vocab 1 LM

What is reliability?

How consistently a measurement produces similar results under the same conditions.

What is validity?

How well a measurement measures what it is intended to measure.

What is frequency?

The number of times a behavior occurs.

What is duration?

The total amount of time a behavior lasts.

What is latency?

The time between a signal or instruction and the start of a behavior.

What is descriptive research?

Research that observes and records behavior without deliberately manipulating variables.

What is experimental research?

Research that manipulates variables under controlled conditions to test their effects on an outcome.

What is habituation?

A decrease in responding after repeated exposure to a stimulus that has little or no important consequence.

What is extinction?

A decrease in a learned response when the conditioned stimulus is repeatedly presented without the unconditioned stimulus.

What is sensitization?

An increase in responsiveness after exposure to a stimulus, often following an intense or unpleasant event.

What is acquisition?

The process in which a learned association develops or becomes stronger.

What is spontaneous recovery?

The return of a previously weakened conditioned response after a rest period.

What is stimulus generalization?

Responding to stimuli that resemble the original stimulus associated with learning.

What is stimulus discrimination?

Learning to distinguish between stimuli and respond differently to them.

What is higher-order conditioning?

Learning in which a new stimulus is paired with an already conditioned stimulus and eventually produces a learned response.

What is sensory preconditioning?

Learning an association between two initially neutral stimuli, so conditioning one can later allow the other to trigger a response.

What is blocking?

When prior learning about one stimulus reduces learning about a new stimulus presented alongside it.

What is overshadowing?

When two stimuli are presented together and the more noticeable one gains more control over the learned response.

What is latent inhibition?

Slower learning about a stimulus because it was previously experienced without an important consequence.

What is counterconditioning?

Replacing an unwanted learned response by associating the stimulus with a different, more desirable response.

What is systematic desensitization?

Gradually confronting a feared stimulus while using relaxation or coping skills to manage anxiety.

What is flooding?

Prolonged, intensive exposure to a feared stimulus or situation rather than gradual steps.