Psychology Chapter 6 - Learning and Behaviorism

Podcast

Play an AI-generated podcast conversation about this lesson

Questions and Answers

What defines primary reinforcers?

They are reinforcing due to previous experiences.

They are items like money or social approval.

They are only effective in social contexts.

They are reinforcing because they are inherently valuable. (correct)

Which of the following is an example of a secondary reinforcer?

Money earned from a job (correct)

A warm blanket on a cold night

A hug from a parent

A favorite toy

What is the primary effect of punishment?

It reinforces the action positively.

It decreases the probability of a response. (correct)

It provides immediate satisfaction.

It encourages the behavior to continue.

According to the content, when is punishment most effective?

When it is given consistently and quickly. Signup and view all the answers

What did Skinner's experiment with rats illustrate about punishment?

Punishment only works if immediate alternatives are available. Signup and view all the answers

What might happen to children who are frequently spanked, according to the findings presented?

They may suffer from low self-esteem and antisocial behavior. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements regarding the correlation between spanking and behavior in children is accurate?

Children who misbehave tend to prompt more spanking. Signup and view all the answers

What is a potential consequence of using severe punishment on children?

They potentially develop antisocial behaviors. Signup and view all the answers

What behavior do children exhibit towards the doll after watching aggressive films?

They attack the doll mimicking aggressive movements. Signup and view all the answers

What is termed as vicarious reinforcement?

Learning from another's positive experiences. Signup and view all the answers

What was the outcome for the children who were not exposed to a story about the consequences of cheating?

They were more likely to cheat. Signup and view all the answers

What role does self-efficacy play in imitating behaviors?

It enhances belief in performing tasks successfully. Signup and view all the answers

What does self-reinforcement involve?

Rewarding oneself after achieving a goal. Signup and view all the answers

Why did Ron Ash continue to smoke while reading academic journals?

He was trying to associate smoking with boredom. Signup and view all the answers

What is a common effect of observing high-quality performance in peers?

Greater likelihood to drop out of the course. Signup and view all the answers

What typically characterizes vicarious punishment?

It does not have a significant effect on behavior. Signup and view all the answers

What behavior was the rat trained to perform before receiving reinforcement?

Pull the string to hoist the flag. Signup and view all the answers

What is a key characteristic of a fixed-ratio reinforcement schedule?

Reinforcement is received after a specific number of correct responses. Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of a variable-ratio schedule?

Winning a prize in a lottery-style game. Signup and view all the answers

How do animals respond under a fixed-interval schedule?

They pause after reinforcement and respond again near the end of the interval. Signup and view all the answers

Which schedule provides reinforcement at varying time intervals?

Variable-interval schedule. Signup and view all the answers

What behavior might suggest a fixed-ratio schedule is in use?

Frequent long pauses followed by bursts of rapid responses. Signup and view all the answers

In which scenario does a fixed-interval schedule likely apply?

Issuing a reward after a set period of time since the last reward. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following behaviors is least likely to be reinforced on a variable-ratio schedule?

Getting a bonus for every fifth sale. Signup and view all the answers

What term describes the initial stimulus that naturally elicits a response without prior conditioning?

Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS) Signup and view all the answers

What process occurs when a conditioned stimulus (CS) is repeatedly presented without the unconditioned stimulus (UCS)?

Extinction Signup and view all the answers

What happens during spontaneous recovery in classical conditioning?

The conditioned stimulus elicits the response after a time delay. Signup and view all the answers

Stimulus generalization occurs when:

Similar stimuli trigger similar conditioned responses. Signup and view all the answers

In the given example of the alarm clock, what kind of behavioral strategy is being employed when distinguishing between clicks?

Discrimination Signup and view all the answers

Why is extinction not considered the same as forgetting?

Extinction requires active facilitation. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the transition of a neutral stimulus to a conditioned stimulus?

Pairing the NS with UCS repeatedly Signup and view all the answers

If someone successfully distinguishes between different brands of similar products, which concept are they demonstrating?

