Behavioral Learning (College Board AP® Psychology): Flashcards
0Still learning
Know0
Define classical conditioning.
Was this flashcard helpful?
Cards in this collection (46)
Define classical conditioning.
Classical conditioning is a type of associative learning in which a neutral stimulus becomes associated with an unconditioned stimulus and eventually produces the same response on its own.
Who discovered classical conditioning and in what year?
Ivan Pavlov discovered classical conditioning in 1897, while measuring saliva production in dogs.
For classical conditioning to occur, the CS must typically be presented __________ the UCS.
For classical conditioning to occur, the CS must typically be presented before the UCS.
Define extinction (in classical conditioning).
Extinction is the gradual weakening and disappearance of the conditioned response when the CS is repeatedly presented without the UCS.
True or False?
Pavlov discovered classical conditioning deliberately as part of a planned behavioral study.
False.
Pavlov discovered classical conditioning accidentally while measuring saliva production in dogs.
What phenomenon describes a brief return of the CR after a rest period?
Spontaneous recovery is the reappearance of the conditioned response after extinction following a rest period, without further conditioning.
Define higher-order conditioning.
Higher-order conditioning uses an established CS to condition a new neutral stimulus, which becomes a second-order CS.
A dog that salivates to many similar tones (not just the original CS) is showing __________________________.
A dog that salivates to many similar tones (not just the original CS) is showing generalization.
In Pavlov's study, what served as the unconditioned stimulus (UCS)?
In Pavlov's study, the UCS was food, which naturally triggered salivation (the UCR) in the dogs.
True or False?
The conditioned response is always stronger than the unconditioned response.
False.
The CR is a learned response to the CS and is usually weaker than the unlearned UCR, even when the two look similar.
In Pavlov's study, what did the bell become after being repeatedly paired with food?
After conditioning, the bell became the conditioned stimulus (CS), triggering salivation on its own.
Define discrimination (in classical conditioning).
Discrimination is the ability to distinguish between the CS and similar stimuli, responding only to the CS.
In Watson and Rayner's study, which objects did Little Albert's conditioned fear generalize to, beyond the white rat?
Little Albert's fear generalized to other white, furry objects, including a rabbit, a dog, a fur coat, and a Santa Claus mask.
True or False?
Watson and Rayner extinguished Albert's conditioned fear response before the study ended.
False.
Watson and Rayner did not decondition Albert's fear before the study ended, leaving him with a potentially lasting fear response.
What ethical issue arises from the fact that Little Albert was an infant unable to give assent or withdraw from the study?
This illustrates the ethical issue of vulnerability of the participant, since infants cannot consent or withdraw and modern guidelines require special protection for such groups.
Define one-trial learning.
One-trial learning is when a conditioned taste aversion is acquired after a single pairing of the taste (CS) and illness (UCS), unlike most classical conditioning.
Define biological preparedness.
Biological preparedness is the idea that organisms are biologically predisposed to learn certain stimulus-response associations more easily than others, because evolution favors adaptive associations.
In Garcia and Koelling's research, which type of stimulus did rats most readily associate with nausea?
Rats most readily associated nausea with a taste stimulus, even when the pairing was experimentally reversed.
Taste aversions are highly resistant to ________________ and can persist for years, even when a person knows rationally that the food did not cause their illness.
Taste aversions are highly resistant to extinction and can persist for years, even when a person knows rationally that the food did not cause their illness.
Define habituation.
Habituation is a form of non-associative learning in which an organism stops responding to a single stimulus after repeated exposure, even though the stimulus is still detected.
True or False?
Habituation and sensory adaptation are the same process.
False.
Habituation is a learned decrease in response to a stimulus that is still detected, whereas sensory adaptation occurs because the sense receptors themselves become less responsive.
Define dishabituation.
Dishabituation is when a change in a familiar, habituated stimulus causes an organism to notice and respond to it again.
What was Watson and Rayner's aim in conducting the Little Albert study?
Watson and Rayner aimed to demonstrate that emotional responses, such as fear, can be classically conditioned in humans, challenging the idea that fear is innate.
Define operant conditioning.
