LEARNING UNIT 6
Satiation
A decrease in the frequency of operant behavior. Presumed to be the result of continued reinforcement that has followed the behavior
UCR | UR
a natural / unlearned reaction to a given stimulus
Classical conditioning
a process by which we learn to associate stimuli and consequently learn to anticipate events
Learning
a relatively permanent change in an organism's behavior due to experience
John B. Watson
Founder of behaviorism; argued that in order for psychology to become a legitimate science, it must shift its concern away from internal mental processes and focus on outward behaviors that can be measured
Robert Rescorla
along w/ colleague Alan Wagner, developed mathematical formula that can be used to calculate the probability that an association would be learned based on the ability of a CS to predict occurrence of an US
García effect
an alternative but less common name for conditioned taste aversion.
vicarious reinforcement/punishment
observing someone else receive a reward or punishment
Operant conditioning
A process in which change of behavior (learning) occurs as a function of the consequences of behavior
Operant conditioning chamber
A.K.A Skinner Box - used to study animals such as rats and pigeons. Contains a lever or key that can be pressed to receive reinforcements such as food / water AND a mechanism that recorded all the behaviors of the animals + the schedules of reinforcement they were on
Taste aversion
An example of how classical conditioning can result in changes in behavior, even after only one incidence of feeling ill the avoidance of a certain food following a period of illness after its consumption
Edward Thorndike
His work for animals lead him to formulate the Law of Effect, which led to the development of operant conditioning
John Garcia
Researched taste aversion learning. Provided evidence for biological constraints to learning
Ivan Pavlov
Russian physiologist who observed conditioned salivary responses in dogs
Positive reinforcement
Something is added to increase the likelihood of a behavioral response
Negative reinforcement
Something is removed to increase the likelihood of a behavioral response
Stimulus discrimination (CC)
The ability to distinguish between similar stimuli and demonstrate the conditioned response only to the conditioned stimulus
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
Stimulus generalization
When an organism demonstrates the conditioned response to stimuli that are similar to the conditioned stimulus
CR
a learned response to a previously neutral stimulus
Primary reinforcer
a stimulus or circumstance, such as food or water, that is inherently satisfying and does not depend on learning to become desirable.
NS
a stimulus that does not naturally elicit a response
Little Albert Study
a white rat was paired with a loud sudden noise in order to condition a fear response in an infant.
antisocial behavior
actions that are deliberately hurtful or destructive to others
prosocial behavior
actions that are helpful and kind but w/o obvious benefit to actor
Higher-order conditioning
an established CS is paired w/ a new NS so that eventually this new NS also elicits the CR w/o the initial CS is presented
Shaping
an operant conditioning procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior toward closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior
emotion-focused coping
attempting to alleviate stress by avoiding or ignoring a stressor and attending to our feelings related to one's stress reaction
problem-focused coping
attempting to alleviate stress by changing the stressor or the way we interact with that stressor.
B.F. Skinner
behaviorist that developed the theory of operant conditioning by training pigeons and rats
overimitate
children copying actions of adults that are irrelevant to what they are doing
Martin Seligman
conducted experiments with dogs that led to the concept of "learned helplessness"
tyranny of choice
impairment of effective decision making when confronted with an overwhelming number of options
Instinct
innate unlearned pattern of behavior triggered by a broad range of event (i.e. maturation, change of seasons, etc.)
Associative learning
linking stimuli and/or events that occur together in the environment
stress
our body's response to event that that causes emotional, physical and/or psychological strain
Albert Bandura
pioneer in observational learning / social learning theory
mirror neurons
responds in the same way to a given action whether the we perform the action itself or sees another perform the action.
Reflexes
simple, automatic responses to sensory stimuli
stressor
social + physical environmental circumstances that challenge our adaptive capabilities and/or resources
Positive punishment
something is added to decrease the likelihood of a behavioral response
Negative punishment
something is removed to decrease the likelihood of a behavioral response
Secondary reinforcer
stimulus such as money that becomes reinforcing through its link with a primary reinforcer
UCS | US
stimulus that elicits a reflexive response in an organism
CS
stimulus that elicits a response after repeatedly being paired w/ an US
Bobo doll
study demonstrated that children are able to learn social behavior such as aggression through the process of observation learning
self-control
the ability to resist impulses and delay short-term gratification for greater long-term rewards
Extinction (CC)
the gradual decrease of a conditioned response when a US does not follow a CS
External locus of control
the perception that chance or outside forces determine your fate.
Internal locus of control
the perception that you can influence your own fate
Spontaneous recovery (CC)
the return of a previously extinguished conditioned response following a rest period
vicarious reinforcement
we become more likely to engage in a particular behavior (response) by observing another individual being rewarded for that same behavior
modelling
we observe the behavior of another and then imitate it
Acquisition (CC)
when an organism learns to connect or associate a NS w/ a US, and eventually the NS becomes the CS -eventually eliciting the CR by itself