PSY 201 - Ch. 6: Learning

Operant conditioning is a type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a ___ or diminished if followed by a ___.

reinforcer, punisher

continuous reinforcement

reinforcing a desired response every time it occurs; extinction occurs rapidly

Who developed classical conditioning? How?

Ivan Pavlov - experiments on how much a dog would salivate in response to stimuli that were and weren't associated with food

Is negative reinforcement punishment?

No, rather it removes a punishing effect

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

conditioned reinforcers

an event that gains its reinforcing power through its link with a primary reinforcer

primary reinforcers

an event that is innately reinforcing, often by satisfying a biological need

shaping

an operant conditioning procedure in which reinforcers guide actions closer and closer toward a desired behavior

conditioned stimulus

an originally irrelevant stimulus that, after association with an unconditioned stimulus, comes to trigger a conditioned response

unconditioned response

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

stimulus

any event or situation that evokes a response

positive reinforcer

anything that, when presented after a response, strengthens the response

negative reinforcer

anything that, when removed after a response, strengthens the response

What is respondent behavior and what type of conditioning is it associated with?

behavior that occurs as an automatic response to some stimulus; classical conditioning

operant behavior

behavior that operates on the environment, producing consequences

neural stimulus

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

reinforcement

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

positive reinforcement

increases behaviors by presenting positive stimuli, such as food

negative reinforcement

increases behaviors by stopping or reducing negative stimuli, such as a shock

operant conditioning

learn to associate a response (our behavior) with its consequence

classical conditioning

learn to link two or more stimuli and anticipate events

associative learning

learning that events occur together (conditioning = the process of learning associations)

observational learning

one form form of cognitive learning that lets us learn from others' experiences

partial (intermittent) reinforcement

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

Does extinction suppress or eliminate the conditioned response?

suppresses it

What are the types of responses and stimuli used with classical conditioning?

unconditioned response, unconditioned stimulus, conditioned response, conditioned stimulus

What are the two main types of learning?

(1) Associative learning (2) Cognitive learning

What are the two types of associative learning?

(1) Classical conditioning (2) Operant conditioning

discrimination

(1) classical: the learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and other irrelevant stimuli

generalization

(1) classical: the tendency, after conditioning, to respond similarly to stimuli that resemble the conditioned stimulus

extinction

(1) classical: the weakening of a conditioned response when an unconditioned stimulus does not follow a conditioned stimulus (2) operant: the weakening of a response when it is no longer reinforced

acquisition

(1) classical: when we link a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus so that the neutral stimulus begins triggering the conditioned response (2) operant: the strengthening of a reinforced response

How does classical conditioning demonstrate associative learning?

Classical conditioning is learning to link two or more stimuli and anticipate events. Associative learning is learning that certain events occur together. The "events" in associative learning are just the "stimuli" in classical conditioning.

conditioned response

a learned response to a previously neutral (but now conditioned) stimulus

reinforcement schedule

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

unconditioned stimulus

a stimulus that unconditionally - naturally and automatically - triggers a response

What are the five major processes for both classical and operant conditioning?

acquisition, extinction, spontaneous recovery, generalization, discrimination

cognitive learning

the acquisition of mental information, whether by observing events, by watching others, or through language, that guides our behavior

learning

the process of acquiring, through experience, new and relatively enduring information or behaviors

spontaneous recovery

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