Operant conditioning is a type of learning in which behavior is shaped by its consequences, with rewarded behaviors more likely to be repeated and punished behaviors less likely to recur.
How does operant conditioning differ from classical conditioning in terms of what is learned?
In operant conditioning, an organism learns an association between a behavior and its consequence, whereas in classical conditioning, two stimuli are associated.
Define Law of Effect.
The Law of Effect, proposed by Thorndike, states that behaviors followed by satisfying consequences are more likely to be repeated, while those followed by unpleasant consequences are less likely to be repeated.
What apparatus did Thorndike use to study trial-and-error learning in cats?
Thorndike used a wooden puzzle box, from which a hungry cat had to operate a mechanism, such as pulling a string, to escape and reach food.
True or False?
Thorndike found that cats' escape times from the puzzle box increased across repeated trials.
False.
Thorndike found that cats' escape times decreased across repeated trials, as correct responses were gradually stamped in.
According to Thorndike, what happens to behaviors followed by ineffective or unsatisfying consequences?
Behaviors followed by ineffective or unsatisfying consequences are gradually stamped out, meaning they become less likely to occur.
Define secondary reinforcer.
A secondary reinforcer is a reinforcer that gains its value through association with other rewards, such as money, grades, or praise.
What is a token economy an example of?
A token economy is a practical application of generalized reinforcement, in which individuals earn tokens for desired behaviors and exchange them for rewards.
A dog that sits only after hearing the command "sit," and not after hearing other words, is demonstrating reinforcement __________________________.
A dog that sits only after hearing the command "sit," and not after hearing other words, is demonstrating reinforcement discrimination.
Define reinforcement generalization.
Reinforcement generalization occurs when a learned response transfers to similar stimuli, such as a dog sitting to commands that sound similar to "sit."
True or False?
Thorndike concluded that his cats solved the puzzle box through sudden insight.
False.
Thorndike concluded that cats solved the puzzle box through trial-and-error learning driven by consequences, not sudden insight.
Define shaping.
Shaping is the process of reinforcing successive approximations that gradually move behavior closer to a target response.
Which reinforcement schedule rewards a response after an unpredictable number of responses?
A variable ratio schedule rewards a response after an unpredictable number of responses, producing the highest resistance to extinction.
True or False?
Negative reinforcement decreases the frequency of a behavior.
False.
Negative reinforcement increases a behavior by removing an unpleasant stimulus, so it is not a form of punishment.
Skinner showed that pigeons given food at fixed intervals regardless of behavior developed habits called ______________________________________.
Skinner showed that pigeons given food at fixed intervals regardless of behavior developed habits called superstitious behavior.
Which reinforcement schedule produces a 'scalloped' pattern of responding that increases near the reward deadline?
A fixed interval schedule produces a scalloped pattern of responding that increases as the reward deadline approaches.
Define instinctive drift.
Instinctive drift is the tendency for a conditioned behavior to revert to an innate, instinctive pattern over time.
What term describes a rat that presses a lever only when a specific light cue is on, but not otherwise?
This illustrates discrimination, in which an organism learns to respond only to a specific reinforced stimulus.
True or False?
A secondary reinforcer, such as money, has inherent biological value.
False.
A secondary reinforcer has no inherent value; it gains reinforcing power only through pairing with a primary reinforcer.
In a token economy, tokens are plastic chips that function as ________________ reinforcers because they are only valuable once exchanged for rewards.
In a token economy, tokens are plastic chips that function as secondary reinforcers because they are only valuable once exchanged for rewards.
Which researcher found that dogs exposed to inescapable shocks later failed to escape even when escape became possible?
Seligman found that dogs exposed to inescapable shocks later failed to escape even when escape became possible, demonstrating learned helplessness.
Define primary reinforcer.
A primary reinforcer is inherently rewarding because it satisfies a biological need, such as food, water, or warmth, without any prior learning.
For punishment to be effective, it must be delivered ____________________ after the unwanted behavior, rather than being delayed.
For punishment to be effective, it must be delivered immediately after the unwanted behavior, rather than being delayed.
Sign up to unlock flashcards
or