Unit 4: Learning

• The unconditioned stimulus is the stimulus that is not learned to be associated with a response. It is the stimulus that just naturally incites a response.
• An unconditioned response (UCR) is a response that occurs without any conditioning.
• Neutral stimulus is a stimulus that does not affect the behavior of an organism (it could be the conditioned stimulus before conditioning)
• Conditioned response is the response that occurs when a conditioned stimulus is present (dog salivating at bell)
• learning 


  acquiring knowledge through experience
• acquisition


  the initial period of learning where the connection is starting to form
• extinction


  decrease in the conditioned response. the connection breaks
• Spontaneous recovery


  after a rest period in extinction, the connection returns
• stimulus discrimination


  when you learn to respond different to different stimuli (like distinguishing between flamingo and penguin instead of seeing them at one: birds)
• stimulus generalization

  conditioned response is demonstrated with stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus
• habituation 


  we learn not to respond to stimuli that is there constantly
• In classical conditioning the elicited response is involuntary
• the respondent conditioning learning curve tells us that the more often the pairing (between unconditioned stimulus and unconditioned response) occurs, the stronger the response. Also, early pairings are more important than later pairings
• extinction occurs when the conditioned response disappears or become less pronounced when the conditioned stimulus is presented unaccompanied by the UCS
• which conditioning sequence is the most effective?

  delayed conditioning
• delayed conditioning

  NS presented before UCS and remains until UCR begins (bell is presented before food and keeps ringing until dog starts salivating)
• simultaneous conditioning


  NS presented at the same time as UCS (bell and food are presented at the same time)
• trace conditioning


  NS presented and then taken away, or ends before UCS is presented leaving a trace of it behind (bell rings but food is presented after the sound stops)
• backward conditioning

  UCS presented before NS (food is presented before the bell)
• high order conditioning

  • once a stimulus has been developed as CS, it can then serve as a UCS to develop a second CS
• operant conditioning studies how consequences lead to changes in voluntary behavior
• reinforcement

  makes a behavior more likely
• punishment


  makes a behavior less likely
• positive reinforcement


  makes behavior more likely through the addition of a stimulus
• negative reinforcement


  makes a behavior more likely through the removal of a stimulus
• Spanking a child after they steal something is an example of positive punishment
• Confiscating the cellphone from a student not paying attention is an example of negative punishment.
• Thorndike's Law of Effect

  • behaviors that are followed by satisfying consequences are more likely to be repeated
  • behaviors with unpleasant consequences are less likely to be repeated
• Two children in an elementary school started a food fight in the cafeteria. The assistant principal had them mop the cafeteria floor for a week as a result. This is an example of positive punishment.
• A junior in high school performed on a stage for the first time in a drama production. Her performance resulted in loud applause and a standing ovation when she came from behind the curtain to bow at the end of the performance. This is an example of positive reinforcement.
• continuous reinforcement


  reinforcer is given each time a behavior is displayed
• partial reinforcement


  reinforcer is not given every time a behavior is displayed
• shaping approach is where you reward successive approximations of a target behavior - you reinforce the steps taken to get to target behavior until you get target behavior
• primary reinforcer


  reinforcer that is naturally occurring and not learned (something like pleasure)
• secondary reinforcers


  reinforcers that have no value unless it is linked with a primary (i.e. praise without affection)
• social learning theory


  learning through observing and imitating others
• latent learning


  subconscious learning that is not overtly displayed
• observational learning


  learning through observing our environment and imitation it
• taste aversion


  association of food with a bad effect/illness (i.e. you eat oysters, you throw up, you never wanna eat oysters ever again)
• cognitive map


  brain builds a unified representation of the spatial environment to support memory and guide future action