Classical and Operant Conditioning Concepts

What is associative learning?

A learning process in which a new response becomes associated with a particular stimulus.

What is habituation?

A decrease in response to a stimulus after repeated presentations.

What is a stimulus?

Any event or object that elicits a sensory or behavioral response in an organism.

What is classical conditioning?

A learning process that occurs when two stimuli are repeatedly paired.

What is the association between two stimuli in classical conditioning?

It involves a neutral stimulus becoming associated with an unconditioned stimulus to elicit a conditioned response.

What is operant conditioning?

A learning process that involves behavior and its consequences, such as rewards or punishments.

What is observational learning?

A type of learning that occurs by watching others and imitating their behavior.

Pavlov's studies

Ivan Pavlov, stimulus, response, classical conditioning

US, UR, CS, CR

neutral stimulus (NS), unconditioned stimulus (US), unconditioned response (UR), conditioned stimulus (CS), conditioned response (CR), acquisition, timing

stimulus generalization and stimulus discrimination

stimulus generalization, stimulus discrimination, extinction, spontaneous recovery, higher order conditioning

classical conditioning and biology

conditioned taste aversion, adaptive value, biological preparedness, Garcia and colleagues' rat studies, Quolls and toads, coyotes, chemotherapy

Little Albert study

John Watson, Little Albert study, ethically concerns, classical conditioning and advertising

Thorndike's law of effect

Edward Thorndike, puzzle box, law of effect

positive and negative reinforcement

positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, examples

primary and secondary reinforcers

primary reinforcers, secondary reinforcers, examples

shaping and successive approximations

B. F. Skinner, behaviorism, Skinner box [operant chamber], reinforcement, shaping, successive approximations, chaining, shaping demonstration, instinctive drift

continuous and partial reinforcement

acquisition, timing of reinforcers: immediate versus delayed, continuous reinforcement, partial reinforcement, both acquisition and extinction faster with continuous reinforcement

schedules of reinforcement

fixed ratio, variable ratio, fixed interval, variable interval

punishment vs. negative reinforcement

punishment, positive punishment, negative punishment, problems with punishment (spanking): may increase aggression, may only suppress behavior, can cause negative emotions and mental health issues, can negatively affect cognitive development, only teaches what not to do, note these are correlational findings; differences between negative reinforcement and punishment

Bandura's Bobo doll study

observational learning, models, Bandura's Bobo doll study, violence in the media, prosocial behavior and modeling

latent learning

latent learning, cognitive maps, insight

unconditioned stimulus

A nurse injects a needle into a baby's leg to give the baby an immunization.

unconditioned response

The baby then starts to cry in pain.

conditioned stimulus

The baby looks scared when she sees the nurse holding another needle.

conditioned response

The baby looks scared when she sees the nurse holding another needle.

positive reinforcement example

Provide an example of positive reinforcement.

negative reinforcement example

Provide an example of negative reinforcement.

positive punishment example

Provide an example of positive punishment.

negative punishment example

Provide an example of negative punishment.

fixed ratio example

Provide an example of fixed ratio.

variable ratio example

Provide an example of variable ratio.

fixed interval example

Provide an example of fixed interval.

variable interval example

Provide an example of variable interval.