Griggs Psychology - Chapter 4

Classical Conditioning

Acquiring a new response (the conditioned response) to a previously neutral stimulus (the conditioned stimulus) that reliably signals the arrival of an unconditioned stimulus.

Reflex

A stimulus-response pair in which the stimulus (the unconditioned stimulus) automatically elicits the response (the unconditioned response).

Unconditioned stimulus (UCS)

The stimulus in a reflex that automatically elicits an unconditioned response.

Unconditioned response (UCR)

The response in a reflex that is automatically elicited by the unconditioned stimulus.

Conditioned stimulus (CS)

The stimulus that comes to elicit a new response (the conditioned response) in classical conditioning.

Conditioned response (CR)

The response that is elicited by the conditioned stimulus in classical conditioning.

Delayed Conditioning

A classical conditioning procedure in which the conditioned stimulus precedes the unconditioned stimulus and remains present until after the unconditioned stimulus is presented so that the two stimuli occur together.

Trace conditioning

A classical conditioning procedure in which the conditioned stimulus precedes the unconditioned stimulus but is removed before the unconditioned stimulus is presented so that the two stimuli do not occur together.

Acquisition (CC)

Acquiring a new response (the conditioned response) to the conditioned stimulus.

Extinction (CC)

The diminishing of the conditioned response when the unconditioned stimulus no longer follows the conditioned stimulus.

Spontaneous recovery (CC)

A partial recovery in strength of the conditioned response following a break during extinction training.

Stimulus generalization (CC)

The elicitation of the conditioned response to stimuli that are similar to the conditioned stimulus. The more similar the stimulus is to the conditioned stimulus, the stronger the response.

Stimulus discrimination (CC)

The elicitation of the conditioned response only by the conditioned stimulus or only by a small set of highly similar stimuli that includes the conditioned stimulus.

Operant conditioning

Learning to associated behaviors with their consequences. Behaviors that are reinforced (lead to satisfying consequences) will be strengthened, and behaviors that are punished (lead to unsatisfying consequences) will be weakened.

Law of effect

A principle developed by Edward Thorndike that says that any behavior that results in satisfying consequences tends to be repeated and that any behavior that results in unsatisfying consequences tends not to be repeated.

Reinforcer

A stimulus that increases the probability of a prior response.

Punisher

A stimulus that decreases the probability of a prior response.

Reinforcement

The process by which the probability of a response is increased by the presentation of a reinforcer.

Appetitive stimulus

A stimulus that is pleasant.

Aversive stimulus

A stimulus that is unpleasant.

Positive reinforcement

Reinforcement in which an appetitive stimulus is presented.

Positive punishment

Punishment in which an aversive stimulus is presented.

Negative reinforcement

Reinforcement in which an aversive stimulus is removed.

Negative punishment

Punishment in which an appetitive stimulus is removed.

Primary reinforcer

A stimulus that is innately reinforcing.

Secondary reinforcer

A stimulus that gains its reinforcing property through learning.

Behavior modification

The application of classical and operant conditioning principles to eliminate undesirable behavior and to teach more desirable behavior.

Premack principle

The principle that the opportunity to perform a highly frequent behavior can reinforce a less frequent behavior.

Shaping

Training a human or animal to make an operant response by reinforcing successive approximations of the desired response.

Cumulative record

A record of the total number of operant responses over time that visually depicts the rate of responding.

Acquistion (OC)

The strengthening of a reinforced operant response.

Extinction (OC)

The diminishing of the operant response when it is no longer reinforced.

Spontaneous recovery (OC)

The temporary recovery of the operant response following a break during extinction training.

Discriminative stimulus (OC)

The stimulus that has to be present for the operant response to be reinforced.

Stimulus discrimination (OC)

Learning to give the operant response only in the presence of the discriminative stimulus.

Stimulus generalization (OC)

Giving the operant response in the presence of stimuli similar to the discriminative stimulus. The more similar the stimulus, the higher the operant response rate.

Continuous schedule of reinforcement

Reinforcing the desired operant response each time it is made.

Partial schedule of reinforcement

Reinforcing the desired operant response only part of the time.

Partial-reinforcement effect

The finding that operant responses that are reinforced on partial schedules are more resisant to extinction that those reinforced on a continuous schedule.

Fixed-ratio schedule

A partial schedule of reinforcement in which a reinforcer is delivered each time a fixed number of responses is made. The fixed number can be any number greater than one.

Variable-ratio schedule

A partial schedule of reinforcement in which the number of responses it takes to obtain a reinforcer varies on each trial but averages to a set number across trials.

Fixed-interval schedule

A partial schedule of reinforcement in which a reinforcer is delivered after the first response is given once a set interval of time has elapsed.

Variable-interval schedule

A partial schedule of reinforcement in which the time that must elapse on each trial before a response will lead to the delivery of a reinforcer varies from trial to trial but averages to set time across trials.

Motivation

The set of internal and external factors that energize our behavior and direct it toward goals.

Drive-reduction theory

A theory of motivation that proposes that our behavior is motivated to reduce drives (bodily tension states) created by unsatisfied bodily needs to return the body to a balanced internal state.

Incentive theory

A theory of motivation that proposes that our behavior is motivated by incentives, external stimuli that we have learned to associate with reinforcement.

Arousal theory

A theory of motivation that proposes that our behavior is motivated to maintain an optimal level of physiological arousal.

Yerkes-Dodson law

A law describing the relationship between the amount of arousal and the performance quality on a task - increasing arousal up to some optimal level increases performance quality on a task, but increasing arousal past this point is detrimental to performance.

Extrinsic motivation

The desire to perform a behavior for external reinforcement.

Intrinsic motivation

The desire to perform a behavior for its own sake.

Overjustification effect

A decrease in an intrinsically motivated behavior after the behavior is extrinsically reinforced and then the reinforcement is discontinued.

Instinctual drift

The tendency for an animal to drift back from a learned operant response to an innate, instinctual response to an object.

Latent learning

Learning that occurs but is not demonstrated until there is incentive to do so.

Observational learning (modeling)

Learning by observing others and imitating their behavior.

Mirror neurons

Neurons that fire both when performing an action and when observing another person perform that same action.

Mary Cover Jones

Deconditioned a preexisting fear of rabbits in a 3-yea-old baby

Elsie Bregman

Concluded possible biological predisposition to learn certain fears more easily than others.

Edward Thorndike

developed Law-and-effect and said that any behavior that results in satisfying consequences tends to be repeated, and any behavior that results in unsatisfying consequences tends not to be repeated.

B.F Skinner

Behavioral control- he trained pigeons to play ping pong and guide a video game missle.