Term
| Define the general concept of learning |
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Definition
| Process through which experience produces lasting change in behavior or mental processes |
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Term
| Describe the focus of the controversy between behaviorists and cognitive psychologists. |
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Definition
| Behaviorists only measure observable behavior. |
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Term
| Describe the processes involved in classical conditioning and identify the kinds of reactions and behaviors that can be classically conditioned. |
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Definition
1) Unconditioned Stimulus
2) Unconditioned response
3) Conditioned stimulus
4) Conditioned response
Acquisition- conditioned response becomes elicited by the conditioned stimulus. |
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Term
| Define the term conditioned taste aversion and describe it's significance in understanding classical conditioning processes. |
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Definition
| Taste aversion- biological tendency in which an organism learns to avoid food with a certain taste after a single experience, if eating it is followed by sickness. Important because it is a response that in not entirely learned, it appears to be a part of our biological nature. |
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Term
| Describe the processes in operant conditioning and identify the kinds of reactions that can be created or shaped by operant conditioning |
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Definition
| Trial and error learning- learner discovers the correct response by attempting many behaviors and noting which ones produce the desired consequences. |
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Term
| Describe what is meant by "intermittent reinforcement" and name the various schedules of reinforcement. |
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Definition
Intermittent reinforcement is a reinforcement schedule in which some, but not all, correct responses are reinforced.
The various schedules are:
1.Fixed Ratio-reward appears after certain set number of responses
2.Variable Ratio
3.Fixed Interval- rewards appear after a certain fixed amount of time
4.Variable Interval |
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Term
| Describe some of the difficulties involved in using punishment to shape voluntary behavior. Describe some effective alternatives to punishment. |
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Definition
| Some of the difficulties involved in using punishment is that the power usually disappears when the threat of punishment is removed, often triggers aggression, may inhibit learning new and better responses, and is often applied unequally. Alternatives to punishment is extinction, reinforcing preferred activities (Premack Principle), and Prompting and Shaping. |
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Term
| Describe the evidence for changes in mental processes without reinforcement as presented by cognitive psychologists. |
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Definition
Kohler's Chimps solving complex problems by combining simpler behaviors that they had previously learned separately (insight learning).
Tolman's Rats solving a maze (cognitive map). |
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Term
| Describe the significance of Bandura's research on observational learning. |
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Definition
| His research showed that violent behavior makes viewers who are children more likely to become violent. His experiments show that we can use imitation in situations where we did not have a chance to to learn by personal experience before hand. |
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