Psychology Chapter 6 Flashcards

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Questions and Answers

What is learning?

a relatively permanent change in behavior due to experience

What is classical conditioning?

learning to associate stimuli with outcomes

What is a neutral stimulus (NS)?

A stimulus that does not produce a particular response before conditioning

What is an unconditioned stimulus (UCS)?

A stimulus that evokes an unconditioned response without previous conditioning Signup and view all the answers

What is an unconditioned response (UCR)?

The unlearned, naturally occurring response to an unconditioned stimulus Signup and view all the answers

What is a conditioned stimulus (CS)?

A previously neutral stimulus that elicits a conditioned response after pairing with the UCS Signup and view all the answers

What is a conditioned response (CR)?

The learned response to a previously neutral (but now conditioned) stimulus Signup and view all the answers

What is acquisition in classical conditioning?

The initial stage where one links a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus Signup and view all the answers

What is higher order conditioning?

If you pair a new stimulus with a conditioned stimulus, then it too can become a conditioned stimulus Signup and view all the answers

What is extinction in classical conditioning?

The uncoupling of a conditioned stimulus from an unconditioned stimulus Signup and view all the answers

What is generalization in classical conditioning?

Stimuli that are similar to the original CS produce the CR Signup and view all the answers

What is discrimination in classical conditioning?

Differentiation between two similar stimuli where one is associated with the UCS and the other is not Signup and view all the answers

What factors make classical conditioning most effective?

Timing, consistency, uniqueness, and surprise factor Signup and view all the answers

What does the Rescorla and Wagner model explain?

Animals pay attention to new factors affecting their experiences, especially surprising UCS Signup and view all the answers

What is orienting in psychology?

When an animal encounters a novel stimulus, it pays attention to it Signup and view all the answers

What is blocking in classical conditioning?

Once a conditioned stimulus is learned, it can prevent the acquisition of a new conditioned stimulus Signup and view all the answers

What was Watson's 'Little Albert' experiment?

Used USC to associate a white rat with fear Signup and view all the answers

How can conditioning relate to drug overdoses?

Drugs taken in novel settings can cause overdoses due to lack of compensatory reactions Signup and view all the answers

What is operant conditioning?

Using outcomes to motivate behaviors, where consequences of an action influence future behaviors Signup and view all the answers

What is Thorndike's law of effect?

If a response is followed by a satisfying state, it will strengthen; if followed by an annoying state, it will weaken Signup and view all the answers

What is positive reinforcement?

Increasing behaviors by presenting positive stimuli, such as food Signup and view all the answers

What is negative reinforcement?

Increasing behaviors by stopping or reducing negative stimuli, such as shock Signup and view all the answers

What is positive punishment?

A stimulus that weakens a response when presented after the response Signup and view all the answers

What is negative punishment?

A behavior is followed by the removal of an appetitive stimulus, decreasing the probability of that behavior Signup and view all the answers

What is spontaneous recovery?

After extinction, a weakened form of the CR may occur when the CS is presented again Signup and view all the answers

What is shaping in operant conditioning?

Reinforcing behaviors that are increasingly similar to the desired behavior Signup and view all the answers

What is generalization as it pertains to psychology?

Transfer of a response learned to one stimulus to a similar stimulus Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Learning Concepts

Learning refers to a relatively permanent change in behavior stemming from experience.
Classical conditioning involves associating stimuli with outcomes, where a neutral stimulus elicits a response after pairing with an unconditioned stimulus.

Classical Conditioning Elements

Neutral Stimulus (NS): A stimulus that initially does not provoke a response (e.g., a bell before conditioning).
Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS): A stimulus that naturally evokes a response without prior conditioning (e.g., food).
Unconditioned Response (UCR): The unlearned response to the UCS, such as salivation when food is present.
Conditioned Stimulus (CS): A previously neutral stimulus that begins to elicit a response after being paired with the UCS (e.g., the bell after conditioning).
Conditioned Response (CR): The learned response to the conditioned stimulus (e.g., salivation in response to the bell).

Acquisition and Conditioning

Acquisition marks the initial stage of classical conditioning, where the NS and UCS are linked to elicit the CR.
Higher Order Conditioning occurs when a new stimulus is paired with a CS to create another CS.
Extinction is the process of uncoupling the CS from the UCS, leading to the diminishment of the CR.

Stimulus Interaction

Generalization occurs when stimuli similar to the original CS also produce the CR.
Discrimination is the ability to differentiate between similar stimuli, where one is consistently paired with the UCS and the other is not.

Effective Classical Conditioning

Success in classical conditioning is influenced by timing (CS precedes UCS), consistency of pairing, uniqueness, and the novelty or surprise of the UCS.

Models and Mechanisms

The Rescorla and Wagner model emphasizes that animals pay attention to factors causing novel experiences; surprising UCS draw attention to environmental cues.
Orienting refers to the attention animals give to new stimuli.
Blocking indicates that once a CS is learned, it can prevent the learning of a new CS.

Notable Experiments

Watson's "Little Albert" experiment: Associated a white rat (NS) with a fear-inducing UCS, causing generalization of fear to all small rodents.

Drug Conditioning

Drugs in novel settings can lead to overdoses due to insufficient compensatory reactions that normally anticipate the drug's effects.

Operant Conditioning

Operant conditioning uses outcomes to influence behaviors, where the consequences of actions affect their future likelihood.
Thorndike’s Law of Effect states that responses followed by satisfying outcomes are strengthened, while those followed by negative outcomes are weakened.

Reinforcement Types

Positive Reinforcement: Increases behaviors by introducing positive stimuli (e.g., giving food).
Negative Reinforcement: Increases behaviors by removing negative stimuli (e.g., stopping an electric shock).
Positive Punishment: Weakens a response by presenting an aversive stimulus post-response.
Negative Punishment: Weakens behavior by removing a desirable stimulus after the behavior occurs.

Responses and Recovery

Spontaneous Recovery refers to the reappearance of a weakened CR after a period of extinction.
Shaping involves reinforcing progressively closer approximations to the desired behavior (e.g., guiding a pigeon to turn in a circle).

Generalization in Psychology

Generalization allows responses learned from one stimulus to be applied to similar stimuli, facilitating behavioral adaptation.

Continuous Reinforcement

Involves reinforcing a behavior every time it occurs, promoting rapid learning but may lead to rapid extinction when reinforcements stop.

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Test your knowledge of key concepts from Psychology Chapter 6 with these flashcards. This set includes definitions and explanations related to learning and classical conditioning. Perfect for students looking to reinforce their understanding of psychological principles.