unit 4

the process of acquiring, through experience, new and relatively enduring information or behaviors

the brain naturally connecting events that occur in sequence

when repeated stimulation produces waning responsiveness

learning that certain events occur together

learning to associate two stimuli and anticipate events

any event or situation that evokes a response

(AKA: response)
an automatic response to a stimulus

learn to associate a behavior/ response and its consequence
behavior is more likely to recur if followed by a reinforcer and less likely to recur if followed by a punisher

operate on the environment to produce a consequence

the acquisition of mental events by observing others, watching others, or language (guides behavior)

type of learning linking 2+ stimuli
one stimulus elicits behavior in anticipation of another stimulus

focused on how organisms respond to stimuli, ignore thoughts/feelings/motives, introspection
little Albert study

the view that Psychology should be an objective science (agreed with today) that studies behavior without reference to mental processes (contested today)

elicits no response before conditioning

unconditionally triggers an unconditioned (immideate) response

unlearned, natural response to an unconditioned stimulus

a, once neutral, stimulus which triggers a conditioned response after association with an unconditioned stimulus

a learned response to a conditioned stimulus

the initial stage of an association
Classical: when a NS begins triggering a CR
Operant: strengthening a reinforced response

helps animals survive and reproduce

the CS of one experience is paired with a new NS, creating a 2nd, often weaker CS

the diminishing of a conditioned response
Classical: when an US doesn't follow a CS
Operant: when a respponse is no longer enforced

the reappearanace of a weakend CR after a pause

AKA: stimulus generalization
the tendency to respond to similar stimuli to the CS

the ability to distinguish between a CS and similar stimuli

behaviorism
psych graduate student
controvertsial
urged using operant conditioning to influence others' behavior

came before Skinner
behaviors followed by favorable consequences become more likely, behaviors followed by unfavorable consqeuences become less likely

changed pigeons natural behaviors to human behaviors

AKA: skinner box
a chamber with a bar or key that an animal can manipulate to obtain a food/water reinforcer, attached devices record the animal's rate of bar pressing or key pecking

any event that strengthens (increases the frequency of) a response

reinforcers guide behavior toward closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior

a stimulus that elicits a response after association with reinforcement

a stimulus presented after a response that strengthens the response

a stimulus removed after a response that strenghtens the response

can reduce something negative (eg: stress) and increase somegthing positive (eg: preparedness) at the same time

unlearned
an innately reinforcing stimulus, such as one that satisfies a biological need

learned through association
a stimulus that gains its reinforcing power through its association with a primary reinforcer

being able to avoid the draw of small immediate pleasures in wait for a bigger, delayed pleasure
leads to social competency

a pattern that defines how often a desired response will be reinforced

reinforcing the desired response every time it occurs
(best for learning quickly, extinction also occurs quickly)

reinforcing a response only part of the time
(slower acquisition, greater resistance to extinction)

reinforces a response after a certain number of response

reinforces a response after an unpreditable amount of responses

reinforces a response at set time intervals

an event that tends to decrease the frequency of the behavior it follows

the addition of an unpleasant stimulus that descreases the behavior

the removal of a pleasant stimulus that descreases the behavior

a system for electronically recording, amplifying, and feeding back information regarding a subtle physiological state, such as blood pressure or muscle tension

a biological predisposition to learn associations that have survival value

research on conditioning and learning
experiment with rats and taste aversion

biological constraints predispose organisms to learn associations that are naturally adaptive

the tendency of learned behavior to gradually revert to biologically predisposed patterns

an animal can learn the predictability of an event

mental respresentation of a maze, area, etc.

learning that occurs but is not apparent until there is an incentive to demonstrate it

a sudden realization of a problem's solution
contrasts with strategy based solutions

motivation for the sake of doing the thing

motivation for the sake of promised awards/punishments

trying to alleviate stress directly (changing the stressor or the way we interact with it)

trying to alleviate stress by avoiding or ignoring the stressor (focusing on emotional needs relaed to the stress reaction)

our sense of controlling our environment rather than feeling helpless

a series of uncontrollable events creates a state of learned helplessness (hopelessness/passive resignation learned when unable to avoid repeated aversive events)

perception that chance and outside forces determines fate

perception that we control our own

the ability to control impulses and display short-term gratification for greater long-term rewards

AKA: social learning
learning without direct experience (by watching and imitating

the process of observing and imitating a specific behavior

Bobo Doll
observational learning

frontal lobe neurons that some scientists believe fire when we perform certain actions or observe another doing so
enable imitation/empathy

the brain simulates and vicariously experiences the things we observe

positive and constructive
showing nonviolent behavior leads to that in others, "paying it forward"

when they are consistent

abusive parents have aggressive children, showing quick and easy sex on tv leads to unsafe sex in real life