Term
| What does it mean to say that natural selection is "slow" and "behind the times"? |
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Definition
-There are limitations to natural selection.
-It is slow: it occurs over multiple generations and has limited value in helping those individuals that are alive now.
-It is behind the times: has no value in helping individuals cope with current changes. Individuals are not born with particular characteristics because they will help them to survive, but because they helped that individual's ancestors to survive.
As the environment changes, what was for one generation a favorable characteristic may become maladaptive for another. |
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Term
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Definition
a relationship between a specific event and a simple, involuntary response to that event; present at birth or appear at predictable times in development
ex. the tendency to blink when a piece of dust hits your eye |
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Term
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Definition
a series of interrelated acts found in all or nearly all members of a species; they have a strong genetic component
Often are reliably elicited by a certain kind of event
Ex. spiders build webs to catch prey |
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Term
| Inherited behavior traits |
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Definition
any general behavioral tendency that is strongly influenced by genes
ex. introversion, aggression |
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Term
| Modal action patterns differ from reflexes |
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Definition
they involve the entire organism
are more complex and variable |
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Term
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Definition
the CS begins and ends before the US is presented
ex. buzzer sounds--> a few seconds pass-->puff of air is blown into a person's eye |
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Term
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Definition
the CS and US overlap; the US appears before the CS has disappeared
ex. buzzer sounds-->still sounding-->puff of air blown into someone's eye |
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Term
| simultaneous conditioning |
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Definition
the CS and US coincide exactly; begin and end at the same instant
ex. ring bell and blow air into someone's eye-->stop at same time
Simultaneous conditioning is a weak procedure for establishing a conditional response. |
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Term
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Definition
the CS follows the US
ex. puff of air directed to someone's eye-->followed by buzzer
It is very difficult to produce a conditional response with backward conditioning. |
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Term
| Both trace and delayed procedures are |
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Definition
| capabale of producing conditional responses, and are often used in studies of Pavlovian conditioning. Both often occur outside the lab. |
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Term
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Definition
| the strengthening of a behavior by its consequences |
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Term
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Definition
a behavior is strengthened by the addition of a stimulus or increase in intensity of a stimulus
ex. a teacher may give points to students who complete their assignment. as a result of this addition of points, students become more likely to complete their assignments. |
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Term
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Definition
behavior is strengthened by the removal or decrease in intensity of a stimulus
ex. your car makes a beeping sound that only stops if you put on your seatbelt, therefore you are more likely to put on your seatbelt every time you get in the car because this behavior is reinforced by the removal of the beeping sound |
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Term
| problems with drive-reduction theory of reinforcement |
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Definition
1. It does not explain secondary reinforcers; ex. grades
2. Some behaviors may not decrease drives; being hungry but not seeking food, going to class instead.
3. Cannot measure or observe drives
4. Not the simplest explanation. |
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Term
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Definition
periods of deprivation result in drives
ex. an individual is deprived of food--their drive is hunger--this causes them to be likely to behave in a particular way, to go out and seek food. |
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Term
| negative reinforcement vs. negative punishment |
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Definition
| Negative reinforcement occurs when a behavior is strengthened by the removal or decrease in intensity of a stimulus, while negative punishment occurs when a behavior is weakened by the removal or decrease in intensity of a stimulus. Negative reinforcers are typically aversive stimuli; negative punishers are typically appetitive stimuli. |
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Term
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Definition
behaviors that have been reinforced adventitiously, or by chance
there is no true connection between the behavior and the consequence that adventitiously appeared |
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Term
| partial reinforcement effect |
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Definition
the tendency of a behavior to be more resistant to extinction following partial reinforcement than following continuous reinforcement
-if we reinforce a behavior every single time it happens, then stop, behavior will stop quickly
-if we reinforce only sometimes, then stop reinforcement, it will take longer for the behavior to stop
Vending machines vs. slot machines |
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Term
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Definition
| the procedure of gradually increasing the number of responses required for reinforcement |
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Term
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Definition
the CS is repeatedly presented without the US until the CR no longer occurs
the CR is said to be extinguished
The individual has not forgotten the response, it has just learned not to perform it. |
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Term
| continuum of preparedness |
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Definition
the idea that individuals are genetically disposed to learn a variety of things, but:
-we are prepared to learn some things easily and quickly
-we are unprepared to learn other things, meaning learning will occur slow and steadily
-we are contraprepared (contra- meaning against) to learn certain things, meaning learning will be slow and irregular |
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Term
| Learned behaviors are not passed on genetically. How is this good? How is it bad? |
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Definition
Good: We could inherit learned behaviors that are no longer adaptive, so they would be a hindrance rather than a help. We want learning to be based on the individual's current or recent environment.
Bad: The fact that learned behaviors are not passed on places a serious limitation on the ability of a species to benefit from experience because every individual will be just as ignorant at birth as its parents were when they were born. This limits what an individual can learn in its lifetime. |
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Term
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Definition
| the continuation of training beyond the point required to produce one errorless performance |
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