AP Psych Unit 3 Vocab

Behavioral perspective

explains behavior through conditioning

Classical conditioning

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

Association

the forming of a learned connection between a stimulus and a response, or between one stimulus and another

Acquisition

in classical conditioning, the initial stage, when one links a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus so that the neutral stimulus begins triggering the conditioned response. In operant conditioning, the strengthening of a reinforced response

Associative learning

learning that certain events occur together; the events may be two stimuli (as in classical conditioning) or a response and its consequence (as in operant conditioning)

Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS)

in classical conditioning, a stimulus that unconditionally—naturally and automatically—triggers an unconditioned response UR)

Unconditioned response (UR)

in classical conditioning, an unlearned, naturally occurring response (such as salivation) to an unconditioned stimulus (US) (such as food in the mouth)

Conditioned response (CR)

in classical conditioning, a learned response to a previously neutral (but now conditioned) stimulus (CS)

Conditioned stimulus

in classical conditioning, an originally neutral stimulus that, after association with an unconditioned stimulus (US), comes to trigger a conditioned response (CR)

Extinction

the diminishing of a conditioned response; occurs in classical conditioning when an unconditioned stimulus (US) does not follow a conditioned stimulus (CS); occurs in operant conditioning when a response is no longer reinforced

Spontaneous recovery

the reappearance, after a pause, of an extinguished conditioned response

Stimulus discrimination

in classical conditioning, the learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and similar stimuli that do not signal an unconditioned stimulus

Stimulus generalization

the tendency, once a response has been conditioned, for stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus to elicit similar responses

Higher-order conditioning

a procedure in which the conditioned stimulus in one conditioning experience is paired with a new neutral stimulus, creating a second (often weaker) conditioned stimulus (also called second-order conditioning)

Counterconditioning

behavior therapy procedures that use classical conditioning to evoke new responses to stimuli that are triggering unwanted behaviors; include exposure therapies and aversive conditioning

Taste aversion

occurs when the mind develops a resistance towards a certain food; in simpler terms, eating certain types of food can cause a bad reaction

Biological preparedness

concept that proposes that organisms innately form associations between some stimuli and responses

One-trial learning

learning takes place in a single pairing of a response and stimulus and is not strengthened over time by repeated exposure to a stimulus

Habituation

decreasing responsiveness with repeated exposure to a stimulus

Operant conditioning

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

Reinforcement

in operant conditioning, any event that strengthens the behavior it follows

Punishment

an event that tends to decrease the behavior that it follows

Law of Effect

Thorndike's principle that behaviors followed by favorable consequences become more likely, and that behaviors followed by unfavorable consequences become less likely

Positive reinforcement

increasing behaviors by presenting positive reinforcers; any stimulus that, when presented after a response, strengthens the response

Negative reinforcement

increasing behaviors by stopping or reducing aversive stimuli; any stimulus that, when removed after a response, strengthens the response

Primary reinforcers

an innately reinforcing stimulus, such as one that satisfies a biological need

Secondary reinforcers

a stimulus that gains its reinforcing power through its association with a primary reinforcer; also known as a conditioned reinforcer

Reinforcement discrimination

the ability to distinguish responses that are reinforced from similar responses that are not reinforced

Reinforcement generalization

occurs when responses learned in one situation occur in other, similar situations

Shaping

an operant conditioning procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior toward closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior

Instinctive drift

the tendency of learned behavior to gradually revert to biologically predisposed patterns

Superstitious behavior

tendency to repeat behaviors that are followed closely by a reinforcer, even if they are not related

Learned helplessness

the hopelessness and passive resignation an animal or person learns when unable to avoid repeated aversive events

Reinforcement schedules

a pattern that defines how often a desired response will be reinforced

Continuous reinforcement

reinforcing the desired response every time it occurs

Partial reinforcement

reinforcing a response only part of the time; results in slower acquisition of a response but much greater resistance to extinction than does continuous
reinforcement

Fixed interval

reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified time has elapsed

Variable interval

a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals

Fixed Ratio

a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response
only after a specified number of responses

Variable ratio

a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses

Scalloped Graph

the rate of response gradually increases as the time for reinforcement approaches, leading to a steep increase in responses just before the reinforcement is available

Social Learning theory

the theory that we learn social behavior by observing and imitating and by being rewarded or punished

Vicarious conditioning

occurs when a subject is exposed to someone else's fears or reactions and then internalizes those feelings, actions and reactions for themselves

Modeling

the process of observing and imitating a specific behavior

Insight learning

a type of learning or problem solving that happens all-of-a-sudden through understanding the relationships various parts of a problem rather than through trial and error

Latent learning

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

Cognitive maps

representations and processes that allow us to perform tasks involving spatial relations