Learning is any change in
behaviour or knowledge
due to experience
Conditioning involves learning
connections between events that
occur in the environment
Classical Conditioning- a
stimulus acquires the capacity
to cause a response originally
evoked by another stimulus
Unconditioned Stimulus-
evokes an unconditioned
response without
previous conditioning
Unconditioned Response-
unlearned reaction to an
unconditioned stimulus without
previous conditioning
Conditioned Stimulus-
neutral stimulus that has
acquired the capacity to
cause a conditioned reponse
Conditioned Response- learned
reaction to a conditioned stimulus
Evaluative conditioning- changes in the
liking of a stimulus that results from
pairing a stimulus with positive or
negative stimuli
Basic processes include: acquisition,
(initial learning), extinction
(weakening of response), and
spontaneous recovery
Higher-order conditioning- a conditioned
stimulus functions as if it were an
unconditioned stimulus
Operant Conditioning- responses come to
be controlled by their consequences
Law of Effect- if a response in the presence of a
stimulus leads to satisfying effects, the
association between them is strengthened
Reinforcement- a response is
strengthened because it leads
to a rewarding consequence
Primary Reinforcers-
reinforcing events because
they satisfy biological needs
Secondary reinforcers- events that
acquire reinforcing qualities by being
associated with primary reinforcers
Basic processes include: shaping
(reinforcement of closer approximations of a
desired response), extinction (weakening of
response), discrimination stimuli (clues that
influence behaviour)
Schedules of reinforcement
Fixed-ratio- reinforcer is given after a fixed
number of nonreinforced reactions
Variable-Ratio- reinforcer given after a
variable numb of nonreinforced responses
Variable-interval- reinforcer is given for the first
response after a variable time interval has elapsed
Fixed-interval- reinforcer is given for the
first response that occurs after a fixed time
interval has elapsed
Positive reinforcement- a
response is strengthened
because of a rewarding stimulus
Negative reinforcement- a response is
strengthened because it followed the removal
of an unpleasant stimulus
Continuous reinforcement, and
intermittent reinforcement
Observational Learning- organism's
response is influenced by others
Attention, retention,
reproduction, motivation
Mirror neurons- activated by performing an action
or seeing another person perform the same action