Psychology Terms and Concepts

This set of flashcards covers key terms and concepts from psychology, particularly focusing on behaviorism, conditioning theories, and humanistic psychology.

Behaviorism

A psychological perspective that emphasizes learning through experience and observation, proposing that behavior is not innate but learned.

Attachment Behavioral System (ABS)

Bowlby's concept emphasizing the early formation of a bond between infant and caregiver, generally activated by perceived threats.

Working Models

Mental representations of relationships with primary caregivers that serve as templates for future relationships.

Classical Conditioning

A learning process in which a neutral stimulus becomes associated with a significant stimulus, eliciting a conditioned response.

Operant Conditioning

A method of learning that occurs through rewards and punishments for behavior.

Unconditioned Stimulus (US)

A stimulus that naturally triggers a response without any conditioning.

Unconditioned Response (UR)

A naturally occurring reaction to an unconditioned stimulus.

Conditioned Stimulus (CS)

An initially neutral stimulus that, after being paired with an unconditioned stimulus, eventually elicits a conditioned response.

Conditioned Response (CR)

The learned response to a previously neutral stimulus that has become conditioned.

Reinforcement

Any stimulus that increases the likelihood of a behavior being repeated.

Punishment

Any stimulus that decreases the likelihood of a behavior being repeated.

Shaping

The process of gradually reinforcing behaviors that are increasingly closer to the desired behavior.

Generalization

The tendency to respond in the same way to different but similar stimuli.

Discrimination

The ability to distinguish between similar stimuli and respond differently.

Extinction

The gradual weakening and disappearance of a conditioned response when the conditioned stimulus is no longer paired with the unconditioned stimulus.

Counter Conditioning

A behavior modification technique that pairs a negative response with a positive response to change the association.

Affective Forecasting

The process of predicting how future events will affect our emotional well-being.

Learned Helplessness

A psychological condition in which an individual feels unable to control outcomes, leading to passive behavior.

Empiricism

The theory that knowledge comes only or primarily from sensory experience.

Transactional Model

A perspective that emphasizes the dynamic interplay between individuals and their environment.

Humanistic Psychology

A psychological perspective that emphasizes the study of the whole person and the uniqueness of each individual.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

A motivational theory comprising a five-tier model of human needs, ranging from physiological needs to self-actualization.

Existentialism

A philosophical movement that focuses on individual existence, freedom, and choice.

Mortality Salience Hypothesis (MS)

The idea that reminders of mortality influence people's behavior and attitudes.

Cultural World View (CWV)

A mental representation of the world that helps individuals cope with existential fears.

Reinforcement Schedules

Strategies to determine which behaviors to reinforce and how often, affecting learning rates.

Habituation

A decrease in response to a stimulus after repeated presentations.

Preparedness

The theory that humans are biologically predisposed to learn certain associations more readily than others.

Overjustification Hypothesis

The theory that externally rewarding intrinsically motivated behavior can undermine intrinsic motivation.

Identity Crisis

A period of uncertainty and confusion in which a person's sense of identity becomes insecure.