PSYCH 1020H Introduction to Psychology I Learning Notes PDF

What is learning? The acquisition, from experience, of new knowledge, skills, or responses that result in a relatively permanent change in the state of the learner. ❖ Based on experience → produces changes in organism → changes are relatively permanent Learning can also occur in simpler, n...

What is learning? The acquisition, from experience, of new knowledge, skills, or responses that result in a relatively permanent change in the state of the learner. ❖ Based on experience → produces changes in organism → changes are relatively permanent Learning can also occur in simpler, non-associative forms. ❖ Habituation = Decrease in response ❖ Sensitization = Increase in response Classical Conditioning = A type of learning that occurs when a neutral stimulus produces a response after being paired with a stimulus that naturally produces a response. The Basic Principles of Classical Conditioning: Term Definition Example - Pavlov’s Dogs Unconditioned Something that reliably Stimulus (US) produces a naturally occurring reaction in an organism Unconditioned Reflexive reaction that is Response (UR) reliably produced by an unconditioned stimulus Conditioned Stimulus that is initially Stimulus (CS) neutral and produces a reliable response in an organism Conditioned Reaction that resembles an Response (CR) unconditioned response but is produced by a conditioned stimulus In between the unconditioned response and conditioned stimulus, acquisition occurs—the phase of classical conditioning when the UR and CS are presented together. ❖ When Pavlov pairs the sound of the metronome with the presentation of food. After conditioning has been established, a phenomenon called second-order conditioning, which is a type of learning in which a CS is paired with a stimulus that became associated with the US in an earlier procedure. 1. Pair NS and US to produce UR; CS will produce CR. a. Example: Pair bell and food to produce salivation; bell will produce salivation after conditioning. 2. Pair NS and CS to produce CR; produces a new CS which elicits the CR. a. Example: Pair light with bell to produce salivation; light will produce salivation after conditioning. During the initial phase of the acquisition period of classical conditioning, typically there is a gradual increase in learning. Extinction = The gradual elimination of a learned response that occurs when the CS is repeatedly presented without the US. Spontaneous Recovery = The tendency of a learned behavior to recover from extinction after a rest period. It wouldn’t be very adaptive for an organism if each little change in the conditioned stimulus—unconditioned stimulus pairing required an extensive regimen of new learning. ❖ Generalization = Process by which the conditioned response is observed even though the conditioned stimulus is slightly different from the original one used during acquisition. ❖ Discrimination = Capacity to distinguish between similar but distinct stimuli. Classical Conditioning and Fear - Example: Stage Explanation Operant Conditioning = A type of learning in which the consequences of an organism’s behavior