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GRE Psychology: Learning

Subjects : gre, psychology
Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
  • If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
  • Match each statement with the correct term.
  • Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. Neutral stimulus once paired with UCS; no naturally occurring response - only with UCS pairing (e.g. light (CS) eventually produces salivation)






2. Type of forward conditioning; CS begins before UCS - lasts until the UCS is presented






3. Applied expectancy-value theory to individual behaviour in large organizations (e.g. those lowest on totem pole have least motivation since little incentives)






4. Set of characteristics indicative of one'S ability to learn






5. Removal of a negative event that increases likelihood of a particular response; while punishment introduces a negative event to decrease likelihood of a response






6. The failure to generalize a stimulus






7. Theory of association






8. Previous CS now a UCS (e.g.*bell > [ light > food > ] salivation)






9. Previous learning helps learning of another task later






10. Primary/instinctual (hunger or thirst) - secondary/ acquired (money or other learned reinforcers) - exploratory (seek novelty or explore) - We are primarily motivated to maintain physiological or psychological homeostasis.






11. Opposite of stimulus discrimination; make same response to a group of similar stimuli (e.g. fire alarms may sound different but same response)






12. Performance = Drive x Habit; will do what has worked in the past to satisfy drive






13. Motivation to reduce internal tension - once satisfied - back to homeostasis/ relaxation; against M.E. Olds electrical stimulation of pleasure centres






14. Disassociate car from vet by taking dog on frequent car trip to the park






15. Learning about something in general (history) for knowledge rather than learning-specific stimulus-response chains (e.g. Tolman'S experiments with animals forming cognitive maps of mazes rather than simple escape routes)






16. Punishment to decrease likelihood of a behaviour - ex: drug Antabuse to treat alcoholism






17. Animals strongly and automatically connect nausea and food - especially strong in children; preparedness






18. later proved experimentally - Classical conditioning






19. Naturally occurring response (e.g. salivation to food)






20. Ability to discriminate between different but similar stimuli (door bell is different from phone ringing)






21. Thorndike - precursor of operant conditioning - Cause-and-effect chain of behaviour; continue what rewards - stop what doesn'T






22. By having an apparatus (e.g. lever) - an animal controls its reinforcements (e.g. food) through behaviours (e.g. pressing) - shaping its own behaviour






23. Takes place without reinforcement - knowledge not immediately expressed - e.g. learning while watching chess






24. Operant conditioning






25. Relatively permanent or stable change in behaviour as the result of experience






26. Skinner - instrumental conditioning; behaviour primarily influenced by reinforcement strategies - do what rewards - not what doesn'T






27. Teach to performance a desired behaviour to get away from a negative stimulus






28. Promotes extinction of undesirable behaviour - negative stimulus presented after behaviour to decrease likelihood of reoccurrence - Skinner thinks it is not effective in long run






29. Need for achievement (nAch); need to pursue success or to avoid failure - goal is to feel successful






30. Performance = Expectation x Value; expectancy-value theory; goals they expect they can meet and how important goal is






31. Those who set realistic goals with intermediate risk feel pride with accomplishment - and want to succeed more than they fear failure - however less likely to set unrealistic or risky goals or to persist when success is unlikely






32. Reward or positive event that increases likelihood of a particular response






33. Experiment shows that there is electrical stimulation of pleasure centers in the brain used as positive reinforcement - this is evidence against drive-reduction theory






34. Teacher encourages independent learning - only provides assistance when needed






35. Every correct response is met with reinforcement; quickest but most fragile learning - as soon as rewards stop coming - the animal stops performing






36. How to avoid something undesirable






37. Previous learning makes learning a new task more difficult






38. Shaping; Skinner rewarded rats first for being near lever then for touching it - reward for behaviours that brought them closer to the desired one (e.g. pressing lever)






39. Individuals are motivated by what brings most pleasure and least pain






40. Increased sensitivity to environment after exposure to a strong stimulus - Rubbing arm after pain?






41. Preparedness - that certain associations are learned more easily than others; animals programmed to make certain connections; Garcia effect - nausea associated with food






42. Born with certain physiological needs - will be tension if not satisfied; when it is - return to state of homeostasis and relaxation






43. Learning curve






44. In classical conditioning - the inability to infer a relationship between a stimulus and response due to the presence of a more prominent stimulus






45. Students working on a project in small groups






46. Learning by watching






47. Rewards delivered after differing time periods; second most effective strategy in maintaining behaviour






48. Empty box (with a rat and a lever) - later proved the influence of reinforcement






49. John Garcia - Certain associations are learned more easily than others - Nausea & food can be paired easily - but light and nausea cannot be paired






50. Learn 3-20 - constant 20-50 - drops 50+