Ap Psych Unit 3 Vocab

Behavioral Perspective

An approach to the study of psychology that focuses on the role of learning in explaining observable behavior.

classical conditioning

a type of learning in which one learns to link two or more stimuli and anticipate events

association

The basis of all learning is in what two things we group together, and how that triggers a response.

acquisition

This phase of pairing the neutral stimulus and unconditioned stimulus over and over again until the subject associates the two

associative learning

linking two stimuli, or events, that occur together

unconditioned stimulus

in classical conditioning, a stimulus that unconditionally—naturally and automatically—triggers a response.

unconditioned response

In classical conditioning, the unlearned, naturally occurring response to the unconditioned stimulus

conditioned response

a learned response to a previously neutral stimulus

conditioned stimulus

a stimulus that elicits a response only after learning has taken place

Extinction

the diminishing of a conditioned response

spontaneous recovery

the reappearance, after a pause, of an extinguished conditioned response

stimulus discrimination

a learned ability to differentiate among similar products

stimulus generalization

the tendency to respond to a stimulus that is only similar to the original conditioned stimulus with the conditioned response

higher-order conditioning

occurs when a strong conditioned stimulus is paired with a neutral stimulus, causing the neutral stimulus to become a second conditioned stimulus

counterconditioning

a behavior therapy procedure that uses classical conditioning to evoke new responses to stimuli that are triggering unwanted behaviors

taste aversion

a learned avoidance of a particular food

one-trial conditioning

with one exposure to the aversive stimulus being enough to end the behavior forever

biological preparedness

In learning theory, the idea that an organism is innately predisposed to form associations between certain stimuli and responses.

Habituation

an organism's decreasing response to a stimulus with repeated exposure to it

operant conditioning

a type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforcer or diminished if followed by a punisher

reinforcment

any event that strengthens the behavior it follows

punishment

an event that tends to decrease the behavior that it follows

law of effect

Thorndike's principle that behaviors followed by favorable consequences become more likely, and that behaviors followed by unfavorable consequences become less likely

postive reinforcement

a response that encourages a particular behavior

negative reinforcement

increasing the strength of a given response by removing or preventing a painful stimulus when the response occurs

Primary reinforcers

Events that are inherently reinforcing because they satisfy biological needs

secondary reinforcers

events that acquire reinforcing qualities by being associated with primary reinforcers

reinforcement discrimination

The ability to distinguish between different situations where reinforcement is provided.

reinforcement generalization

The tendency to respond to stimuli similar to the original stimulus that was reinforced.

shaping

an operant conditioning procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior toward closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior

instinctive drift

the tendency of learned behavior to gradually revert to biologically predisposed patterns

superstitious behavior

Behavior learned through coincidental association with reinforcement

learned helplessness

the tendency to fail to act to escape from a situation because of a history of repeated failures in the past

reinforcement schedule

a pattern that defines how often a desired response will be reinforced

continuous reinforcement

reinforcing the desired response every time it occurs

partial reinforcement

A type of learning in which behavior is reinforced intermittently

fixed interval

reinforces a response only after a specified time has elapsed

variable interval

reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals

fixed ratio

reinforces a response only after a specified number of responses

variable ratio

reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses

scalloped graph

The graphed pattern of a fixed interval reinforcement schedule

social learning theory

the theory that we learn social behavior by observing and imitating and by being rewarded or punished

vicarious conditioning

classical conditioning of a reflex response or emotion by watching the reaction of another person

modeling

the process of observing and imitating a specific behavior

insight learning

The process of learning how to solve a problem or do something new by applying what is already known

latent learning

learning that occurs but is not apparent until there is an incentive to demonstrate it

cognitive maps

a mental representation of the layout of one's environment