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2nd Prelim
Learning, Memory, & Intelligence
68
Psychology
Undergraduate 1
11/08/2007

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Term
Learning
Definition
the modification of preexisting behavior and understanding though experience. People learn primarily by identifying realationships between events and noting the regularity in the surrounding world.
Term

Habituation

Definition

a simple form of adaptive learning in which responsiveness to unchanging stimuli decreases over time.

Term
Classical conditioning
Definition
a procedure in which a neutral stimulus is paired with a stimulus that elicits a reflex or other response until the neutral stimulus alone elicits a similar response.
Term
unconditioned stimulus (UCS)
Definition
in classical conditioning, is the stimulus that elicits a response without conditioning or learning having to take place.
Term
unconditioned response (UCR)
Definition
in classical conditioning, is the automatic or reflective response to the unconditioned stimulus
Term
conditioned stimulus (CS)
Definition
in classical conditioning, is the stimulus that, only after repeated pairings with the unconditioned stimulus, causes a conditioned response that is similar to the unconditioned response
Term
conditioned response (CR)
Definition
in classical conditioning, is the learned response elicited by the conditioned stimulus
Term
extinction
Definition
in classical conditioning, occurs when the conditioned stimulus, after being presented without the unconditioned stimulus, loses its predictive value. Eventually, the conditioned stimulus no longer elicits the conditioned response. In operant conditioning, a response is extinguished when it is no longer reinforced.
Term
reconditioning
Definition
in classical conditioning, refers to the repairing of the CS and the UCS after extinction has taken place. During reconditioning, an organism learns more quickly than it did the first time that the CS predicts the UCS.
Term
spontaneous recovery
Definition
is the reappearance of the CR when the CS is presented after extinction in the absence of reconditioning
Term
stimulus generalization
Definition
in classical conditioning, occurs when an organism displays a CR to a stimulus that is similar but not identical to the CS. In operant conditioning, several different but similar stimuli can inform an organism that, if a particular response is made, a reinforcer or punishment will be presented.
Term
stimulus descrimination
Definition
occurs when an organism learns that stimuli similar but not identical to the CS do not predict the occurence of the UCS.
Term
second-order conditioning
Definition
occurs when a new neutral stimulus is associated with a conditioned stimulus and it comes to produce the CR in the absence of the CS
Term
law of effect
Definition
holds that if a response made in the rpesence of a particular stimulus is followed by a reward, that same response is more likely to occur the next time the stimulus is encountered. Responses that are not rewarded are less and less likely to be performed again.
Term
instrumental conditioning
Definition
is a procedure during which an organism learns that certain responses are instrumental in producing desired effects in the enviroment.
Term
operant conditioning
Definition
is a synonym for instrumental conditioning
Term
operant
Definition
a behavior that,  in operant conditioning, brings about a consequence in an organism's enviroment.
Term
reinforcer
Definition
is anything that increases the likelihood that a behavior will be repeated. Reinforcers can be positive or negative.
Term
positive reinforcers
Definition
in operant conditioning, are like rewards. If presented following a behavior, they increase the likelihood of that behaviors future occurrence.
Term
negative reinforcers
Definition
in operant conditioning, are unpleasent stimuli that, if removed following a behavior or response, will increase the likelihood of that behavior's future occurrence.
Term
escape conditioning
Definition
occurs when an organism learns that a particular response will terminate an aversive stimulus.
Term
avoidance conditioning
Definition
occurs when an organism responds to a signal in a way that prevents exposure to an aversive stimulus.
Term
discriminative stimuli
Definition
in operant conditioning, are signals to an organism that, should a particular response be made, reinforcment is available. (you know you will be rewarded if you do something specific)  Such a response is said to be under stimulus control because the response is usually made when only the discriminative stimulus is present.
Term
shaping
Definition

an operant conditioning process in which successive approximations of a behavior are reinforced until the entire desired behavior pattern appears.

Term
primary reinforcers
Definition

inherent rewards. Thus, learning that the reinforcement is positive is not necessary.

 

Food and water are primary reinforcers if you are hungry.

