Psychology Unit 2 Questions

Questions and Answers

What is conditioning?

Conditioning is the process of learning associations between environmental events and behavioral responses.

What are three basic types of learning?

Classical conditioning, operant conditioning, observational learning.

How did Pavlov discover and investigate classical conditioning?

He discovered that dogs began salivating whenever he entered the room because they associated him with food.

How does classical conditioning occur?

Classical conditioning involves pairing a neutral stimulus with a natural stimulus that elicits a reflexive response. Signup and view all the answers

What factors can affect classical conditioning?

Stimulus generalization, discrimination, higher order conditioning, extinction, spontaneous recovery. Signup and view all the answers

What were the fundamental assumptions of behaviorism?

All human behavior is a result of conditioning and learning—past experience and environmental influences. Signup and view all the answers

How did Watson use classical conditioning to explain and produce conditioned emotional responses?

He taught a baby to associate a metal clang with a rat, which made him terrified of furry animals and white beards. Signup and view all the answers

How did Watson apply classical conditioning techniques to advertising?

Classical conditioning is widely used in commercials, pairing emotion-evoking images with neutral stimuli. Signup and view all the answers

How has the involvement of cognitive processes in classical conditioning been demonstrated experimentally?

Rats in a second group displayed less fear after being shocked with and without a tone, indicating they processed information. Signup and view all the answers

What is meant by the phrase 'the animal behaves like a scientist' in classical conditioning?

Animals detect causal relations among events and learn the relationships between them. Signup and view all the answers

How do taste aversions challenge the basic principles of classical conditioning, and what is biological preparedness?

Certain stimuli are more readily associated with pain or nausea, demonstrating biological preparedness. Signup and view all the answers

How did Edward Thorndike study the acquisition of new behaviors, and what conclusions did he reach?

Thorndike placed hungry cats in puzzle boxes and concluded that learning is a process of trial and error. Signup and view all the answers

What were B.F. Skinner's key assumptions?

Operant conditioning explains that behavior is shaped by its consequences and that reinforcement increases behavior likelihood. Signup and view all the answers

How are positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement similar, and how are they different?

Both increase the likelihood of behavior; positive reinforcement involves rewarding events, while negative reinforcement avoids aversive events. Signup and view all the answers

How does punishment differ from negative reinforcement?

Negative reinforcement increases the likelihood of behavior, while punishment decreases it. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Conditioning and Learning

Conditioning is the learning process that connects environmental events to behavioral responses.
Three primary types of learning:
- Classical conditioning: automatic reactions to stimuli.
- Operant conditioning: understanding voluntary behavior acquisition.
- Observational learning: learning behaviors by watching others.

Classical Conditioning

Pavlov uncovered classical conditioning by observing that dogs salivated when he entered, associating him with food.
In classical conditioning, a neutral stimulus becomes associated with an unconditioned stimulus, leading to a conditioned response.

Factors Influencing Classical Conditioning

Stimulus generalization and discrimination allow similar stimuli to trigger conditioned responses or differentiate from the original stimulus.
Higher order conditioning involves using a conditioned stimulus from one trial as an unconditioned stimulus in another.
Extinction occurs when conditioned behavior weakens, while spontaneous recovery refers to the reemergence of extinguished responses.

Behaviorism

Behaviorism posits that all behavior is a result of conditioning, shaped by past experiences and environmental factors.

Watson's Experiments

Watson conditioned emotional responses in a baby by pairing a loud noise with a rat, causing fear of fuzzy animals.
Classical conditioning techniques are utilized in advertising by connecting emotional imagery with neutral stimuli.

Cognitive Influences in Conditioning

Experimental findings indicate rats actively process signal reliability in conditioning. Rats shocked with a consistent tone showed less fear than those shocked with random tones.

Biological Preparedness and Taste Aversion

Taste aversions reveal variations in classical conditioning, where rats associate nausea with tastes rather than external stimuli, illustrating biological preparedness.

Thorndike's Learning Study

Edward Thorndike used hungry cats in puzzle boxes to explore learning via trial and error, concluding that effective responses are reinforced through positive outcomes.

Skinner's Operant Conditioning

B.F. Skinner's operant conditioning highlights that behavior is shaped by its consequences, with reinforcement increasing the likelihood of repeated behavior.
Positive reinforcement introduces a rewarding stimulus, while negative reinforcement involves avoiding an adverse stimulus.

Reinforcement vs. Punishment

Both positive and negative reinforcement aim to increase behavior likelihood, with positive reinforcement adding rewards and negative reinforcement removing unpleasant stimuli.
Punishment, unlike negative reinforcement, decreases the chance of a behavior recurring.

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Test your knowledge with these flashcards covering key concepts from Psychology Unit 2. Learn about conditioning and the different types of learning including classical, operant, and observational learning. Perfect for students looking to reinforce their understanding.