Chap 3: Learning and Memory

Cards (121)

  • Repeated exposure to the same stimulus can cause a decrease in response called habituation.
  • Subthreshold stimulus is a stimulus that is too weak to elicit a response.
  • Dishabituation is the recovery of a response to a stimulus after habituation has occured.
  • Dishabituation is temporary and always refers to changes in response to the original stimulus.
  • Associative learning is the creation of a pairing, or association, either between two stimuli or between a behavior and a response.
  • Classical conditioning takes advantage of biological, instinctual responses to create associations between two unrelated stimuli.
  • When a stimulus does not produce a reflexive response it is known as a neutral stimulus.
  • A conditioned response is the reflexive response caused by a conditioned stimulus.
  • Acquisition is the process of using a reflexive, unconditioned stimulus to turn a neutral stimulus into a conditioned stimulus.
  • Extinction is the loss of a conditioned response.
  • Extinction can happen when the conditioned stimulus is repeatedly presented without the unconditioned stimulus.
  • Generalization is when a stimulus similar enough to the conditioned stimulus can also produce the conditioned response.
  • In stimuli discrimination an organism learns to distinguish between similar stimuli.
  • Operant conditioning examines the ways in which consequences of voluntary behaviors change the frequency of those behaviors.
  • Operant conditioning is associated with B F Skinner.
  • Behaviorism is the theory that all behaviors are conditioned. This is associated with B F Skinner.
  • Reward-Seeking Behaviors are things such as foraging and approach behaviors.
  • Reinforcement is the process of increasing likelihood that an animal will perform a behavior.
  • Positive Reinforcement increase the frequency of a behavior by adding a positive consequence or incentive following the desired behavior.
  • Negative reinforces increase the frequency of a behavior, by removing something unpleasent.
  • Escape Learning is when something experiences an unpleasant stimulus, so they display the desired behavior in order to have the stimulus removed.
  • Avoidance Learning occurs when an animal displays the desired behaviors in anticipation of the unpleasant stimulus, thereby avoiding the unpleasant stimulus.
  • A conditioned reinforcer is also called a secondary reinforcer.
  • A discriminative stimulus indicates that reward is potentially available for the response.
  • Punishment uses conditioning to reduce the occurence of a behavior.
  • Positive Punishment adds an unpleasant consequence in response to a behavior to reduce that behavior.
  • Positive punishment involves using something unpleasant to discourage a behavior, and is also called aversive conditioning.
  • Negative Punishment is removing a stimulus in order to cause reduction of a behavior.
  • Fixed-Ratio Schedule reinforce a behavior after a specific number of performances of that behavior.
  • Continuous Reinforcement is a fixed-ratio schedule in which the behavior is rewarded every time it is performed.
  • Variable-Ratio Schedules reinforce a behavior after a varying number of performances of the behavior, but the average # of performances is relatively constant.
  • Fixed-Interval Schedules reinforce the first instance of a behavior after a specified time period has elapsed.
  • Variable-Interval Schedules reinforce a behavior the first time that behavior is performed after a varying interval of time.
  • Formal sanctions can be used to reinforce or punish behavior.
  • Formal Sanctions go with rules and laws.
  • Informal Sanctions can be used to reinforce or punish a social behavior without depending on rules established by social institutions.
  • Variable-Ratio schedules have the fastest response rate.
  • Shaping is the process of rewarding increasingly specific behaviors that become closer to a desired response.
  • Latent learning is learning that occurs without a reward but is spontaneously demonstrated once a reward is introduced.
  • Observational Learning is the process of learning a new behavior or gaining information by watching others.