Unit 4 - Conditioning

Adaptability

Capacity to learn new behaviors for changing circumstances.

Learning

Relatively permanent change in behavior due to experience.

Associative Learning

Learning that certain events occur together.

Conditioning

Process of learning associations between stimuli.

Behavioralism

Psychological view focusing on observable behavior.

Unconditioned Stimulus (US)

Stimulus triggering a natural, automatic response.

Unconditioned Response (UR)

Natural response caused by the unconditioned stimulus.

Conditioned Stimulus (CS)

Originally irrelevant stimulus that triggers a conditioned response.

Conditioned Response (CR)

Learned response to a previously neutral stimulus.

Acquisition

Linking neutral stimulus with unconditioned stimulus.

Higher Order Conditioning

Neutral stimulus becomes a new conditioned stimulus.

Extinction

Conditioned stimulus fails to elicit a conditioned response.

Spontaneous Recovery

Conditioned response reappears after extinction period.

Generalization

Similar stimuli trigger a conditioned response.

Discrimination

Different stimuli do not trigger the conditioned response.

Delayed Conditioning

Present CS while US is still present.

Trace Conditioning

Present CS, short break, then present US.

Simultaneous Conditioning

Present CS and US at the same time.

Backward Conditioning

Present US before CS.

Operant Conditioning

Learning where behavior is strengthened by reinforcement.

Law of Effect

Behaviors change due to consequences observed.

Shaping

Gradually reinforcing closer approximations to desired behavior.

Positive Reinforcer

Adding something pleasant to strengthen behavior.

Negative Reinforcer

Taking away something unpleasant to strengthen behavior.

Intrinsic Motivation

Desire to perform behavior for personal benefit.

Extrinsic Motivation

Desire to behave for external rewards or avoidance.

Modeling

Observing and imitating specific behaviors.

Social Learning Theory

Combines observational learning with operant conditioning.

variable interval

reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals

variable ratio

reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses