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Behavioral Sciences Ch. 3 - Learning and Memory
MCAT
46
Psychology
Undergraduate 1
05/17/2016

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Term
stimulus
Definition
anything to which an organism can respond
Term
habituation
Definition
a decrease in response due to repeated exposure to the same stimulus
Term
dishabituation
Definition
the recovery of a response to a stimulus after habituation has occurred
Term
associative learning
Definition
creation of a pairing betwen two stimuli or between a behavior and a response; two kinds: classic and operant conditioning
Term
classical conditioning
Definition
an unconditioned stimulus that produces an instinctive unconditioned response is paired with a neutral stimulus; over time the neutral stimulus becomes conditioned and produces a conditioned response
Term
unconditioned stimulus
Definition
stimulus that brings about a reflexive or instinctive response
Term
unconditioned response
Definition
innate or reflexive response
Term
neutral stimuli
Definition
stimuli that do not produce a response
Term
conditioned stimulus
Definition
a normally neutral stimulus that, through association, now causes a conditioned response
Term
conditioned response
Definition
a reflexive respones paired with a conditioned stimulus
Term
acquisition
Definition
another word describing classical conditioning
Term
extinction
Definition
the loss of a conditioned response
Term
spontaneous recovery
Definition
the return of a weak conditioned response after an extinct conditioned stimulus is presented
Term
generalization
Definition
stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus can also produce the conditioned response
Term
discrimination
Definition
the ability to distinguish between two similar stimuli
Term
operant conditioning
Definition
link voluntary behaviors with consequences in an effort to alter the frequency of those behaviors
Term
behaviorism
Definition
the theory that all behaviors are conditioned
Term
reinforcement
Definition
increasing the likelihood that an individual will perform a behavior
Term
positive reinforcer
Definition
increase a behavior by adding a positive consequence or incentive
Term
negative reinforcer
Definition
increase frequency of behavior by removing something unpleasant
Term
escape learning
Definition
role of the behavior is to reduce the unpleasantness of something that has already happened
Term
avoidance learning
Definition
to prevent the unpleasantness of something that has yet to happen
Term
primary vs secondary reinforcers
Definition
primary reinforcers are things that the organism responds to naturally while secondary reinforcers are conditioned by pairing with the primary
Term
punishment
Definition
uses conditioning to reduce the occurence of a behavior
Term
positive punishment
Definition
adds an unpleasant consequence in response to a behavior to reduce the behavior
Term
negative punishment
Definition
reduction of a behavior when a stimulus is removed
Term
What are the types of reinforcement schedules?
Definition

Fixed-ratio: specific # of actions

Variable-ratio: varying # of actions

Fixed-interval: specified time periods

Variable-interval: varying time intervals

Variable-ratio is by far most effective

Fixed-ratio

Variable-interval

Fixed-interval is least effective

Term
shaping
Definition
the process of rewarding increasingly specific behaviors to train a complicated behavior
Term
latent learning
Definition
learning that occurs without a reward but that is spontaneously demonstrated once a reward is introduced
Term
problem-solving
Definition
method of learning that isn't a behaviorist approach
Term
preparedness
Definition
the predisposition to learn or not learn behaviors
Term
observational learning
Definition
process of learning a new behavior by watching others
Term
mirror neurons
Definition
neurons that fire when an individual performs an action and when they see someone else performing the action
Term
modeling
Definition
the acquisition of a behavior by watching others
Term
encoding
Definition
the process of putting new information into memory
Term
sensory memory
Definition
the shortest form of memory the consists of inonic (visual) and echoic (auditory) memory
Term
short term memory
Definition
last about 30 seconds and has a capacity of 7 ± 2; housed primarily in hippocampus
Term
working memory
Definition
allows us to keep a few pieces of info in consciousness to manipulate them
Term
What are the two types of long-term memory
Definition

implicit (nondeclarative or procedural): skills and conditioned responses

explicit (declarative): memories that require conscious recall

 

Term
retrieval
Definition
the process of demonstrating that something learned has been retained
Term
dementia
Definition
loss of cognitive function
Term
Alzheimers disease
Definition
thought to be linked to loss of acetylcholine in neurons that link to hippocampus; neurofibrillary tangles, β-amyloid plaques, sundowning (worse function when sun goes down)
Term
Korsakoff's syndrome
Definition
caused by thiamine deficiency; exhibits retrograde and anterograde amnesia and confabulation, the fabrication of vivid memories
Term
interference
Definition
retrieval error caused by existence of other similar information
Term
neuroplasticity
Definition
the ability of the brain to reorganize and form connections easily
Term
synaptic pruning
Definition
weak neural connections are broken and strong ones are bolstered
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