Conditioning
When Pavlov rings the bell, this learning process kicks in, turning your mouth into a watery mess because you think you're about to get a tasty treat.
What is classical conditioning?
When a child is caught lying, their parents make them write a five-page essay explaining why they shouldn't lie; this consequence fits the definition of this behavioral tool.
What is positive punishment?
This is the fastest, but also the most easily extinguished, way to teach a new behavior, because the subject gets a treat every single time they do the correct action.
What is continuous reinforcement?
Conducted by Albert Bandura, this classic study showed that children would readily imitate an adult's aggressive behavior towards an inflatable doll, even if they weren't directly rewarded for it.
What is the Bobo-doll experiement?
This Russian physiologist accidentally proved that dogs could learn to salivate to a bell while he was actually studying canine digestion.
Who is Ivan Pavlov?
This type of learning says your behavior is shaped by rewards and punishments; just ask Skinner's rat how quickly it learns to push a lever for a snack.
What is operant conditioning?
You take two aspirins to get rid of a pounding headache, and because the pain goes away, you're more likely to do this again next time, following this specific behavioral principle.
What is negative reinforcement?
A person who gets paid every two weeks submits very little work right after payday, but has a burst of activity just before the next one, following this set time pattern.
What is fixed interval reinforcement?
This is the fancy term for when you learn a new skill or behavior simply by watching someone else do it and seeing the consequences they receive, just like the kids in the Bobo doll study.
What is vicarious learning?
Known for his controversial Little Albert experiment, this American psychologist championed the idea that all human behavior is learned through conditioning.
Who is B.F. Skinner?
After being trained to fear a white rabbit, Little Albert cried when he saw a white rat, a fur coat, and even a Santa mask, demonstrating this broadening of a learned response.
What is generalization?
A teenager stays out past curfew, and in response, their parents take away their car keys for a week; this consequence uses the removal of a pleasant stimulus to weaken the bad behavior.
What is negative punishment?
This is the schedule that keeps you glued to the slot machine, where reinforcement is delivered after an unpredictable number of responses, resulting in high and steady rates of behavior.
What is a variable ratio reinforcement?
This method, sometimes called the 'method of successive approximations,' is how trainers teach complex tricks by rewarding tiny steps that get the animal closer and closer to the final desired behavior.
What is shaping?
He designed the "Skinner Box" and defined the four types of consequences, firmly establishing the concepts of reinforcement and punishment.
Who is Albert Bandura?
When you first move next to train tracks, you jump at every passing train whistle, but soon your brain performs this magic trick, making you totally stop noticing the noise.
What is habituation?
A young student gets an 'A' on their report card and, as a result, their parents give them $50, ensuring this specific method is used to encourage more good grades.
What is positive reinforcement?
A person working in a factory is paid $5 for every 10 toys they assemble; this is the quickest way to get a high, steady rate of output from a worker.
What is a fixed ratio reinforcement?
When a newbie on the job learns how to file reports simply by quietly observing and mimicking their seasoned coworker's actions, they are engaging in this kind of observational learning.
What is modeling?
His Bobo Doll experiment demonstrated that children learn aggression through observation, leading to the concept of vicarious reinforcement.
Who is John Watson?
A dolphin trainer uses a high-pitched whistle for a treat, but when she uses a lower-pitched one, the dolphin ignores it, proving it mastered this ability to tell two cues apart.
What is discrimination?
A student gets 90 percent or higher on their weekly spelling test, so their parents decides they can skip their chore of washing dishes after dinner.
What is negative refinforcement?
This slow, steady response rate schedule explains why you check your email repeatedly, because you might get a message after 2 minutes, 10 minutes, or 4 minutes, making the waiting time unpredictable."
What is variable interval reinforcement?
This technique breaks a complex task, like making a bed or performing a dance routine, into a sequence of small steps, where the successful completion of one step serves as the cue and reinforcer for the next.
What is chaining?
This Swiss thinker mapped out the four stages of cognitive development, including the sensorimotor and concrete operational periods.
Who is Jean Piaget?