Stimulus discrimination Signup and view all the answers

What does behaviorism primarily focus on in psychology?

Observable actions of individuals Signup and view all the answers

What was Ivan Pavlov originally researching when he discovered classical conditioning?

Digestive processes in dogs Signup and view all the answers

What is meant by 'psychological secretion' in Pavlov's work?

The salivation response before food is presented Signup and view all the answers

How does behaviorism seek to control behavior?

By changing the environment and experiences Signup and view all the answers

According to behaviorism, what primarily causes behavior?

Environmental events and past experiences Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of classical conditioning in learning as suggested by Pavlov?

It creates conditioned reflexes from unconditioned stimuli. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements aligns with behaviorism's guiding principle?

Behavior is a response to environmental stimuli. Signup and view all the answers

What concept did Pavlov's initial observation lead to in the field of psychology?

Classical conditioning Signup and view all the answers

What was the primary behavior observed in the cat during Thorndike's experiments?

The cat improved its escape time inconsistently. Signup and view all the answers

How does operant conditioning differ from classical conditioning?

Operant conditioning relies primarily on the animal's reactions and behaviors. Signup and view all the answers

According to Thorndike, what contributes to an increase in the likelihood of a behavior?

A positive response introduced after the behavior. Signup and view all the answers

What did John Watson express about the influence of environment on behavior?

He believed a controlled environment can train individuals into any role. Signup and view all the answers

What does reinforcement involve according to the concept described?

A method of increasing the likelihood of a behavior through reward. Signup and view all the answers

What was indicated about the nature of animal learning in the context discussed?

Learning occurs only through trial and error without understanding. Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of the study where individuals smelled chemicals before electrical shocks?

It demonstrated that behaviors linked to environmental cues can be learned. Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of reinforcement did Thorndike's methodology revolutionize?

The understanding of behavior sequences through rewards and consequences. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Unit 8 - Learning

The unit covers learning, behaviorism, and classical conditioning.
The textbook for the unit is Kalat, J. (2010). Introduction to Psychology (12th Edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
The content corresponds to Chapter 6, Modules 6.1-6.3 of the textbook excluding Explanations of Classical Conditioning (pp. 184-186) and Drug Tolerance as an Example of Classical Conditioning (pp. 186-187).
Behaviorism is a form of psychological empiricism.
Behaviorism focuses on observable behaviors rather than internal thoughts or feelings.
In the legal system, witnesses are not allowed to describe internal states like "nervous and worried" but instead use observable descriptions like "trembling".
A human being is born with almost no mobility, which is not a bad thing.
Surviving and thriving involve learning what is safe and unsafe.
Learning is about establishing and changing behavior.
Theories of learning explain why we react to different stimuli, e.g., salivating at the sight of food.

Behaviorism and Classical Conditioning

The instructor is Themistoklis Pantazakos, Ph.D.
Contact information includes Email: [email protected] and Office: DC 709.

Classical Conditioning: History

Ivan Pavlov, the father of classical conditioning, won the Nobel Prize in 1904.
Pavlov's work focused originally on digestion
Pavlov observed that dogs salivated at the sight of the researcher entering the laboratory before food was presented – "psychological secretion".
Pavlov believed these learned responses could be transferred from one stimulus to another.
This is "classical conditioning".

Classical Conditioning: Method

When Pavlov gave the dog food, it salivated without training – this is the unconditioned stimulus (UCS) and unconditioned response (UCR).
The metronome sound was a neutral stimulus at first.
By pairing the metronome with the food, the dog eventually salivated at the sound of the metronome. This has now become a conditioned stimulus (CS) and a conditioned response (CR).

Classical Conditioning: Extinction

If the conditioned stimulus (CS) is presented repeatedly without the unconditioned stimulus (UCS), the conditioned response (CR) will eventually disappear – extinction.
Extinction is not forgetting; it is actively facilitated.

