Psych 6 - Basic Learning, Classical Conditioning, Behaviorism

Reflexes

Motor or neural reaction to a specific stimulus in the environment

Instincts

Innate behaviors triggered by broader range of events (aging, seasonal changes); more complex patterns involving movement of whole organism

Learning

Relatively permanent change in behavior or knowledge that results from experience

Associative Learning

When an organism makes connections between stimuli or events that occur together in the environment

Classical Conditioning (Pavlovian Conditioning)

Process by which organisms learn to associate events or stimuli that repeatedly happen together

Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS)

Stimulus that elicits a reflexive response in an organism

Unconditioned Response (UCR)

Natural (unlearned) reaction to a given stimulus

Neutral Stimulus (NS)

Stimulus that does not naturally elicit a response

Conditioned Stimulus (CS)

Stimulus that elicits a response after repeatedly being paired with an unconditioned stimulus

Conditioned Response (CR)

Learned response to a conditioned stimulus

Higher-Order Conditioning (Second-Order Conditioning)

Pairing a new neutral stimulus with an already established conditioned stimulus

Acquisition

Process where neutral stimulus begins to elicit conditioned response and becomes a conditioned stimulus

Extinction

Decrease in conditioned response when unconditioned stimulus is no longer presented with conditioned stimulus

Spontaneous Recovery

Return of previously extinguished conditioned response following a rest period

Stimulus Discrimination

Learning to respond differently to various similar stimuli

Stimulus Generalization

Demonstrating conditioned response to stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus

Habituation

Learning not to respond to a stimulus presented repeatedly without change

Behaviorism

Psychological approach founded by John B. Watson

Anxiety Disorders

Group of disorders involving excessive, persistent, and distressing fear and anxiety that interferes with normal functioning

Specific Phobia

Specific unrealistic fear (formerly called simple phobia)

Social Anxiety Disorder

Extreme and persistent fear or anxiety and avoidance of social situations where person could be evaluated negatively

Panic Disorder

Being suddenly overwhelmed by panic without apparent reason to be frightened

Agoraphobia

Intense fear and avoidance of situations where it might be difficult to escape (literally means "fear of the marketplace")

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Relatively continuous state of tension, apprehension, and dread; excessive, uncontrollable, and pointless worry about routine things

Panic Attack

Period of extreme fear or discomfort that develops abruptly and reaches peak within 10 minutes; includes accelerated heart rate, sweating, trembling, choking sensations, hot/cold flashes, dizziness, fears of losing control or dying

Safety Behaviors

Mental or behavioral acts that reduce anxiety in social situations by reducing chance of negative social outcomes (avoiding eye contact, rehearsing sentences, talking briefly, not talking about oneself)

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Disorder resulting from experience of traumatic or profoundly stressful event that produces constellation of symptoms lasting one month or more

Flashbacks

States lasting from seconds to days where individual relives traumatic event and behaves as if it were occurring at that moment

Intrusive Memories

Distressing memories of traumatic event that occur involuntarily