Personality 2 Psychology and Behaviorism

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts related to behaviorism, classical conditioning, and operant conditioning in personality psychology.

Classical Conditioning

Learning process where an automatic conditioned response is paired with a neutral stimulus to elicit the same response.

Operant Conditioning

Learning process where behavior is shaped through rewards and punishments.

Radical Behaviorism

The idea that the contents of the organism (the mind) are not important in explaining behavior; only the stimulus, response, and reinforcement matter.

Moderate Behaviorism

The idea that the contents of the organism (the mind) are important when explaining behavior.

Unconditioned Stimulus

A stimulus that automatically triggers a response.

Unconditioned Response

An automatic response to a stimulus.

Conditioned Stimulus

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

Extinction (in classical conditioning)

The diminishing of a conditioned response when an unconditioned stimulus no longer follows the conditioned stimulus.

Systematic Desensitization

A therapy technique that pairs a relaxation response with gradually increasing exposure to a feared stimulus.

Aversion Therapy

A type of therapy that pairs an unwanted behavior with an unpleasant stimulus to reduce the behavior.

Reinforcement

Increases the frequency or probability of a behavior.

Positive Reinforcement

Increasing the frequency or probability of a behavior by presenting an appetitive (desirable) stimulus following the behavior.

Negative Reinforcement

Increasing the frequency of a behavior by removing an aversive stimulus following the behavior.

Punishment

Decreases the frequency or probability of a behavior.

Positive Punishment

Decreasing the frequency or probability of a behavior by presenting an aversive stimulus following the behavior.

Negative Punishment

Decreasing the frequency or probability of a behavior by removing an appetitive stimulus following the behavior.

Variable Ratio Reinforcement

Reinforcement occurs after an unpredictable number of responses; this type of reinforcement is highly addictive.