Psychology Learning Concepts Quiz

Learning

• Learning is any permanent change in behavior caused by experience or consequence.
• Learning in humans is complex compared to other animals' learning.
• Behaviorists focus on behavioral changes from experience.
• Learning can be classified into nonassociative, associative, and observational.

Nonassociative Learning

• This type of learning involves a change in response after repeated exposure to a stimulus.
• Habituation: A decrease in response to a familiar stimulus. This is a basic form of learning where we get used to something.
• Dishabituation: An increase in response to a change in a familiar stimulus. A change in a familiar stimulus causes us to react.

Associative Learning (Conditioning)

• This type of learning involves linking two stimuli or events together.
• Classical Conditioning: Linking a neutral stimulus with a stimulus that naturally triggers a response.
  • Preconditioning (instinctive): Stimulus-response that is already in place, no learning needed
  • Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS): A stimulus that naturally triggers a response. (Ex: food)
  • Unconditioned Response (UCR): The naturally occurring response to the UCS. (Ex: salivation)
  • Conditioned Stimulus (CS): A neutral stimulus that, after learning, triggers a learned response. It does not have a response associated with it before learning.
  • Conditioned Response (CR): The learned response to the CS. (similar to the UCR)
  • Neutral Stimulus: Something that initially does not elicit a response. Can become the CS.
  • Sensitization: A strong response to a stimulus, often forming a phobia.
  • Desensitization: Repeated exposure to a stimulus to decrease the response over time.
• Principles of Classical Conditioning
  • Time between UCS and UCR weakens conditioning over time.
  • After a neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus, learning has taken place.
  • Spontaneous recovery: When a conditioned response reappears after a break, though weakened. Learning isn't fully lost.
  • Stimulus generalization: Responding to similar stimuli.
  • Stimulus discrimination: Differentiating between similar stimuli; the CS causing a greater response than the similar stimulus.
• Minimal Track Learning (MTL): Phobias are learned rather than inherent.
  • Second-order conditioning: A CS is associated with another CS
  • Long delays in pairing stimuli prevent associations.
  • Applications of Classical Conditioning Examples of real-world applications such as preventing food sickness during chemotherapy.
• Operant Conditioning: Learning through consequences.
  • Law of Effect: We learn by the consequences of our actions.
• Principles of Operant Conditioning
  • Positive reinforcement: Adding a desirable stimulus to increase behavior. (Ex: allowance)
  • Negative reinforcement: Removing an undesirable stimulus to increase behavior. (Ex: taking away unpleasant nagging).
  • Positive punishment: Adding an undesirable stimulus to decrease behavior.
  • Negative punishment: Removing a desirable stimulus to decrease behavior

Observational Learning

• Learning by observing others' behaviors.
• Partial Reinforcement:
  • Ratio schedule: Reinforcement after a certain number of behaviors.
  • Interval schedule: Reinforcement after a certain amount of time.
  • Fixed schedule: Reinforcement after a fixed number of behaviors or a fixed amount of time.
  • Variable schedule: Random numbers or times of reinforcement. This is the best for maintaining learned behavior.
• Latent learning: Learning without immediate reinforcement (cognitive maps)
• Principles of Observational Learning: -Acquisition: Attention, retention, reproduction, motivation
• Vicarious learning: Learning through observing others' consequences.
• Mirror neurons: Neuroscience link to empathy