Psychology of Learning - Exam 2

acquisition

The process of developing and strengthening a conditioned response through repeated pairings of an NS (or CS) with a US.

blocking

The phenomenon whereby the presence of an established CS interferes with conditioning of a new CS.

compound stimulus

A complex stimulus that consists of the simultaneous presentation of two or more individual stimuli.

disinhibition

The sudden recovery of a response during an extinction procedure when a novel stimulus is introduced.

experimental neurosis

An experimentally produced disorder in which animals exposed to unpredictable events develop neurotic-like symptoms.

external inhibition

A decrease in the strength of the conditioned response due to the presentation of a novel stimulus at the same time as the conditioned stimulus.

extinction

The process whereby a conditioned response can be weakened or eliminated when the CS is repeatedly presented in the absence of the US; also, the procedure whereby this happens, namely, the repeated presentation of the CS in the absence of the US.

higher-order conditioning

The process whereby a stimulus that is associated with a CS also becomes a CS.

latent inhibition

The phenomenon whereby a familiar stimulus is more difficult to condition as a CS than an unfamiliar (novel) stimulus.

occasion setting

A procedure in which a stimulus (known as an occasion setter) signals that a CS is likely to be followed by the US with which it is associated.

overshadowing

The phenomenon whereby the most salient member of a compound stimulus is more readily conditioned as a CS and thereby interferes with conditioning of the less salient member.

pseudoconditioning

A situation in which an elicited response that appears to be a CR is actually the result of sensitization rather than conditioning.

semantic generalization

The generalization of a conditioned response to verbal stimuli that are similar in meaning to the CS.

sensory preconditioning

In this phenomenon, when one stimulus is conditioned as a CS, another stimulus with which it was previously associated can also become a CS.

spontaneous recovery

The reappearance of a conditioned response following a rest period after extinction.

stimulus discrimination

The tendency for a response to be elicited by one stimulus and not another.

stimulus generalization

The tendency for a CR to occur in the presence of a stimulus that is similar to the CS.

temporal conditioning

A form of classical conditioning in which the CS is the passage of time.

US revaluation

A process that involves the postconditioning presentation of the US at a different level of intensity, thereby altering the strength of response to the previously conditioned CS.

aversion therapy

A form of behavior therapy that attempts to reduce the attractiveness of a desired event by associating it with an aversive stimulus.

compensatory-response model

A model of classical conditioning that proposes that the compensatory after-reactions to a US may come to be elicited by a CS.

counterconditioning

The procedure whereby a CS that elicits one type of response is associated with an event that elicits an incompatible response.

flooding therapy

A behavioral treatment for phobias that involves prolonged exposure to a feared stimulus, thereby providing maximal opportunity for the conditioned fear response to extinguish.

incubation

The strengthening of a conditioned fear response as a result of brief exposures to the aversive CS.

overexpectation effect

The decrease in the conditioned response that occurs when two separately conditioned CSs are combined into a compound stimulus for further pairings with the US.

preparatory-response theory

A theory of classical conditioning that proposes that the purpose of the CR is to prepare the organism for the presentation of the US.

preparedness

The genetically based tendency to learn certain kinds of associations more easily than others.

reciprocal inhibition

The process whereby certain responses are incompatible with each other and the occurrence of one response necessarily inhibits the other.

Rescorla-Wagner theory

A theory of classical conditioning that proposes that a given US can support only so much conditioning and that this amount of conditioning must be distributed among the various CSs available.

s-r model

As applied to classical conditioning, a model that assumes that the NS becomes directly associated with the UR and therefore comes to elicit the same response as the UR.

s-s model

A model of classical conditioning that assumes that the NS becomes directly associated with the US and therefore comes to elicit a response that is related to that US.

selective sensitization

An increase in one's reactivity to a potentially fearful stimulus following exposure to an unrelated stressful event.

stimulus-substitution theory

A theory of classical conditioning that proposes that the CS acts as a substitute for the US.

systematic desensitization

A behavioral treatment for phobias that involves pairing relaxation with a succession of stimuli that elicit increasing levels of fear.

temperament

An individual's base level of emotionality and reactivity to stimulation that, to a large extent, is genetically determined.

artificial reinforcers

Reinforcers that have been deliberately arranged in order to modify a behavior; they are not a natural consequence of the behavior in that setting (also known as contrived reinforcers).

avoidance behavior

Behavior that occurs before the aversive stimulus is presented and therefore prevents its delivery.

discriminative stimulus (SD)

A stimulus in the presence of which responses are reinforced and in the absence of which they are not reinforced.

discriminative stimulus for extinction

A stimulus that signals the absence of reinforcement.

discriminative stimulus for punishment

A stimulus that signals that a response will be punished.

escape behavior

A behavior that results in the termination of an aversive stimulus.

extrinsic reinforcement

The reinforcement provided by a consequence that is external to the behavior, that is, an extrinsic reinforcer.

generalized reinforcer

A type of secondary reinforcer that has been associated with several other reinforcers.

intrinsic reinforcement

Reinforcement provided by the mere act of performing the behavior; the performance of the behavior is inherently reinforcing.

law of effect

As stated by Thorndike, the proposition that behaviors that lead to a satisfactory state of affairs are strengthened or "stamped in," while behaviors that lead to an unsatisfactory or annoying state of affairs are weakened or "stamped out."

natural reinforcers

Reinforcers that are naturally provided for a certain behavior; that is, they are a natural consequence of the behavior within that setting.

negative punishment

The removal of a stimulus (one that is usually considered pleasant or rewarding) following a response, which then leads to a decrease in the future strength of that response.

negative reinforcement

The removal of a stimulus (one that is usually considered unpleasant or aversive) following a response, which then leads to an increase in the future strength of that response.

operant behavior

A class of emitted responses that result in certain consequences; these consequences, in turn, affect the future probability or strength of those responses.

operant conditioning

A type of learning in which the future probability of a behavior is affected by its consequences.

positive punishment

The presentation of a stimulus (one that is usually considered unpleasant or aversive) following a response, which then leads to a decrease in the future strength of that response.

positive reinforcement

The presentation of a stimulus (one that is usually considered pleasant or rewarding) following a response, which then leads to an increase in the future strength of that response.

primary reinforcer

An event that is innately reinforcing.

punisher

An event that (1) follows a behavior and (2) decreases the future probability of that behavior.

reinforcer

An event that (1) follows a behavior and (2) increases the future probability of that behavior.

secondary reinforcer

An event that is reinforcing because it has been associated with some other reinforcer.

shaping

The gradual creation of new operant behavior through reinforcement of successive approximations to that behavior.

three-term contingency

The relationship between a discriminative stimulus, an operant behavior, and a reinforcer or punisher.