AP Psychology Unit 4

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57 Terms

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cognitive learning
the acquisition of mental information, whether by observing events, by watching others, or through language.
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reinforcement
in operant conditioning, any event that strengthens the behavior it follows.
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discriminative stimulus
in operant conditioning, a stimulus that elicits a response after association with reinforcement (in contrast to related stimuli not associated with reinforcement)
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emotion-focused coping
attempting to alleviate stress by avoiding or ignoring a stressor and attending to emotional needs related to our stress reaction.
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internal locus of control
the perception that we control our own fate
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learning
the process of acquiring through experience new and relatively enduring information or behaviors.
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habituation
decreasing responsiveness with repeated exposure to a stimulus.
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associative learning
learning that certain events occur together. The events may be two stimuli (as in classical conditioning) or a response and its consequence (as in operant conditioning)
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stimulus
any event or situation that evokes a response.
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respondent behavior
behavior that occurs as an automatic response to some stimulus.
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operant behavior
behavior that operates on the environment, producing consequences.
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classical conditioning
a type of learning in which we link two or more stimuli; as a result, to illustrate with Pavlov’s classic experiment, the first stimulus (a tone) comes to elicit behavior (drooling) in anticipation of the second stimulus (food).
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behaviorism
the view that psychology (1) should be an objective science that (2) studies behavior without reference to mental processes.
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neutral stimulus
in classical conditioning, a stimulus that elicits no response before conditioning
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unconditioned response
in classical conditioning, an unlearned, naturally occurring response (such as salivation) to an unconditioned stimulus
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unconditioned stimulus
in classical conditioning, a stimulus that unconditionally—naturally and automatically—triggers an unconditioned response UR).
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conditioned response
in classical conditioning, a learned response to a previously neutral (but now conditioned) stimulus (CS).
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conditioned stimulus
in classical conditioning, an originally neutral stimulus that, after association with an unconditioned stimulus (US), comes to trigger a conditioned response (CR).
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acquisition
in classical conditioning, the initial stage, when one links a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus so that the neutral stimulus begins triggering the conditioned response. In operant conditioning, the strengthening of a reinforced response.
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higher-order conditioning
a procedure in which the conditioned stimulus in one conditioning experience is paired with a new neutral stimulus, creating a second (often weaker) conditioned stimulus
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extinction
the diminishing of a conditioned response; occurs in classical conditioning when an unconditioned stimulus (US) does not follow a conditioned stimulus (CS); occurs in operant conditioning when a response is no longer reinforced.
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spontaneous recovery
the reappearance, after a pause, of an extinguished conditioned response.
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generalization
the tendency, once a response has been conditioned, for stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus to elicit similar responses
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discrimination
in classical conditioning, the learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and similar stimuli that do not signal an unconditioned stimulus. (In operant conditioning, the ability to distinguish responses that are reinforced from similar responses that are not reinforced.)
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operant conditioning
a type of learning in which a behavior becomes more likely to recur if followed by a reinforcer or less likely to recur if followed by a punisher.
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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
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operant chamber
in operant conditioning research, a chamber (also known as a Skinner box) containing a bar or key that an animal can manipulate to obtain a food or water reinforcer; attached devices record the animal’s rate of bar pressing or key pecking.
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shaping
an operant conditioning procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior toward closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior
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positive reinforcement
increasing behaviors by presenting positive reinforcers. A positive reinforcer is any stimulus that, when presented after a response, strengthens the response
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negative reinforcement
increasing behaviors by stopping or reducing aversive stimuli. A negative reinforcer is any stimulus that, when removed after a response, strengthens the response
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primary reinforcer
an innately reinforcing stimulus, such as one that satisfies a biological need
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conditioned reinforcer
a stimulus that gains its reinforcing power through its association with a primary reinforcer; also known as a secondary reinforcer
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reinforcement schedule
a pattern that defines how often a desired response will be reinforced
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continuous reinforcement schedule
reinforcing the desired response every time it occurs
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partial reinforcement schedule
reinforcing a response only part of the time; results in slower acquisition of a response but much greater resistance to extinction than does continuous reinforcement
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fixed-ratio schedule
in operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified number of responses.
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variable-ratio schedule
in operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses
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fixed-interval schedule
in operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified time has elapsed
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variable-interval schedule
in operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals
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punishment
an event that tends to decrease the behavior that it follows
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biofeedback
a system for electronically recording, amplifying, and feeding back information regarding a subtle physiological state, such as blood pressure or muscle tension.
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preparedness
a biological predisposition to learn associations, such as between taste and nausea, that have survival value
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instinctive drift
the tendency of learned behavior to gradually revert to biologically predisposed patterns
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cognitive map
a mental representation of the layout of one’s environment
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latent learning
learning that occurs but is not apparent until there is an incentive to demonstrate it
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insight
a sudden realization of a problem’s solution; contrasts with strategy-based solutions
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intrinsic motivation
a desire to perform a behavior effectively for its own sake
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extrinsic motivation
a desire to perform a behavior to receive promised rewards or avoid threatened punishment
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problem-focused coping
attempting to alleviate stress directly—by changing the stressor or the way we interact with that stressor
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personal control
our sense of controlling our environment rather than feeling helpless.
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learned helplessness
the hopelessness and passive resignation an animal or person learns when unable to avoid repeated aversive events.
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external locus of control
the perception that chance or outside forces beyond our personal control determine our fate
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self-control
the ability to control impulses and delay short-term gratification for greater long-term rewards
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observational learning
learning by observing others
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modeling
the process of observing and imitating a specific behavior
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mirror neurons
frontal lobe neurons that some scientists believe fire when we perform certain actions or observe another doing so
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prosocial behavior
positive, constructive, helpful behavior