UNIT 6 LEARNING

Operant Conditioning

100

What is operant conditioning?

A type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforcer or diminished if followed by a punisher. 

200

What experiment did B. F. Skinner design to measure animals' accumulated responses? 

Skinner box. 

300

What is discriminative stimulus? 

In operant conditioning, a stimulus that elicits a response after association with reinforcement. 

400

How is operant conditioning differ from classical conditioning? 

Operant conditioning - a type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforcer or diminished if followed by a punisher. 

Classical conditioning - a type of learning in which one learns to link two or more stimuli and anticipate events.

500

BONUS

+500

Reinforces

100

Conditioned reinforcers are also called _________. 

secondary reinforcers

200

Which reinforcer is unlearned? (i.g. getting food when hungry or having a painful headache go away)

Primary reinforcer

300

What are the two primary and conditioned reinforcers?

Primary reinforcers and Conditioned reinforcers.

400

Definition: 

In operant conditioning, any event that strengthens the behavior it follows.

Reinforcer.

500

Give descriptions and examples to both positive and negative reinforcement.

_{Add a desirable stimulus; getting a hug, receiving a paycheck}

_{Remove an aversive stimulus; Fastening seatbelt to turn off beeping}

Reinforcement Schedules

100

Administer an aversive stimulus is the description of which type of punisher? 

positive punishment

200

List all four schedules of reinforcement. 

^{fixed-ratio; variable-ratio;fixed-interval;variable-interval}

300

Reinforcement increases a behavior; _________ does the opposite. 

punishment

400

_________provide reinforcers after an unpredictable number of responses. 

Variable-ratio schedules

500

What are the four drawbacks of physically punishing children? (pg. 234)

1. Punished behavior is suppressed, not forgotten

2. Punishment teaches discrimination. 

3. Punishment can teach fear. 

4. Physical punishment may increase aggressiveness by modeling aggression as a way to cope with problems. 

Observational Learning

100

What is observational learning? 

Learning by observing others. 

200

Observational learning is also called _________. 

social learning

300

BONUS

+300

400

_________ neurons that fire when performing certain actions or when observing another doing so. The brain's mirroring of another's action may enable imitation and empathy. (Location)

Frontal lobe

500

We learn all kinds of specific behaviors by observing and imitating models, a process called _________. 

modeling

Definitions

100

What is learning? 

A relatively permanent change in an organism’s behavior due to experience. 

200

What is prosocial behavior? 

Positive, constructive, helpful behavior. The opposite of antisocial behavior. 

300

A sudden and often novel realization of the solution to a problem. 

insight

400

A mental representation of the layout of one's environment. 

cognitive map

500

How does punishment affect behavior? 

Punishment attempts to decrease the frequency of a behavior by administering an undesirable consequence or withdrawing something desirable. Undesirable side effects can include suppressing rather than changing unwanted behaviors, teaching aggression, creating fear, encouraging discrimination, and fostering depression and low self-esteem.