AP PSYCH UNIT 3.1 VOCAB

Behavioral perspective

The view that psychology should be an objective science that studies observable behavior without reference to mental processes.

Classical conditioning

A type of learning in which one learns to link two or more stimuli and anticipate events.

Association

The connection made between two stimuli or between a behavior and its consequences.

Acquisition

The initial stage of learning when a response is first established and gradually strengthened.

Associative learning

Learning that certain events occur together, either stimuli or a response and its consequences.

Unconditioned stimulus

A stimulus that naturally and automatically triggers a response without prior learning.

Unconditioned response

An unlearned, naturally occurring reaction to an unconditioned stimulus.

Conditioned response

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

Conditioned stimulus

A previously neutral stimulus that, after association with an unconditioned stimulus, triggers a conditioned response.

Extinction

The diminishing of a conditioned response when the conditioned stimulus is no longer paired with the unconditioned stimulus.

Spontaneous recovery

The reappearance of a previously extinguished conditioned response after a rest period.

Stimulus discrimination

The learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and other irrelevant stimuli.

Stimulus generalization

The tendency to respond to stimuli that are similar to the conditioned stimulus.

Higher-order conditioning

A procedure in which a new neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus by being paired with an already established conditioned stimulus.

Counterconditioning

A behavior therapy procedure that uses classical conditioning to evoke new responses to stimuli that are triggering unwanted behaviors.

Taste aversion

A learned avoidance of a particular food or taste following a negative experience.

One-trial conditioning

Learning that occurs after only one pairing of the neutral stimulus with the unconditioned stimulus.

Biological preparedness

The tendency for certain associations to be learned more easily than others due to evolutionary history.

One-trial learning

Learning that takes place rapidly, usually after a single experience.

Habituation

Decreasing responsiveness to a stimulus after repeated exposure.

Operant conditioning

A type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by reinforcement or diminished if followed by punishment.

Reinforcement

Any event that strengthens the behavior it follows.

Punishment

An event that decreases the behavior it follows.

Law of Effect

Thorndike's principle that behaviors followed by favorable consequences become more likely and behaviors followed by unfavorable consequences become less likely.

Positive reinforcement

The addition of a desirable stimulus to increase a behavior.

Negative reinforcement

The removal of an aversive stimulus to increase a behavior.

Primary reinforcers

Stimuli that are naturally rewarding, such as food or water.

Secondary reinforcers

Stimuli that gain their reinforcing power through association with primary reinforcers, such as money or praise.

Reinforcement discrimination

The ability to distinguish which behaviors will be reinforced and which will not.

Reinforcement generalization

The tendency to respond to stimuli similar to the one that has been reinforced.

Shaping

A procedure in operant conditioning in which reinforcers guide behavior toward closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior.

Instinctive drift

The tendency for learned behavior to gradually revert to biologically predisposed patterns.

Superstitious behavior

Behavior that is repeated because it seems to produce reinforcement, even if it is not actually connected.

Learned helplessness

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

Reinforcement schedules

Patterns that determine how often a behavior is reinforced.

Continuous reinforcement

Reinforcing the desired response every time it occurs.

Partial reinforcement

Reinforcing a response only part of the time, resulting in slower acquisition but greater resistance to extinction.

Fixed interval

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

Variable interval

A reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals.

Fixed ratio

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

Variable ratio

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

Scalloped graph

A graph of responses showing a pause after reinforcement followed by a gradually increasing response rate.

Social learning theory

The theory that we learn social behavior by observing and imitating others.

Vicarious conditioning

Learning to anticipate a behavior’s consequences by observing others being reinforced or punished.

Modeling

The process of observing and imitating a specific behavior.

Insight learning

A sudden realization of a problem’s solution without trial-and-error behavior.

Latent learning

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

Cognitive maps

Mental representations of the layout of an environment