AP PSYCHOLOGY UNIT 3: Learning Psychology Set II

Negative Reinforcement

increasing behaviours by stopping or reducing negative stimuli

Primary Reinforcer

an innately reinforcing stimulus, such as one that satisfies a biological need

Conditioned Reinforcer

a stimulus that gains its reinforcing power through its association with a primary reinforcer

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

reinforcing a response only part of the time; results in slower acquisition of a response but much greater resistance than does continuous reinforcement

Fixed Ratio Schedule

a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified number of responses

Variable Ratio Schedule

a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses

Fixed Interval Schedule

a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified time has elapsed

Variable Interval Schedule

a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals

Punishment

an event that tends to decrease the behaviour that it follows

Cognitive Map

a mental representation of the layout of one’s environment

Latent Learning

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

Intrinsic Motivation

a desire to perform a behaviour effectively for its own sake

Extrinsic Motivation

a desire to perform a behaviour to receive promised rewards or avoid threatened punishment

Learned Helplessness

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

External Locus of Control

the perception that chance or outside forces beyond our personal control determine our fate

Internal Locus of Control

the perception that you control your own fate

Observational Learning

learning by observing others

Modeling

the process of observing and imitating a specific behaviour