AP PSYCH 161-200

Operant Conditioning

Learning based on association of consequences with behavior.

Critical Thinking

Thinking that does not blindly accept arguments or conclusions.

Positive Reinforcement

Refers to the addition of something pleasant.

Dualism

The philosophical concept that body and mind are separate; associated with Socrates and Plato.

Shaping

Reinforcing the intermediate steps in the process of learning desired behavior.

Francis Bacon

Used the scientific method to conduct experiments.

Negative Reinforcement

Refers to the removal of something unpleasant.

Elemental Sensations

Refers to basic perceptions such as sights, sounds, and tastes.

Chaining

Teaching subjects to perform a number of responses to get a reward.

Monism

The belief that body and mind aren’t separate; associated with Aristotle.

Conductive Hearing Loss

Hearing loss caused by damage to the system that conducts sound waves to the cochlea.

Positive Punishment

The addition of something unpleasant to decrease a behavior.

Sigmund Freud

Proposed that reason and dreams are when we act out unconscious desires.

Negative Punishment

The removal of something pleasant to decrease a behavior.

Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Hearing loss caused by damage to cochlea’s receptor cells.

Primary Reinforcers

Reinforcers that are naturally rewarding, such as food, water, and sleep.

Sleep Apnea

A condition where a person stops breathing for short periods during sleep.

Secondary Reinforcers

Learned reinforcers, such as praise and money.

Token Economy

A system of rewarding desired behavior with tokens that can be traded for rewards.

Insomnia

Problems falling or staying asleep.

Variable-Ratio Schedule

Reinforcement based on a variable number of responses; more resistant to extinction.

Operational Definition

A statement of procedures used to define research variables.

Fixed-Ratio Schedule

Reinforcement provided after a set number of responses.

Cerebral Cortex

The outer layer of the brain, which is wrinkled and involved in human thought.

Observational Learning

Learning by observing the behaviors of others.

Dorothea Dix

A person who worked to establish asylums for the mentally ill.

Latent Learning

Learning that is hidden and becomes obvious when reinforcement is given.

Brainstem

The oldest part of the brain, responsible for autonomic survival functions.

Continuous Reinforcement

Rewarding behavior each time it is performed.

Dopamine

A neurotransmitter that influences movement, learning, and attention.

Insight

The sudden realization of how to solve a problem.

Fixed Interval Schedule

Requires a certain amount of time before a reward is given.

Memory

Indication that learning has persisted over time.

Cognitive Psychology

The study of internal mental processes.

Convergent Thinking

A type of thinking that focuses on finding one solution to a problem.

Trial and Error

Trying multiple solutions before finding one that works.

Metacognition

The ability to trace our thought processes and evaluate the effectiveness of how we solved problems.

Divergent Thinking

A type of thinking that generates multiple solutions to a problem.

Algorithms

Step-by-step procedures that provide the correct answer.

Heuristic

A problem-solving rule of thumb generally used to make judgments in a situation.