Foundations of Learning and Behaviorism

Learning

Enduring change in behavior from experience.

Neurons

Basic units of the nervous system transmitting signals.

Associationists

Theorists focusing on learning through associations.

Primary rules

Basic principles governing associations in learning.

Secondary rules

Factors influencing strength of associations.

British associationists

Philosophers emphasizing knowledge from experience.

Tabula rasa

John Locke's concept of the mind as a blank slate.

Action potential

Electrical impulse traveling along a neuron.

Neurotransmitters

Chemicals transmitting signals across synapses.

Classical conditioning

Learning through association of stimuli.

Operant conditioning

Learning through consequences of behavior.

Complex learning

Acquiring skills requiring multiple cognitive processes.

Concept learning

Understanding and categorizing objects or ideas.

Observational learning

Learning by watching others' behaviors.

Motor skills

Physical abilities involving coordinated movements.

Contiguity

Association formed by proximity in time or space.

Recency

Effect of recent experiences on learning.

Forgetting curve

Graph showing retention decline over time.

Fixed action pattern

Innate sequence of behaviors triggered by stimuli.

Sensitization

Increased response to a stimulus after exposure.

Habituation

Decreased response to repeated, non-significant stimuli.

Innate behavior patterns

Behaviors present at birth, not learned.

Tropism

Directional movement in response to stimuli.

Kinesis

Random movement in response to stimuli.

Taxis

Directed movement toward or away from stimuli.

Intervening variables

Unobservable factors influencing behavior outcomes.

Behaviorism

Study of observable behaviors, excluding mental processes.

Ebbinghaus

Pioneer in memory research and association tests.

IACUC

Committee ensuring ethical treatment of animal research.

Neurogenesis

Growth of new neurons in the brain.

Opponent process theory

Theory explaining biphasic emotional responses.