psych chap 7 test

drawbacks of physical punishment

1) punished behavior is suppressed, not forgotten
2) punishment teaches discrimination among situations
3) punishment can teach fear
4) physical punishment may increase aggression by modeling aggression as a way to cope with problems

punishment should be

swift, harsh, and consistent

classical conditioning

associate different stimuli we do not control, and we respond automatically

operant conditioning

associate our own behaviors that act on our environment to produce rewarding or punishing stimuli with their consequences

modeling

the process of observing and imitating a specific behavior
ie the teacher throwing and kicking the doll and the children imitating her

nature's most important gift?

adaptability - our capacity to learn new behaviors that help us cope with changing circumstances

how do we learn?

we learn by association

learning

the process of acquiring new and relatively enduring information or behaviors.

three types of learning

classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and cognitive learning

Importance of Watson

told people to discard reference to inner thoughts, feelings, and motives. psych should be an objective science based off of behavior.

neutral stimulus

in classical conditioning, a stimulus that elicits no response before conditioning

unconditioned response

in classical conditioning, an unlearned, naturally occurring response (such as salvation) to an unconditioned stimulus (US) (such as food in the mouth)

unconditioned stimulus

in classical conditioning, a stimulus that conditionally - naturally and automatically - triggers a response

conditioned response

in classical conditioning, the learned response to a previously neutral (but now conditioned) stimulus (CS).

conditioned stimulus

in classical conditioning, an originally irrelevant stimulus that, after association with an unconditioned stimulus, comes to trigger a conditioned response

infants develop a fear of books are repeatedly presented with a loud noise. the loud noise is a

conditioned stimulus

in pavlov's experiments, the dog's salvation (triggered by the sound of the tone) was a

conditioned response

jerking your hand off a very hot stove is an example of a

unconditioned response

a child'a fear at the sight of a hypodermic needle

c onditioned response

five major conditioning processes

acquisition, generalization, extinction, discrimination, spontaneous recovery

acquisition

in classical conditioning, the initial stage, when one links a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus so that the neutral stimulus begins triggering the conditioned response. In operant conditioning, the strengthening of a reinforced response.
ie

extinction

the diminishing of a conditioned response; occurs in classical conditioning when an unconditioned stimulus (US) does not follow a conditioned stimulus (CS); occurs in operant conditioning when a response is no longer reinforced.
ie kathleen developed an i

spontaneous recovery

the reappearance, after a pause, of an extinguished conditioned response.

generalization

the tendency, once a response has been conditioned, for stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus to elicit similar responses
ie two year old brian was recently clawed by the neighbor's cat. Brian's tendency to fear all small animals demonstrates

discrimination

in classical conditioning, the learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and stimuli that do not signal an unconditioned stimulus
ie jason is sexually aroused by the sight of his beautiful girlfriend but not by the sight of her equally

why was pavlov's work important?

1) many other organisms can be classically conditioned
2) showed us how learning can be studied objectively

shaping

an operant conditioning procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior toward closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior

positive reinforcement

increasing behaviors by presenting positive stimuli, such as food. A positive reinforcer is any stimulus that, when presented after a response, strengthens the response

negative reinforcement

increasing behaviors by stopping or reducing negative stimuli, such as shock. A negative reinforcer is any stimulus that, when removed after a response, strengthens the response. (Note: negative reinforcement is not punishment.)

primary reinforcer

an innately reinforcing stimulus, such as one that satisfies a biological need.

secondary reinforcer

a stimulus that gains its reinforcing power through its association with a primary reinforcer

immediate reinforcement

instant gratification
ie watching tv right away instead of homework

delayed reinforcement

delayed gratification
ie paycheck at the end of the week

fixed ratio schedules

in operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified number of responses
ie buy 10 drinks get the 11th free
a hotel maid may take a 15min break only after having cleaned three rooms

variable ratio schedules

in operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses
ie gambling
buying state lottery tickets and winning

fixed interval schedules

in operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified time has elapsed
ie a teenager receives an allowance every sunday

variable interval schedules

in operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals
ie checking the front porch for a newspaper when the delivery is extremely unpredictable
watching and seeing shooting stars on a dark night