AP Psych Learning Unit

Classical Conditioning

process of associations/pairingsbetween a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus, leading to a conditioned response.

Neutral Stimulus NS (with Pavlov example)

stimulus that elicits no response before conditioning (bell)

Unconditioned Stimulus UCS (with Pavlov example)

a stimulus that naturally and automatically triggers a response (smell of meat)

Unconditioned Response UCR (with Pavlov example)

naturally occurring response (salivation when food is in the mouth).

Conditioned Stimulus CS (with Pavlov example)

previously neutral; now learned - bell 

Conditioned Response CR (with Pavlov example)

learned response - salivation

Extinction

Extinction diminishes the conditioned response; the dog unlearns the bell-food connection and ceases to salivate to the bell.

You do this by repeatedly presenting the CS without the US.  Ring the bell over and over without feeding the dog.

Spontaneous Recovery

conditioned response returns after extinction

Generalization

responds to stimuli that are similar to the CS

The tendency to respond to similar CSs in the same way. (dog salivates to bell-like sounds).

Discrimination

knowing the difference between the CS and other stimuli

dog salivates only to a specific bell

Operant Conditioning

• relationship between behavior and consequences

  • Reinforcement increases likelihood of behavior

  • Positive – add something good

  • Negative – remove something bad/unpleasant

  • Punishment decreases likelihood of behavior

  • Positive – add something bad

  • Negative – remove something good

Thorndike’s law of effect

• behaviors followed by favorable consequences become more likely

• behaviors followed by unfavorable consequences become less likely.

Shaping

• ​​Shaping reinforcers guide behavior toward closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior (successive approximations).

• reward successive approximations

Positive Reinforcement (with example)

increasing behaviors by adding something good

Negative Reinforcement (with example)

increases behaviors by removing something bad/unpleasant

Positive Punishment (with example)

add something bad/unpleasant

Negative Punishment (with example)

remove something good

Fixed Ratio

fixed # of times before reward (free drink after every 10 purchased)

Variable Ratio

variable # of times before reward (slot machines)

Fixed Interval

fixed amount of time before reward (paycheck every 2 weeks)

Variable Interval

variable amount of time before reward (random gifts for good behavior; pop quizzes for students).

Latent learning

learning you have, but might not know until you need it – college campus

Learned Helplessness

the helplessness and passive resignation an animal or human learns when unable to avoid repeated aversive events

Observational learning (Social learning) Include Modeling

External locus of control the perception that chance or outside forces determine our fate.

mirror neurons

frontal lobe neurons that some scientists believe fire when performing certain actions or when observing another doing so.  The brain’s mirroring of another’s action may enable imitation and empathy

Social Learning Theory

observational learning and modeling

Define learning

the process of acquiring new and relatively enduring information or behaviors the process of acquiring new and relatively enduring information or behaviors

Aversive Conditioning

pairing something negative with something you want to stop

Cognitive Map

mental representation of one’s environment

Primary Reinforcer

biological need

Secondary Reinforcer

money