable whenever the target behavior occurs.

positive punishment

A consequence that eliminates or reduces the frequency of a behavior by applying an aversive stimulus.

punishment

A consequence that eliminates or reduces the frequency of a behavior.

inhibition

A feature of classical conditioning in which a conditioned stimulus (CS) predicts the nonoccurrence of an unconditioned stimulus (UCS).

Discrimination

A learned ability to distinguish between stimuli.

conditioned reinforcers

A reinforcer that gains value from being associated with other things that are valued; also known as a secondary reinforcer.

learning

A relatively permanent change in behavior or the capacity for behavior due to experience.

conditioned responses

A response learned through classical conditioning.

unconditioned response

A response to an unconditioned stimulus that requires no previous experience. Ex. Salivating when food is put in your mouth is a UCR because we do this reflexively, without prior experience.

fixed ratio FR schedule

A schedule of reinforcement in which reinforcement occurs following a set number of behaviors.

Variable ratio (VR) schedules

A schedule of reinforcement in which reinforcement occurs following some variable number of behaviors.

fixed interval (FI) schedule

A schedule of reinforcement in which the first response following a specified interval is reinforced.

Habituation

A simple form of learning in which reactions to repeated stimuli that are unchanging and harmless decrease. Ex. you might sleep better the second night than the first in the same hotel because you have adjusted to the unfamiliar noises in that environment.

unconditioned stimulus

A stimulus that elicits a response without prior experience.

operant conditioning

A type of learning in which associations are formed between behaviors and their outcomes. Ex. If you study hard, you will get good grades.

classical conditioning

A type of learning in which associations are formed between two stimuli that occur sequentially in time. Ex. a child sees a bee for the first time and then gets stung, the child forms a connection between seeing bees and the pain of being stung.

conditioned stimulus

An environmental event whose significance is learned through classical conditioning.

Instincts

An inborn pattern of behavior elicited by environmental stimuli; also known as a fixed action pattern.

Sensitization

An increased reaction to many stimuli following exposure to one strong stimulus. Ex. Following an earthquake, people experience exaggerated responses to movement, light, or noise.

Reflexes

An inevitable, involuntary response to stimuli. ex. Pulling your finger quickly away from the surface of the stove when you discover it's hot

Learned Behavior (nonassociative)

Being able to sleep in spite of the traffic noise outside your window because you've gotten used to it

spontaneous recovery

During extinction training, the reappearance of conditioned responses (CRs) after periods of rest.

Learned Behavior (observational)

Eating birthday cake "cake first and frosting last," just like your dad always did.

nonassociative learning

Learning that involves changes in the magnitude of responses to stimuli. Two important types of nonassociative learning are habituation and sensitization.

observational learning

Learning that occurs when one organism watches the actions of another organism; also known as social learning or modeling.

higher-order conditioning

Learning in which stimuli associated with a conditioned stimulus (CS) also elicit conditioned responses (CRs). Ex. Higher-order conditioning allows us to make even more distant predictions about the occurrence of significant events. A person who was bitten by a dog might show fear the next time the dog is seen because the sight of the dog (CS) is now associated with the pain of the bite (UCS).

Acquisition

The development of a learned response (conditioned response).

Extinction

The reduction of a learned response. In classical conditioning, extinction occurs when the unconditioned stimulus (UCS) no longer follows the conditioned stimulus (CS). In operant conditioning, extinction occurs when the consequence no longer follows the learned behavior.

partial reinforcement

The reinforcement of a desired behavior on some occasions, but not others.

latent inhibition

The slower learning that occurs when a conditioned stimulus (CS) is already familiar compared to when the CS is unfamiliar.

Generalization

The tendency to respond to stimuli that are similar to an original conditioned stimulus (CS).

Instinctive behaviors occur in the mating and parenting behaviors of many species. For example...

a mother dog instinctively licks clean her first litter of pups immediately after birth. An example of a human instinct is yawning. Once a yawn is initiated, it is difficult to stop.

Learned behavior (associative)

Working hard in a college course because you've always received good grades in courses when you worked hard

Animals, including ourselves, behave in response to their environments. Behavior can take the form of either....

externally observable actions or internal processes, such as emotions, thoughts, and physiological responses. These behaviors fall into three broad categories: reflexes, instincts, and learned behaviors.

Which of the following is a remnant of the piloerection reflex in humans?

forming goose bumps on skin

postitive reinforcement

increases the frequency of its associated behavior by providing a desired outcome. Again, each person has a menu of effective reinforcements. In a common application of operant conditioning, children with autism spectrum disorder are taught language, with candy serving as the positive reinforcement.

Human reflexes are...

inflexible

associative learning

learning that certain events occur together. The formation of associations, or connections, among stimuli and behaviors. Two important types of associative learning are classical conditioning and operant conditioning.

most reflexes are controlled by....

nervous system circuits located in the spinal cord and brainstem

instrumental conditioning (operant conditioning)

occurs when we learn to perform behaviors that produce positive outcomes and avoid those that yield negative outcomes

William James argued....

that humans have more instincts than other animals, although we are usually unaware of them. He believed that our behavior simply appears more complex and thoughtful because we often face the need to choose among competing instincts.