Term
secondary reinforcers
Definition
those rewards that have aquired meaning by their association with primary reinforcers.
Term
partial, or intermittent, reinforcement schedules
Definition
used when a desired response is reinforced only some of the time.
Term
continuous reinforcement schedule
Definition
a pattern in which a reinforcer is delivered every time a particular response occurs.
Term
fixed-ratio (FR) schedules
Definition
provide reinforcement after a fixed number of responses.
Term
variable-ratio (VR) schedules
Definition
call for reinforcement after a variable number of responses.
Term
fixed-interval (FI) schedules
Definition
call for reinforcement for the first response that occurs after some fixed time has passed since the last reward.
Term
variable-interval (VI) schedules
Definition
reinforce the first response after some period of time, but the amount of time varies.
Term
partial reinforcement extinction effect
Definition
occurs when a partial reinforcement schedule has been used in the operant conditioning process. The more difficult it is for the organism to predict the occurrence of a reinforcement (meaning the behavior isn't rewarded every time), the harder the response is to extinguish.
Term
punishment
Definition
the presentation of an aversive stimulus, which decreases the frequency of the immediately preceding response.
Term
learned helplessness
Definition
occurs when an organism believes that behaviors are not related to consequences.
Term
latent learning
Definition
learning  that is not demonstrated at the time that it occurs.
Term
cognitive maps
Definition
are mental representaions of the enviroment.
Term
insight
Definition
is the sudden grasp of new relationships that are necessary to solve a problem and that were not learned in the past.
Term
observational learning
Definition
occurs when people learn by watching other's responses. Learning takes place even if others' responses were not rewarded.
Term
vicarious conditioning
Definition
occurs when an organism learns the relationship between a response and its consequenses (either reinforcement or punishment) by watching others.
Term
encoding
Definition
the process of coding information so that it can be placed in sensory, short-term, or long-term memory. There are three types of encoding: visual, acoustic, and semantic.
Term
acoustic encoding
Definition
represents the sounds we hear in memory.
Term
visual encoding
Definition
represents the images we see in memory.
Term
semantic encoding represents
Definition
the meaning of experiences or factual information in memory.
Term
storage
Definition
the process of maintaining or keeping a memory.
Term
retrieval
Definition
the process of transferring memories from storage to consciousness.
Term
episodic memory
Definition
any memory of a specific event that happened while you were present.
Term
semantic memory
Definition
contains factual knowledge. This memory differs from episodic memory in that its contents are not associated with a specific event.
Term
procedural memory (skill memory)
Definition
holds "how-to" methods or processes that usually require some motor movement.
Term
explicit memory
Definition
the process of purposely trying to remember something.
Term
implicit memory
Definition
the subconcious recall or influence of past experiences.
Term
levels-of-processing memory
Definition
holds that differences in how well something is remembered reflect the degree or depth to which incoming information is mentally processed.
Term
maintenance rehearsal
Definition
repeating information over and over, keeps information in short-term memory.
Term
elaborative rehearsal
Definition
involves thinking about how new material is linked or related in some way to information already stored in long-term memory. It is an effective method of encoding information into long-term memory.
Term
transfer-appropriate processing model
Definition
suggests that memory retieval will be improved if the encoding method matches the retrieval method.
Term
parallel distributed processing (PDP) models
Definition
of memory suggest that the connections between units of knowledge are strengthened with experience. Tapping into any connection (via a memory process) provides us with access to all the other connections in the network.
Term
information processing model
Definition
of memory has three stages: sensory memory; short-term, or working, memory; and long-term memory.
Term
sensory memory
Definition
holds sensory information for a fraction of a second in sensory registers. If the information is attended to and recognized, perception takes place, and the information can eneter short-term memory.
Term
sensory registers
Definition
hold incoming sensory information until it is processed, recognized, and remmebered. There is a sensory register for each sense.
Term
selective attention
Definition
determines what information is held in sensory registers. Information that is not attended to decays and cannot be processed any further.
Term
short-term memory (STM)
Definition

receives information that was perceived in sensory memory. Information in short-term memory is conscious but quite fragile and will be lost within seconds if not further processed.

Term
working memory
Definition
is the part of the memory system that allows us to mentally manipulate information being held in short-term memory.
Term
immediate memory span
Definition
the largest number or items or chunks of information that you can recall perfectly from short-term memory after one presentaion of the stimuli. Most people have an immediate memory span of five to nine items.
Term
chunks
Definition
are meaningful groupings of information that you place in short-term memory. The immediate memory span of short-term memory is probably between five and nine chunks of information. Each chunk contains bits of information grouped into a single unit.
Term
Brown Peterson procedure
Definition
a research method that prevents rehearsal. A person is presented with a group of three letters and then counts backward by threes from an arbitrarily selected number until a signal is given. The counting prevents the person from rehearsing the information.
Term
long-term memory (LTM)
Definition
is the stage of memory in which the capacity to store new information is believed to be unlimited.
Term
primary effect
Definition
occurs when we remember words at the beginning of a list better than those in the middle of the list.
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