AP Psychology - Unit 3 Part 2 - Learning

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts in behavioral psychology, including classical and operant conditioning.

Spontaneous Recovery

Reappearance, after a pause, of a weakened conditioned response.

Stimulus Generalization

Tendency for stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus to elicit similar responses.

Stimulus Discrimination

Learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and other stimuli that have not been associated with it.

Counterconditioning

Behavioral therapy techniques that replace an unwanted response to a stimulus with a new, desired response.

Operant Conditioning

Type of learning in which behavior becomes more likely to recur if followed by a reinforcer or less likely if followed by a punisher.

Law of Effect

Principle that behaviors followed by favorable consequences become likely, while those followed by unfavorable consequences become less likely.

Reinforcement

Any event that strengthens the behavior it follows.

Shaping

Procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior toward closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior.

Cognitive Maps

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.

Insight Learning

Solving problems through sudden insight; contrasts with strategy-based solutions.

Intrinsic Motivation

Drive to engage in an activity for its own sake, rather than for external rewards or pressures.

Conditioned Stimulus (CS)

Originally neutral stimulus that, after association with an unconditioned stimulus, comes to trigger a conditioned response.

Acquisition

Initial stage when one links a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus so that the neutral stimulus begins triggering the conditioned response.

Higher-Order Conditioning

Procedure in which a conditioned stimulus in one experience is paired with a new neutral stimulus to create a second conditioned stimulus.

Extinction

Diminishing of a conditioned response when an unconditioned stimulus does not follow a conditioned stimulus.

Fixed Interval

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

Variable Interval

Reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals.

Punishment

An event that tends to decrease the behavior that follows it.

Superstitious Behavior

Irrational actions or rituals performed to influence uncertain outcomes, providing a false sense of control and reducing anxiety.

Taste Aversion

Learned, long-lasting avoidance of a specific food or drink after it is associated with nausea or sickness.

One-Trial Conditioning

Type of learning in which a strong association is formed between a conditioned stimulus and unconditioned stimulus after a single pairing.

Biological Preparedness

Organisms are innately predisposed to form certain associations more easily than others, based on survival.

Positive Reinforcement

Increasing behaviors by presenting a pleasurable stimulus; any stimulus that strengthens the response.

Negative Reinforcement

Increasing behaviors by stopping or reducing an aversive stimulus; any stimulus that, when removed, strengthens the response.

Primary Reinforcers

Innately reinforcing stimuli, such as biological needs.

Secondary Reinforcers

Stimuli that gain their reinforcing power through their association with a primary reinforcer.

Continuous Reinforcement

Desired behavior is rewarded every time it occurs, creating a strong association between action and consequence.

Partial Reinforcement

Reinforcing a response only part of the time; results in slower acquisition of a response.

Fixed Ratio

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

Variable Ratio

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

learning

process of acquiring through experience new or relatively enduring information or behaviors

associative learning

learning that certain events occur together; events may be two stimuli or a response and its consequence

cognitive learning

acquisition of mental information, whether by observing events, by watching others, or through language

classical conditioning

type of learning in which we link two or more stimuli; as a result, to illustrate with Pavlov’s classic experiment, the first stimulus comes to elicit behavior in anticipation of the second stimulus

neutral stimulus (NS)

in classical conditioning, a stimulus that elicits no response before conditioning

unconditioned stimulus (US)

stimulus that unconditionally (natural and automatic) triggers and unconditioned response

unconditioned response (UR)

unlearned natural response to an unconditioned stimulus

conditioned response (CR)

learned response to a previously neutral (but now conditioned) stimulus

reinforcement schedules

pattern that defines how often a desired response will be reinforced

reinforcement generalization

tendency for learned behavior, from specific context, to be spread or occur in similar situations

instinctive drift

tendency of trained animals to revert to natural, innate behaviors that interfere with conditioned responses

reinforcement discrimination

process of learning to response differently to specific stimuli based on differential reinforcement

extrinsic motivation

driving behavior by external factors (money, grades, etc.) rather than for personal enjoyment

learned helplessness

cognitive/behavioral state where an organism ceases attempting to escape negative stimuli after repeated experiences with it because they believe they have no control

social learning theory

idea that we learn social behavior by observing and imitating others

modeling

process of observing and imitating a specific behavior

vicarious learning

learning by watching other’s behaviors and consequences rather than through direct experience