Psychology 101- Unit 2
Discuss John Watson's views on the nature of psychology, and describe the basic principles of behaviorism.
- believed psych was not the study of the subjective mental processes. behavior is a result of conditioning and learning. - behaviorism - studying what one does. observation!
Identify factors that can affect the strength of a classically conditioned response. Define and give an example of generalization. Define and give an example of discrimination. Define and give an example of extinction. Define and give an example of spontaneous recovery
- more frequently the conditioned and unconditioned stimulus are paired, the stronger the association - the timing of the stimulus presentations affects strength of conditioned response. STIMULI SIMILAR TO CONDITIONED STIMULUS ELICIT THE CONDITIONED RESPONSE. the conditioned response is made to one stimulus but not the other similar one. decline and disappearance of the conditioned response. the reappearance of extinguished conditioned response after time.
Compare and contrast operant and classical conditioning in terms of types of behavior studied, responses conditioned, extinction processes, and cognitive and evolutionary influences on each.
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Describe Albert Bandura's classic studies on observational learning, and identify factors that increase the likelihood of imitation occurring.
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Define and give examples of each of the following: unconditioned stimulus, unconditioned response, conditioned stimulus, and conditioned response.
A UCS is the natural stimulus produced reflexively prior to learning. Example: the food in the dogs mouth. A UCR is the actual unlearned response. Example: the dogs salivation. A CS is the stimulus that is originally neutral but elicits a reflexive response. Example: sound of bell A CR is the learned response to a previously neutral stimulus. Example: dogs salivation to BELL
Describe how each of the following explanations account for forgetting: encoding failure, decay theory, interference theory, and motivated forgetting.
Encoding Failure: info never got into LTM Decay Theory: When a new memory is formed, it creates a memory trace - a distinct structural or chemical change in the brain. Interference Theory: Caused by one memory competing with or replacing another memory Motivated Forgetting: An undesired memory is held back from awareness
Discuss Edward Thorndike's contributions to the study of learning, and define the law of effect.
Established Law of Effect- Principle that behaviors followed by favorable consequences become more likely, and that behaviors followed by unfavorable consequences become less likely
Describe the types of information in long-term memory, and explain the differences between implicit memory and explicit memory
Explicit Memory: Declarative (memory with conscious recall) Episodic Memory: Events you have experienced Semantic Memory: Knowledge, facts Implicit Memory: Non-declarative (memory without conscious recall) Procedural Memory: Motor skills, actions
Discuss the function, duration, capacity, and types of sensory memory. Explain how George Sperling's experiment advanced the understanding of sensory memory.
Function: Environmental information is registered Duration: 1/4 second to 3 seconds Capacity: 1 element. Types: Visual (Iconic), Auditory (Echoic)
Describe the function, duration, and capacity of short-term memory. Explain the usefulness of chunking.
Function: Temporarily contains all the information we think about and are consciously aware. Duration: 20 seconds Capacity: 5,6,7,8,9 elements Chunking: Grouping
Discuss how Edward Tolman's research demonstrated the role of cognitive factors in operant conditioning. Explain cognitive maps and latent learning.
He systematically removed sections of a rat's brain, then tested to see if it could still remember how to run the maze Operant conditioning-rats grew faster after each attempt Cognitive maps-map of brain sections, memory of rat was in no distinct section of brain Latent learning-something is unconsciously learned and is not applied until the incentive appears
Describe Watson and Rayner's famous "Little Albert" study, and explain how emotional responses can be classically conditioned.
Little albert- no fear of rat. Fear of clanging. Clanging and rat, FEAR. Only rat, FEAR. The UCS is the loud noise. The white rat becomes a CS.
- Define memory, and explain the processes of encoding, storage, and retrieval. -Describe the stage model of memory, and describe how each of the three stages functions
Memory: 3 stages. Encoded via Rehearsal. Retrieval from long term back to short term, temporarily. Sensory to Short-term to Long-term. Maintenance rehearsal and attention to sensory information allow it to transfer to short term memory. Elaborative rehearsal, encoding, allows that information to be transfered
Describe the background that led to Ivan Pavlov's discovery of classical conditioning and the procedures he developed to produce a classically conditioned response.
Pavlov noticed that a dog would salivate when the food was put on its tongue. This was simply a reflex. However, eventually the dog started to salivate simply at the sight of Pavlov. This is when Pavlov realized that what seemed to be a reflexive reaction could be trained to occur.
Describe how retrieval is tested, and explain the serial position effect
Recall test. Primacy effect - recall the first items in a list. Recency effect - the tendency to recall the final items in a list
Define retrieval, noting how retrieval cues work, and describe what happens when retrieval fails, as in a tip-of-the-tongue (TOT) experience
Recovering stored information for conscious awareness. A retrieval cue: hint that can help trigger recall of a stored memory. Retrieval problems demonstrate the vast difference between information that is stored in LTM versus information that you can access. Retrieval cue failure: inability to recall long term memories due to inadequate or missing retrieval cues.
Discuss the context effect and mood congruence as different forms of the encoding specificity principle. Evaluate the accuracy of flashbulb memories
Reenacting the situation in which the information was encoded helps for recall. (Library, chewing gum)
Discuss Hermann Ebbinghaus's studies of forgetting, noting the basic pattern of the forgetting curve
Study 'forgetting' by using nonsense syllables.
Give examples of how shaping, behavior modification, and other operant conditioning principles can be used to develop new behaviors.
offering employees their own reinforcers.
Discuss B. F. Skinner's views about behaviorism, including his beliefs about the proper subject matter of psychology.
psychology should only study phenomena. new behaviors actively produced. avoided mental explanations
Explain the difference between negative reinforcement and punishment, and give examples of punishment by application and punishment by removal.
reinforcer- -stimulus or event that increases the likelihood of the behavior it follows reoccuring. Negative reinforcement- Strengthening of a response through the removal of an aversive or unpleasant stimulusRemoving something unpleasant...Can work in tandem with positive reinforcement. (Not the same as punishment.) positive reinforcement-Strengthening of a response through the introduction of a stimulus after the response occurs...Something good that comes after/ is added (money/food) punishment decreases the future performance of the behavior, negative reinforcement increases it.
Discuss shaping, explain the difference between continuous and partial reinforcement, and describe and give examples of each of the four schedules of reinforcement.
shaping-reinforcement of closer approximations of the behavior until the correct behavior is displayed. continuous: reinforce every single time action is done partial: reinforce only sometimes fixed ratio- being payed for producing a specific amount of items variable ratio- gambling fixed interval- increasing and decreasing studying amounts by set interval of tests. variable interval- waiting for something that is on an approximate schedule.
