Psychology of learning
55 flashcards covering Psychology of learning for the MCAT Chem / Phys / Psych / Soc section.
The psychology of learning is the study of how people and animals acquire new knowledge, skills, and behaviors through various processes. It includes key concepts like classical conditioning, where a neutral stimulus becomes associated with a response, operant conditioning, which involves rewards and punishments to shape behavior, and observational learning, where individuals mimic others. This topic helps explain everyday phenomena, such as how habits form or why certain teaching methods are effective, making it essential for understanding human development and cognition.
On the MCAT, the psychology of learning appears in the Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations section, often through multiple-choice questions that test your ability to apply theories to scenarios, like predicting behavior based on reinforcement. Common traps include mixing up types of conditioning or overlooking cognitive elements, such as memory's role in learning. Focus on integrating these concepts with broader psychological principles, as questions may combine them with topics like motivation or social influences.
A concrete tip: Use real-life examples to practice distinguishing between different learning mechanisms.
Terms (55)
- 01
Classical Conditioning
A learning process where an association is formed between a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus to elicit a conditioned response.
- 02
Unconditioned Stimulus
A stimulus that naturally triggers a response without any learning, such as food causing salivation in an organism.
- 03
Unconditioned Response
An automatic, unlearned reaction to an unconditioned stimulus, like salivation in response to food.
- 04
Conditioned Stimulus
A previously neutral stimulus that, after pairing with an unconditioned stimulus, begins to trigger a conditioned response.
- 05
Conditioned Response
A learned response to a conditioned stimulus, such as salivating at the sound of a bell after conditioning.
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Operant Conditioning
A learning process where behaviors are influenced by their consequences, such as rewards or punishments.
- 07
Reinforcement
A consequence that increases the likelihood of a behavior occurring again, either by adding something desirable or removing something unpleasant.
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Positive Reinforcement
Adding a desirable stimulus after a behavior to increase its frequency, like giving a treat for good behavior.
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Negative Reinforcement
Removing an unpleasant stimulus after a behavior to increase its frequency, such as taking away a chore when a task is completed.
- 10
Punishment
A consequence that decreases the likelihood of a behavior occurring again, either by adding something unpleasant or removing something desirable.
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Positive Punishment
Adding an unpleasant stimulus after a behavior to decrease its frequency, like scolding a child for misbehaving.
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Negative Punishment
Removing a desirable stimulus after a behavior to decrease its frequency, such as taking away a toy from a child who is fighting.
- 13
Schedules of Reinforcement
Patterns that determine when and how often reinforcement is delivered, affecting how quickly and consistently a behavior is learned.
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Fixed Ratio Schedule
A reinforcement schedule where a reward is given after a set number of responses, leading to high response rates with pauses after reinforcement.
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Variable Ratio Schedule
A reinforcement schedule where a reward is given after an unpredictable number of responses, resulting in steady and high rates of behavior.
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Fixed Interval Schedule
A reinforcement schedule where a reward is given after a fixed amount of time, producing responses that increase as the time nears.
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Variable Interval Schedule
A reinforcement schedule where a reward is given after varying amounts of time, leading to steady responding over time.
- 18
Observational Learning
A process of learning by watching and imitating others' behaviors, often without direct reinforcement.
- 19
Modeling
The act of demonstrating a behavior for others to imitate, as in social learning where individuals learn by observing role models.
- 20
Bandura's Social Learning Theory
A theory that emphasizes learning through observation, imitation, and the influence of cognitive factors like self-efficacy.
- 21
Latent Learning
Learning that occurs without immediate reinforcement and is not demonstrated until needed, showing that knowledge can be stored for later use.
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Insight Learning
A sudden realization or understanding of how to solve a problem, as opposed to trial-and-error learning.
- 23
Habituation
A decrease in response to a repeated stimulus that is not harmful, allowing organisms to ignore irrelevant information.
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Sensitization
An increase in response to a repeated stimulus, often due to its intensity or significance.
- 25
Encoding
The initial process of transforming sensory information into a form that can be stored in memory.
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Storage
The maintenance of encoded information in memory over time, involving different systems like short-term and long-term storage.
- 27
Retrieval
The process of accessing and bringing stored information from memory into conscious awareness.
- 28
Forgetting Curve
A graph showing how memory retention declines over time without review, as described by Ebbinghaus.
- 29
Proactive Interference
When older memories disrupt the recall of newer information, making it harder to learn new material.
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Retroactive Interference
When newer memories disrupt the recall of older information, such as learning a new language interfering with a previous one.
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Primacy Effect
The tendency to remember items at the beginning of a list better than those in the middle, due to deeper processing.
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Recency Effect
The tendency to remember items at the end of a list better than those in the middle, because they are still in short-term memory.
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Serial Position Effect
The combined influence of primacy and recency effects on memory for items in a sequence.
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Chunking
A memory strategy that involves grouping individual pieces of information into larger, meaningful units to expand short-term memory capacity.
- 35
Elaboration
A memory technique that involves connecting new information to existing knowledge, making it easier to encode and retrieve.
- 36
Self-Efficacy
An individual's belief in their ability to succeed in specific situations, which influences motivation and learning outcomes.
- 37
Locus of Control
The extent to which people believe they can control events that affect them, impacting how they approach learning and challenges.
- 38
Intrinsic Motivation
Drive to engage in a behavior for its own sake, such as learning for personal interest, which enhances deep understanding.
- 39
Extrinsic Motivation
Drive to engage in a behavior due to external rewards or pressures, like grades, which can influence learning but may not promote long-term retention.
- 40
Extinction
The gradual weakening and disappearance of a conditioned response when the conditioned stimulus is presented without the unconditioned stimulus.
- 41
Spontaneous Recovery
The reappearance of a previously extinguished conditioned response after a period of time without exposure.
- 42
Generalization
The tendency to respond to stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus, extending learned responses to new contexts.
- 43
Discrimination
The ability to distinguish between similar stimuli and respond only to the specific conditioned stimulus.
- 44
Law of Effect
A principle stating that behaviors followed by satisfying consequences are more likely to be repeated, while those followed by unpleasant ones are not.
- 45
Shaping
A method of operant conditioning that reinforces successive approximations of a desired behavior until the full behavior is achieved.
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Chaining
A learning technique that links a series of behaviors together, where each one serves as a cue for the next, to perform a complex task.
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Token Economy
A system where individuals earn tokens for desired behaviors that can be exchanged for rewards, used to reinforce learning in groups.
- 48
Metacognition
The awareness and regulation of one's own thinking processes, which helps in planning, monitoring, and evaluating learning strategies.
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Transfer of Learning
The application of knowledge or skills learned in one context to another, such as using math skills in real-world problems.
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Overlearning
Practicing a skill beyond the point of mastery to strengthen retention and improve performance under pressure.
- 51
Distributed Practice
Spreading out study sessions over time, which is more effective for long-term retention than cramming.
- 52
Massed Practice
Concentrating study or practice into a single, lengthy session, which may lead to quicker forgetting.
- 53
Mnemonics
Memory aids, such as acronyms or visual images, that help in encoding and retrieving information more effectively.
- 54
Zone of Proximal Development
The difference between what a learner can do independently and what they can achieve with guidance, guiding effective teaching strategies.
- 55
Scaffolding
Temporary support provided by a teacher to help a learner master a task, which is gradually removed as the learner becomes proficient.