PSY 150 - CH 5 (exam 2)

What is learning and why is it important?
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What is learning and why is it important?
-lasting change in thought and behavior due to experience, it is the basis of adaptability
What is classical conditioning? (describe research of Ivan Pavlov) (include unconditioned stimulus, unconditioned response, conditioned stimulus, conditioned response)
- learning associations (mental pairings) b/t events
-Ivan Pavlov: found dogs salivated at sight of food, began studying learning in dogs (bell and food)
-conditioned = learned
-unconditioned = automatic
unconditioned stim: stimulus that automatically elicits response (food)
unconditioned response: automatic, reflexive response to US, (salivation due to food)
Conditioned stimulus: originally neutral stim gains meaning thru pairings with US (tuning fork)
Conditioned response: learned response to CS (salivation due to tuning fork)
Describe how acquisition, extinction, stimulus generalization, and stimulus discrimination apply to CC.
Extinction: eliminating CR by presenting CS(fork) without US(food), cs no longer reliable predictor of US
Re-acquisition: repairing US+CS, happens much faster than initial learning.
Stimulus generalization: CR can be elicited by stimuli similar to CS, but not identical (very adaptive)
Stimulus discrimination: ability to distinguish among similar to stimuli, respond only to actual CS
Describe examples of how human psychology is shaped by CC.
1. condition attitudes: +/- evaluation of something, Pokemon examples (flashing words and images associated with Pokemon)
2. conditioning emotions: Little Albert (white rat and banging), conditioned emotional response, generalized fear of similar objects
3. therapy applications - systematic desensitization: therapy technique for phobias/fears > associate relaxation with feared situation/object, gradual exposure to fear of stimulus
4. conditioning biology - biological preparedness: innate readiness to fear threatening stimulus, less learning needed to condition fear, taste aversion: CC avoidance of food/taste that made you sick
5. Medical applications: conditioned immune system, rats and sugar water lead to taste aversion then extinction, heightened immune system
What is operant conditioning?
Conditioning in which behavior associated with consequences (rewards and punishments)
Who was Edward Thorndike? What is the law of effect?
-created puzzle box (cat in box, food outside)
-Law of Effect: rewarded behaviors leads to more likely being repeated
Who was B.F. Skinner? What is an operant chamber?
- Skinner most influential behaviorist
-studied OC, Skinner box (now called Operant box)
What is shaping?
gradual process of reinforcing organism for behavior that gets closer and closer to desired behavior
What are differences between positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment, and negative punishment?
Positive (Add something) negative (take something away)
PR: desire reinforcer given after behavior (increase behavior, money, attention, approval)
NR: Unpleasant stimulus removed following desired behavior (increase future behavior, aspirin for headache)
PP: undesired behaviors leads to introducing of unpleasant stimulus
NP: Undesired behavior leads to removal of pleasant stimulus
How does the timing of administering reinforcement/punishment relate to speed learning?
Partial reinforcement: reward for some desired behavior, slower learn, slower extinction
Continuous reinforcement: reward for every behavior, fast learning
Describe schedules of partial reinforcement: fixed interval, variable interval, fixed ratio, variable ratio. Give examples of each schedule, and also be able to describe pattern of behavior elicited by each schedule.FI: after set of time, reinforce desire behavior (wait 5 min, push lever and reward, wait 5 again), slow behavior, picks up right after reinforcement VI: after changing interval of time, reinforce behavior (press lever, 2 min for reward, then 8, then 5), slow but steady behavior FR: after set # of desired behaviors, give reinforcer (give reward after push lever 10 times), step wise pattern of behavior VR: after changing # of desired behavior give reinforcer (food pellet after 6 lever presses, then 4, then 11), highest rate of responding, most resistant to extinctionWhat is observational learning?learning by watching othersWhat are mirror neurons, and how do they relate to the concept of learning?-neurons that fire when performing certain actions or when observing someone else engage in same actions 1. understanding other: incorporate others goals when creating mirrored recreations, predict behavior 2. mimicry: ability to copy 3. empathy: recreate others physical and emotional states (correlated with mirror system activity 4. self awareness: mirror neurons turn inward? consciousness representation of earlier neural activityWhat is insight learning?suddenly understanding something (aha moment) Wolfgang experiment with chimps, think creatively, use tools given to retrieve goalWhat is latent learning?learning that occurs but is not apparent until there is an incentive to demonstrate it, not immediately expressed, stored for later use Mice example, regular reward, no reward, no reward till day 11