Mcat Psychology Ch. 3 Learning & Memory

Acquisition in classical conditioning refers to the process of associating a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus to create a conditioned response.

Discrimination in psychological conditioning refers to the ability to differentiate between similar stimuli and respond differently to each based on specific cues or differences.

Reinforcers, whether negative or positive, are designed to increase the likelihood of a specific behavior occurring. They serve as incentives or consequences that shape behavior towards desired outcomes.

Escape learning involves performing a behavior to reduce an unpleasant stimulus that is already present, making it a form of negative reinforcement. It is different from positive reinforcement, punishment, and cognitive learning as these involve distinct processes and outcomes.

Avoidance learning involves performing a behavior to prevent or avoid something unpleasant in the future. It is typically associated with negative reinforcement, where the behavior is strengthened by the removal of an aversive stimulus.

Latent learning refers to knowledge that is not immediately apparent and only becomes evident when there is motivation or a reason to demonstrate it. It highlights the idea that learning can occur without reinforcement or immediate display of the knowledge.

Preparedness in animal behavior refers to the idea that animals are more likely to exhibit behaviors that align with their natural instincts. This concept suggests that rewarding animals for behaviors that are close to their natural behaviors is more effective than trying to train them to do tasks completely outside of their normal tendencies.

Instinctive Drift is a concept that describes the influence of innate behaviors on learned behaviors, often resulting in unexpected or maladaptive actions by animals.

Automatic processing refers to the effortless gaining of information without conscious attention or effort, such as subconsciously noticing the temperature of the environment.

Controlled (effortful) processing requires active work to gain information, eventually becoming automatic with practice. It is the opposite of uncontrolled processing, involves active encoding of information, and requires attention and focus.

Visual, Acoustic, and Semantic encoding are the three widely recognized types of encoding in psychology. Each type involves processing information in a different sensory modality, leading to different levels of retention and recall.

Maintenance Rehearsal refers to the repetition of information to help retain it in memory, rather than repairing objects, practicing for a play, or physical training.

The Self-Reference Effect refers to the phenomenon where individuals have a better memory recall for information that is personally relevant or connected to their own experiences, making it easier to remember in comparison to information that is not self-relevant.

The Method of Loci is a mnemonic device that involves associating items in a list with specific locations in a building to aid in memory recall.

The Peg-Word System is a mnemonic device that involves associating numbers with items that either rhyme or resemble the numbers, aiding in memory recall.

Chunking is a cognitive process that involves organizing information into manageable units to improve short-term memory performance.

Elaborative Rehearsal involves relating new information to existing long-term memory to aid in memory consolidation.

Information Retrieval involves the processes of recalling previously learned information, recognizing information when presented with it again, and relearning information to improve retention and retrieval speed.

The spacing effect refers to the phenomenon where longer intervals between relearning sessions result in better retention of information. This spacing out of study sessions aids in long-term memory recall.

A Semantic Network refers to the structure of memory in which related concepts are interconnected to each other.

Spreading Activation is a concept in cognitive psychology that refers to the unconscious activation of related concepts in our semantic memory network. It is closely linked to priming, where exposure to a stimulus influences a response to a later stimulus. This process helps in aiding recall by activating interconnected nodes in our memory network.

Context effects refer to the phenomenon where memory recall is improved when a person is in the same physical location where the memory was encoded. This suggests that environmental factors play a significant role in memory retrieval.

Confabulation is the act of creating false memories to bridge gaps in memory, often done unknowingly by the individual.

Retrograde amnesia is a condition where a person is unable to recall or retrieve old memories, as opposed to Anterograde amnesia, which pertains to the inability to form new memories.

Anterograde Amnesia specifically refers to the inability to form new memories, not the loss of existing memories, excessive memory formation, or selective memory loss.

Interference or interference effect in psychology refers to a retrieval error caused by the existence of other, usually similar information. This can result in difficulties recalling specific memories or information. There are two types of interference: proactive interference, which occurs when old information disrupts the recall of new information, and retroactive interference, which occurs when new information disrupts the recall of old information.

Proactive interference occurs when old memories disrupt the ability to remember new information, making it harder to learn and retain new knowledge.