Psychology: Types of Learning

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Questions and Answers

What is the purpose of erroneous learning during the learning process?

To deliberately confuse learners for better retention.

To increase the rate of misinformation.

To enhance understanding and retention through making mistakes. (correct)

To eliminate the need for feedback during learning.

Which of the following best describes illusory correlations?

The brain's ability to identify random patterns quickly.

Perceived relationships that do not exist in reality. (correct)

The process of observing and reinforcing behavior over time.

A type of statistical learning based on past experiences.

What is ensemble perception?

Summarizing information from a group of similar objects. (correct)

The ability to review each object in a scene thoroughly.

Familiarizing with stimuli to predict behavioral outcomes.

Learning complex relationships between individual stimuli.

In the context of visual statistical learning, which phase involves familiarization with visual stimuli?

Habituation phase Signup and view all the answers

What does the 'test phase' in visual statistical learning entail?

Pairing novel stimuli with familiar stimuli to measure attention. Signup and view all the answers

How does visual statistical learning facilitate language acquisition in children?

By supporting the acquisition of syntax associated with statistical regularities. Signup and view all the answers

Which term refers to the brain's capacity to perceive and predict relationships between shapes in visual scenes?

Visual statistical learning Signup and view all the answers

What is a key characteristic of statistical learning in infants between 4-7 years old?

Ability to recognize simple statistical regularities without guidance. Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for a stimulus that naturally elicits a response before any learning occurs?

Unconditioned Stimulus Signup and view all the answers

In classical conditioning, what occurs when the conditioned stimulus is repeatedly presented without the unconditioned stimulus?

Extinction Signup and view all the answers

What is the result of latent inhibition in classical conditioning?

Weaker association between the conditioned stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus Signup and view all the answers

Which term refers to learning that occurs when a specific stimulus is generalized to similar stimuli?

Stimulus Generalization Signup and view all the answers

Which type of learning involves a behavior leading to a specific outcome or consequence?

Operant Conditioning Signup and view all the answers

What is the phenomenon called when a conditioned response re-emerges after extinction but in a different context?

Renewal Signup and view all the answers

What occurs when an organism fails to differentiate between a conditioned stimulus and similar stimuli?

Stimulus Generalization Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of erroneous learning?

A student believes a lucky charm affects their exam scores Signup and view all the answers

What type of conditioning involves associating a neutral stimulus with an aversive stimulus?

Classical conditioning Signup and view all the answers

In the context of operant conditioning, what is the main purpose of reinforcement?

To increase desirable behavior Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of variable interval reinforcement?

Gambling and winning after an unpredictable amount of time Signup and view all the answers

What is stimulus generalization in classical conditioning?

Showing a response to a conditioned stimulus and similar stimuli Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following scenarios illustrates a fixed ratio schedule of reinforcement?

Being rewarded with chocolate after watching two lectures Signup and view all the answers

What does the Premack Principle suggest regarding reinforcement?

Higher preference activities can reward lower preference activities Signup and view all the answers

In the context of reinforcement schedules, which option best defines continuous reinforcement?

Reinforcing behavior every time it occurs Signup and view all the answers

What would be an example of stimulus discrimination?

Not fearing all hair types but just the associated stimulus Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Types of Learning

Classical conditioning: learning that stimulus X predicts outcome Y. Example: Pavlov's dogs salivating at the sound of a tuning fork after being paired with food.
Operant conditioning: learning that doing X leads to outcome Y. Example: A rat pressing a lever to receive food.
Erroneous learning: learning that X and Y go together when they are just random. Example: Superstitious behavior, like believing wearing a lucky shirt will help you win.

Classical Conditioning

Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS): A stimulus that naturally elicits a response. Example: Dog food making a dog salivate.
Unconditioned Response (UCR): The natural response to the UCS. Example: Salivation in response to dog food.
Conditioned Stimulus (CS): A stimulus that did not initially elicit a response, but now does after learning. Example: The sound of a tuning fork after being paired with dog food.
Conditioned Response (CR): The learned response to the CS. Example: Salivating to the sound of a tuning fork.
Acquisition: The process of learning the association between the CS and UCS. Example: The dog learning that the tuning fork predicts food.
Latent Inhibition: When a CS is presented repeatedly without the UCS, learning is slower. Example: A dog hears a tuning fork many times without getting food, so it takes longer to learn to salivate to the sound.
Extinction: The weakening of the CR when the CS is presented without the UCS. Example: The dog stops salivating to the tuning fork when food is no longer paired with it.
Renewal: Reinstating the CR after extinction by presenting the CS in a different context. Example: The dog is taken to a new room and the tuning fork is presented, causing it to salivate again.
Stimulus Generalization: Learning to respond to a similar stimulus to the CS. Example: A child fears all dogs after being bitten by one.
Stimulus Discrimination: Learning to respond only to the specific CS, not similar stimuli. Example: A child only fears the specific dog that bit them, not other dogs.

Operant Conditioning

Reinforcement: Increases the likelihood of a behavior occurring. Example: Giving a dog a treat for sitting.
Punishment: Decreases the likelihood of a behavior occurring. Example: Using a spray bottle to stop a cat from scratching the furniture.
Continuous Reinforcement: Behavior is reinforced every time it occurs. Example: Giving a dog a treat every time it sits.
Partial Reinforcement: Behavior is reinforced only part of the time. Example: Giving a dog a treat sometimes when it sits.
Schedules of Partial Reinforcement:
- Fixed Ratio: Reinforcement after a certain number of responses. Example: Getting a reward after completing 5 math problems.
- Fixed Interval: Reinforcement after a certain amount of time. Example: Getting paid every two weeks.
- Variable Ratio: Reinforcement after a random number of responses. Example: Winning at a slot machine.
- Variable Interval: Reinforcement after a random amount of time. Example: Checking email, where the time between messages is unpredictable.
Premack Principle: Using a preferred activity as reinforcement for a less preferred activity. Example: Letting a child watch TV after finishing their homework.
Primary Reinforcers: Essential for survival or reproduction. Example: Food, water, sex.
Secondary Reinforcers: Conditioned to be associated with primary reinforcers. Example: Money, praise, grades.

Erroneous Learning

Illusory Correlations: Perceiving a relationship between two things when there is only randomness. Example: Seeing that an event happens more often when you wear a certain shirt, even though there is no actual correlation.
Why Illusory Correlations Occur: Our brains are wired to detect patterns, and we can sometimes overinterpret random occurrences.

Visual Statistical Learning

Learning the relationships between stimuli where there are regularities in the information.
Familiarization: Recognizing patterns in stimuli after repeated exposure.
Ensemble Perception: Summarizing information about a group of objects, even when not focusing on each individual object. Example: Recognizing the leafiness of a tree, even without analyzing each leaf individually.
Research Findings:
- Infants demonstrate visual statistical learning.
- Children can learn spatial relationships between shapes.
- This learning occurs without feedback or guidance.
- Visual statistical learning is associated with other cognitive development, like language acquisition.

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Description

Explore the fundamental types of learning in psychology, including classical conditioning and operant conditioning. Understand essential concepts such as unconditioned stimuli, conditioned responses, and superstitious behaviors. This quiz will test your knowledge of these key psychological principles.