Behavioral Psychology

Behavioral Psychology

how external forces impact behavior

Associative Learning

learning that certain events occur together

The Law of Effect

behaviors with favorable consequences become more likely and behaviors with negative consequences become less likely

ex. If i study and get a good grade, then I am more likely to study in the future but…. If I study and get a bad grade, I am less motivated to study in the future.

Operant Conditioning

When a behavior is learned as a result of the rewards or punishments associated with that behavior

Made famous by B.F. Skinner

Positive Reinforcement

Something desirable has been added to increase the likelihood of the behavior

You get allowance after completing your weekly chores

Negative Reinforcement

Something undesirable has been removed to increase that likelihood of the behavior

Positive Punishment

Something undesirable has been added to decrease the likelihood of the behavior

You receive detention for being tardy to class

Negative Punishment

Something desirable has been removed to decrease the likelihood of behavior

Shaping

rewarding behaviors that get closer and closer to the target behavior until it is fully achieved

Primary Reinforcer

reinforcers that have innate reinforcing qualities

food

Conditioned Reinforcer

reinforcers that have to learn to find reinforcing

Fixed Interval

A known amount of time much elapse before a reward is given

Getting your paycheck every 2 weeks

Fixed Ratio

A known amount of behaviors much elapse before a reward is given

Read 20 books and you get a gift card

Variable Interval

An unknown amount of time much elapse before a reward is given

Studying consistently for pop quizzes

Variable Ratio

An unknown amount of behaviors must be preformed before a reward is given

Gambling

Indistinctive Drift

An animals natural instincts interfere with learned behaviors

Continuous Reinforcement

Being reinforced every correct response

Partial Reinforcement

Only being reinforced after some number of responses or an amount of time

Classical Conditioning

A type of unconscious automatic learning. The result is that a once neutral stimulus comes to elicit by an automatic response.

Made famous my Ivan Pavlov

Unconditioned Stimulus

A stimulus that automatically triggers a response

Unconditioned Response

A response that is automatically triggered by exposure to US

Conditioned Stimulus

No response before conditioning that now triggers a response

Conditioned Response

A learned, automatic response to a once neutral stimlus

Acquisition

The initial stage when one neutral stimulus is paired with an unconditioned stimulus. Repeated pairings need to occur between the neutral stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus.

One-Trial Conditioning

The ability to learn something after a single exposure to a stimulus or information

Extinction

The diminishing of a conditioned response; occurs when an unconditioned response does not follow a conditioned response

Habituation

A decrease in response to a repeated stimulus

Spontaneous Recovery

The reappearance of a previously extinguished conditioned response after a period of time has passed

High-Order Conditioning

A procedure in which the conditioned stimulus is paired with a neutral stimulus, creating a second, often weaker, conditioned stimulus

Counterconditioning/Stimulus Substitution

Behavioral therapy technique that changes a negative response to a stimulus into positive response

Biological Preparedness

The idea that animals and humans are naturally inclined to form associations between certain stimuli and responses

Stimulus Generalization

The tendency for stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus to elicit similar responses

Stimulus Discrimination

The learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and a similar stimulus that are not associated with the unconditioned stimulus