AP Psych Unit 5

associative learning

learning that certain events occur together. The events may be two stimuli (as in classical conditioning) or a response and its consequences (as in operant conditioning).

Conditioning

the process of learning associations between environmental events and behavioral responses

Behaviorism

the science of behavior that focuses on observable behavior only

neutral stimulus (NS)

a stimulus that does not initially elicit a response

unconditioned stimulus (US)

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 (US), such as salivation when food is in the mouth

Ivan Pavlov

discovered classical conditioning; trained dogs to salivate at the ringing of a bell

Trace

reinforcement occurs every time the behavior occurs

Presentation of UCS & CS

Trace, delayed, backwards, simultaneous, and temporal

delayed

Behavior is sometimes reinforced occasionally

backwards

Reinforcement after certain number of times

simultaneous

Neutral stimulus presented at same time as UCS

temporal

No tone - instead based on time

2nd/higher order conditioning

Pairing two things to evoke a conditioned response (flashing light and ringing bell

acquisition

The initial stage in classical conditioning; the phase associating a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus so that the neutral stimulus comes to elicit a conditioned response.

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.

spontaneous recovery

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

Generalization

the tendency, once a response has been conditioned, for stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus to elicit similar responses

Discrimination

in classical conditioning, the learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and stimuli that do not signal an unconditioned stimulus

John Watson

behaviorism; emphasis on external behaviors of people and their reactions on a given situation; famous for Little Albert study in which baby was taught to fear a white rat

Robert Rescorla and Allan Wagner

showed that an animal can learn the predictability of an event

operant conditioning

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

Edward Thorndike

behaviorism; Law of Effect-relationship between behavior and consequence

B.F. Skinner

Behaviorist that developed the theory of operant conditioning by training pigeons and rats

Operant Chamber (Skinner Box)

in operant conditioning research, a chamber 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

shaping (operant conditioning)

securing desired behaviour through reinforcement of it and of behaviours leading up to it

Chaining Behavior

an operant conditioning method in which sequential behaviors are reinforced by opportunities to engage in the next one

positive reinforcement

Increasing behaviors by presenting positive stimuli

negative reinforcement

the reinforcement of a response by the removal

escape learning

A type of learning in which an organism acquires a response that decreases or ends some aversive stimulation.

avoidance learning

an organism learning to acquire a response that prevents some aversive stimulation from occurring

primary reinforcer

stimulus that is naturally rewarding

secondary reinforcer

any reinforcer that becomes reinforcing after being paired with a primary reinforcer

delayed gratification (self-discipline)

the subject undergoes when the subject resists the temptation of an immediate reward in preference for a later reward

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 to extinction 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

positive punishment

addition of something unpleasant

negative punishment

taking away a pleasant stimulus to decrease or stop a behavior

Modeling

learning by imitating others; copying behavior

mirror neurons

neurons in the brain that are activated when one observes another individual engage in an action and when one performs a similar action

Albert Bandura

researcher famous for work in observational or social learning including the famous Bobo doll experiment

John Garcia

Researched taste aversion. Showed that when rats ate a novel substance before being nauseated by a drug or radiation

biological predispositions

Genetically programmed tendencies to acquire classically conditioned fear responses to potentially life-threatening stimuli

instinctive drift

tendency for animals to return to innate behaviors following repeated reinforcement

Edward Tolman

researched rats' use of "cognitive maps"

latent learning

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

cognitive map

a mental representation of the layout of one's environment. For example

insight

a sudden and often novel realization of the solution to a problem

overjustification effect

the tendency for people to view their behavior as caused by compelling extrinsic reasons

learned helplessness

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

intrinsic motivation

a desire to perform a behavior effectively for its own sake

extrinsic motivation

a desire to perform a behavior due to promised rewards or threats of punishment