Untitled Flashcards Set

Learning

The process of acquiring, through experience, new and relatively enduring information or behaviors.

Associative learning

Learning that certain events occur together, which may involve two stimuli or a response and its consequences.

Cognitive learning

The acquisition of mental information through observation, watching others, or language.

Behaviorism

The view that psychology should study behavior without reference to mental processes, focusing on objective science.

Stimulus

Any event or situation that evokes a response.

Classical conditioning

A type of learning linking two or more stimuli, where the first stimulus elicits a behavior in anticipation of the second stimulus.

Neutral stimulus (NS)

A stimulus that elicits no response before being conditioned.

Unconditioned stimulus (UCS)

A stimulus that triggers an unconditioned response naturally and automatically.

Unconditioned response (UCR)

An unlearned, naturally occurring response to an unconditioned stimulus.

Conditioned stimulus (CS)

An originally neutral stimulus that, after association with an unconditioned stimulus, triggers a conditioned response.

Conditioned response (CR)

A learned response to a previously neutral stimulus.

Higher-order conditioning

A procedure in which a conditioned stimulus from one experience is paired with a new neutral stimulus.

Acquisition

The initial stage of linking a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus so that the neutral stimulus begins triggering a conditioned response.

Extinction

The diminishing of a conditioned response when an unconditioned stimulus does not follow the conditioned stimulus.

Spontaneous recovery

The reappearance of a weakened conditioned response after a pause.

Stimulus generalization

The tendency for stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus to elicit similar responses.

Stimulus discrimination

The learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and similar stimuli not associated with a conditioned stimulus.

Counterconditioning

A counseling technique to help people deal with fears by presenting a feared stimulus in a relaxed environment.

One-trial conditioning

A type of learning where a single pairing of a conditioned stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus is enough to create a conditioned response.

Biological preparedness

A predisposition to learn associations, such as between taste and nausea, that have survival value.

Habituation

Decreasing responsiveness with repeated stimulation.

Operant conditioning

A type of learning in which behavior becomes more likely to occur if followed by a reinforcer or less likely if followed by a punisher.

The law of effect

Thorndike’s principle stating that behaviors followed by favorable consequences become more likely, while those followed by unfavorable consequences become less likely.

Operant chamber

An enclosed device used in operant conditioning research containing a bar or key that an animal can manipulate to obtain a reinforcer.

Reinforcement

Any event that strengthens the behavior it follows in operant conditioning.

Positive reinforcement

Increasing behaviors by presenting positive stimuli that strengthen the response.

Negative reinforcement

Increasing behaviors by stopping or reducing negative stimuli, strengthening the response when removed.

Primary reinforcers

Innately reinforcing stimuli that satisfy biological needs.

Secondary reinforcers

Stimuli that gain reinforcing power through association with primary reinforcers.

Reinforcement generalization

When responses learned in one situation are applied in other similar situations.

Reinforcement discrimination

The ability to distinguish between reinforced responses and similar responses that are not reinforced.

Punishment

Any event that tends to decrease the behavior it follows.

Positive punishment

Administering an aversive stimulus in order to decrease the behavior that follows.

Negative punishment

The withdrawal of a rewarding stimulus in order to decrease the behavior that follows.

Shaping

An operant conditioning procedure where reinforcers guide behavior toward closer approximations of the desired behavior.

Instinctive drift

The tendency of learned behavior to revert to biologically predisposed patterns.

Continuous reinforcement

Reinforcing desired responses every time they occur.

Partial reinforcement

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

Fixed-interval schedule

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

Variable-interval schedule

A reinforcement schedule that reinforces responses at unpredictable time intervals.

Fixed-ratio schedule

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

Variable-ratio schedule

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

Social learning theory

The perspective that focuses on how we learn by observing and imitating others.

Modeling

The process of observing and imitating a specific behavior.

Vicarious conditioning

Learning that occurs by watching how others’ behaviors are reinforced or punished.

Insight learning

Solving problems through sudden cognition without external associations or modeling.

Latent learning

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

Cognitive map

A mental representation of the layout of one’s environment.