Exam 3 Study Guide: Classical Conditioning, Operant Conditioning, and Observational Learning

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering classical conditioning, operant reinforcement schedules, learned helplessness, and observational learning from the Exam 3 Study Guide.

Learning

Any relatively permanent change in behavior brought about by experience or practice.

Classical Conditioning

A form of learning discovered by Ivan Pavlov in which an organism learns to associate a previously neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus to elicit an involuntary response.

Ivan Pavlov

The Russian physiologist credited with discovering classical conditioning through his research on canine digestive reflexes and salivation.

Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS)

A naturally occurring stimulus that reflexively and automatically triggers an involuntary response without prior learning, such as food placed in the mouth.

Unconditioned Response (UCR)

An unlearned, involuntary reflex response to a naturally occurring stimulus, such as salivation when food is placed in an animal's mouth.

Conditioned Stimulus (CS)

An originally neutral stimulus that, after repeated pairing with an unconditioned stimulus, comes to trigger a conditioned response.

Conditioned Response (CR)

A learned reaction to a conditioned stimulus that occurs because of prior conditioning, such as salivating to the sound of footsteps or a metronome.

Stimulus Generalization

The tendency to respond to a stimulus that is similar to the original conditioned stimulus, such as a child calling a tiger 'cat' or fearing objects similar to a white rat.

Extinction

The gradual dying out of a conditioned response when the conditioned stimulus is repeatedly presented in the absence of the unconditioned stimulus.

Spontaneous Recovery

The reappearance of an extinguished learned response after a rest period has occurred.

Little Albert Study

An experiment by John B. Watson in which an infant was conditioned to fear a white rat by pairing it with a loud, fear-inducing sound as an unconditioned stimulus.

Edward Thorndike

The researcher known for studying cats in puzzle boxes and formulating the law of effect.

Law of Effect

A behavioral principle stating that responses followed by satisfying consequences become more likely to recur, whereas responses followed by discomfort become less likely to recur.

Skinner Box

An operant chamber commonly used in animal learning research, especially with rats, to observe and measure response rates under specific reinforcement schedules.

Reinforcer

Any event or consequence following a behavior that strengthens and increases the likelihood that the behavior will occur again.

Punishment

Any event or consequence following a behavior that weakens and decreases the likelihood that the behavior will occur again.

Continuous Reinforcement Schedule

A schedule in which a reinforcement is provided every single time a specific behavior occurs, such as a vending machine delivering a soda for every dollar put in.

Ratio Schedule

A schedule of reinforcement in which the delivery of the reinforcer is dependent upon the number of responses emitted.

Fixed-Ratio (FR) Schedule

A schedule where reinforcement is given only after a specific, predictable number of responses has been performed, such as receiving $20 for every 25 radios built.

Fixed-Interval (FI) Schedule

A schedule where reinforcement is provided for the first response made after a fixed, predictable amount of time has elapsed, such as a monthly paycheck.

Variable-Interval (VI) Schedule

A schedule of reinforcement where rewards are delivered after unpredictable and variable intervals of time, such as an employer presenting surprise bonuses.

Variable-Ratio (VR) Schedule

A partial reinforcement schedule where reinforcement is delivered after an unpredictable number of responses, typically producing the most persistent and lasting behavioral change.

Token Economy

A behavior modification technique where individuals earn tokens or stickers for exhibiting targeted behaviors, which can later be traded in for desired prizes or privileges.

Learned Helplessness

A condition in which passive resignation develops after an organism is subjected to inescapable, unavoidable aversive events, preventing them from attempting escape when control is possible.

Martin Seligman

The psychologist most closely associated with the discovery and research of learned helplessness through experiments involving dogs and inescapable electric shocks.

Observational Learning

Learning that takes place by observing and modeling the actions, behaviors, and outcomes of others.

Albert Bandura

The foremost proponent of observational learning theory, renowned for his classic Bobo doll experiments on modeling and aggression.

Bobo Doll

An inflatable clown-like target doll utilized in Albert Bandura's research on observational learning and modeled aggressive behavior in children.

Motor Reproduction

The step in observational learning that requires an individual to have the physical ability and motor skills necessary to reproduce the behavior they have observed.