Classical Conditioning: Spontaneous Recovery

After a period of extinction, a previously extinguished response may reappear in a weakened form when the conditioned stimulus is presented. This is known as spontaneous recovery.

Classical Conditioning: Stimulus Generalization

Stimulus generalization is when a similar stimulus to the conditioned stimulus (CS) elicits a similar response.
For example, if a bee stings you, you might develop a fear of other stinging insects, such as wasps and hornets, as they are similar in their properties.

Classical Conditioning: Discrimination

If an animal is reinforced for responding to a specific stimulus but not to similar stimuli, it learns to discriminate between them.

Operant Conditioning

Operant conditioning involves learning through consequences.
Animals will attempt different actions (R1, R2, R3...) to achieve desired outcomes.
Reinforcement increases the probability of repeating a behavior.
Punishment decreases its probability.

Operant Conditioning: History

Edward Thorndike studied animal behavior using puzzle boxes demonstrating gradually consistent improvement by animals during experiments to escape the box.
Thorndike observed that the success rate increased over time without assuming the animal "understood" the mechanism.

Operant Conditioning: Positive/Negative Reinforcement/Punishment

Operant conditioning has positive reinforcement (introducing a desired stimulus to encourage a behavior).
Negative reinforcement (removing an undesirable stimulus to encourage a behavior).
Positive punishment (introducing an undesirable stimulus to discourage a behavior).
Negative punishment (removing a desired stimulus to discourage a behavior).

Operant Conditioning: Effectiveness of Punishment

Punishment is most effective when it's immediate and predictable.
Irregular or delayed punishment is less effective.

Operant Conditioning: Punishment for Children

The effectiveness to spank a child is disputed.
The effect of spanking is a disputed topic. Some research indicates a correlation between frequent spanking and problematic behavior in children, but it is not fully understood whether spanking causes problematic behavior or if problematic behaviors cause parents to resort to it.
If severe or consistent. spanking may result in unwanted consequences.
Mild spanking, when used as a last resort to stop the initial unwanted behavior, may have less harmful long-term effects.

Operant Conditioning: Extinction

Extinction in operant conditioning occurs when a behavior stops producing reinforcements

Operant Conditioning: Generalization

Generalization in operant conditioning occurs when a similar stimulus to the stimulus associated with reinforcement elicits a similar response.

Operant Conditioning: Discrimination

Discrimination in operant conditioning occurs when an animal learns to respond differently to different stimuli.

Applied Behavior Analysis

Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is an approach used to enhance desirable behaviors by removing reinforcement from unwanted ones and reinforcing those preferred.

Variations of Learning: Preparedness

Certain types of learning are easier than others. This is called preparedness. Animals are more readily able to learn things that are evolutionarily advantageous.

Humans learn from others' behavior.
Imitation/modeling is common in learning how to act.
We can observe and modify our actions based on those around us.

Vicarious Reinforcement/Punishment

Vicarious reinforcement/punishment occurs when people observe another person being reinforced or punished.
This impacts how they might later behave.

Self-Efficacy

Self-efficacy is the belief in one's ability to complete a task successfully.
Observing competent role models can build self-efficacy.

Self-Reinforcement and Self-Punishment

Some people use self-reinforcement and self-punishment to modify their behaviors.
The effectiveness of this method is not always predictable.

Reinforcement Schedules

The schedules of reinforcement are different ways of reinforcing behaviors. There are distinct types of schedules, including fixed-ratio, variable-ratio, fixed-interval and variable-interval. Each type of reinforcement schedule impacts how and when behaviors are exhibited.

Studying That Suits You

Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.

Description

This quiz explores the principles of learning, behaviorism, and classical conditioning as outlined in Chapter 6, Modules 6.1-6.3 of Kalat's Introduction to Psychology. It emphasizes the importance of observable behaviors and the implications of learning in our responses to stimuli. Test your understanding of these fundamental psychological concepts!