Learning Chapter 5 Flashcards

Questions and Answers

What is learning?

Cognitive psychologists define learning as the process by which organisms make relatively permanent changes in the way they represent the environment because of experience.

What happens during classical conditioning?

The condition stimulus is presented before the unconditioned stimulus.

The neutral stimulus is presented followed by the unconditioned stimulus. (correct)

Only the unconditioned stimulus is used.

Condition responses are not learned.

What is a condition stimulus?

A stimulus that has the ability to elicit a response that the unconditioned stimulus once did.

What is a condition response?

A learned response. Signup and view all the answers

What is an unconditioned response?

A natural reaction that happens without behavioral modification. Signup and view all the answers

What triggers a physical response?

Unconditioned stimulus. Signup and view all the answers

What is a neutral stimulus?

Things you can sense with your senses but do not produce the reflex tested. Signup and view all the answers

What is generalization in classical conditioning?

The tendency for stimuli similar to the condition stimulus to elicit a response similar to the condition response. Signup and view all the answers

What is discrimination in the context of conditioning?

When an organism learns to respond to some stimuli but not others. Signup and view all the answers

What is extinction in classical conditioning?

When the condition stimulus is repeatedly presented without the unconditioned stimulus. Signup and view all the answers

What is spontaneous recovery?

Spontaneous occurrence of the previous condition response does not last long and is not as strong. Signup and view all the answers

What is higher order conditioning?

A previously neutral stimulus comes to serve as a conditioned stimulus after being paired repeatedly with a stimulus that has already become a conditioned stimulus. Signup and view all the answers

What is conditioning as a fear reduction technique?

A technique where pleasant stimuli are associated with fear-evoking stimuli so that the fear-evoking stimuli lose their aversive qualities. Signup and view all the answers

What is flooding in behavior therapy?

Fear-evoking stimuli are presented continuously in the absence of actual harm, extinguishing fear responses. Signup and view all the answers

What is systematic desensitization?

A behavioral fear reduction technique in which a hierarchy of fear-evoking stimuli is presented while the person remains relaxed. Signup and view all the answers

What is operant conditioning?

The relationship between behavior and their consequences and how the consequences influence the behavior. Signup and view all the answers

What is reinforcement?

Increase the tendency that the behavior will happen again. Signup and view all the answers

What is positive reinforcement?

Something is being added so that the behavior will happen again. Signup and view all the answers

What is negative reinforcement?

Something is being taken away so that the desired behavior will happen again. Signup and view all the answers

What is punishment?

Decrease the tendency that the behavior will occur again. Signup and view all the answers

What is positive punishment?

Something is being added to decrease the tendency of the behavior. Signup and view all the answers

What is negative punishment?

Something is being taken away to decrease the tendency of the behavior. Signup and view all the answers

What are primary reinforcers?

Effective because of the organism's biological makeup, such as food, water, warmth, and pain. Signup and view all the answers

What are secondary reinforcers?

Acquire their value through being associated with established reinforcers, such as money. Signup and view all the answers

What is a discriminative stimulus?

Signals and cues that provide information about when an operant will be reinforced. Signup and view all the answers

What is partial reinforcement?

Refers to a situation in which a behavior is reinforced only some of the time, and it is more resistant to extinction than continuous reinforcement. Signup and view all the answers

What is a fixed ratio schedule?

Reinforcement only happens after a fixed number of responses. Signup and view all the answers

What is a fixed interval schedule?

Reinforcement happens after a consistent amount of time has passed. Signup and view all the answers

What is a variable ratio schedule?

Reinforcement is delivered after an average number of correct responses has occurred. Signup and view all the answers

What is a variable interval schedule?

Responses are reinforced after a variable amount of time has passed. Signup and view all the answers

What is biofeedback training?

People receive reinforcement in the form of information. Signup and view all the answers

What is behavior modification?

Learning that teaches adaptive behavior and extinguishes or discourages maladaptive behavior. Signup and view all the answers

What is programmed learning?

A method of teaching that breaks down tasks into smaller steps and requires mastery of each step before moving on. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Learning Concepts

Learning is defined as a process leading to relatively permanent changes in an organism's environment representation due to experience.

Classical Conditioning

Classical conditioning involves a neutral stimulus followed by an unconditioned stimulus to establish a learned response.
Conditioned stimulus elicits a response that originally occurred only with the unconditioned stimulus.
Conditioned response is the learned reaction to the conditioned stimulus.
Unconditioned response is a natural reaction that occurs without prior learning.
Unconditioned stimulus triggers an involuntary physical response.
Neutral stimulus is something perceptible by senses but does not evoke the reflex being tested.

Key Processes in Conditioning

Generalization refers to the tendency for stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus to evoke similar responses.
Discrimination occurs when an organism learns to respond to specific stimuli while ignoring others.
Extinction happens when the conditioned stimulus is presented multiple times without the unconditioned stimulus.
Spontaneous recovery can occur when the conditioned response reappears after a rest period.

Advanced Conditioning Techniques

Higher order conditioning involves pairing a new neutral stimulus with an already established conditioned stimulus to create a new response.
Conditioning can involve fear reduction techniques, associating pleasant stimuli with fear-inducing stimuli to diminish fear responses.
Flooding exposes individuals to fear-evoking stimuli continuously without harm, leading to extinction of the fear response.
Systematic desensitization presents a hierarchy of fear-evoking stimuli while the individual remains relaxed.

Operant Conditioning

Operant conditioning examines the relationship between behaviors and consequences, influencing behavior patterns.
Reinforcement increases the likelihood of a behavior being repeated.
Positive reinforcement adds something desirable to encourage a behavior.
Negative reinforcement involves removing an adverse stimulus to promote desired behavior.
Punishment aims to decrease the likelihood of a behavior recurring.
Positive punishment adds an aversive consequence to reduce a behavior.
Negative punishment takes away a pleasant stimulus to diminish a behavior.

Reinforcers and Schedules

Primary reinforcers meet basic biological needs (e.g., food, water) and are naturally effective.
Secondary reinforcers gain value through association with primary reinforcers (e.g., money).
Discriminative stimuli signal when a behavior will be reinforced.
Partial reinforcement reinforces behavior only intermittently, making it more resistant to extinction than continuous reinforcement.
Fixed-ratio schedule grants reinforcement after a set number of responses.
Fixed-interval schedule provides reinforcement after a specific time has elapsed.
Variable-ratio schedule offers reinforcement after an average number of responses, producing high response rates.
Variable-interval schedule reinforces responses after varying amounts of time.

Behavioral Techniques

Biofeedback training allows individuals to receive real-time feedback as reinforcement for physiological responses.
Behavior modification teaches adaptive behaviors while discouraging maladaptive behaviors.
Programmed learning breaks tasks into smaller components, allowing for structured mastery and reinforcement of skills.

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Description

Test your knowledge on key concepts of learning with these flashcards from Chapter 5. This quiz covers definitions and principles such as classical conditioning and the role of stimuli in learning. Enhance your understanding of cognitive psychology and how it defines the learning process.