Learning Unit

Shaping

A process in operant conditioning where successive approximations of a desired behavior are rewarded.

Extinction

The process in operant conditioning where a behavior is eliminated due to the absence of reinforcement.

Resistance to extinction

The tendency of a learned behavior to persist even after reinforcement has stopped.

Discriminative Stimuli

Stimuli that signal the availability of reinforcement or punishment.

Stimulus Generalization

The tendency to respond to stimuli that are similar to the original conditioned stimulus.

Stimulus Discrimination

The ability to differentiate between similar stimuli and respond only to the conditioned stimulus.

Delayed Reinforcement

Reinforcement that occurs after a delay following the desired behavior.

Primary Reinforcers

Biologically-based reinforcers such as food, water, and shelter that satisfy basic needs.

Secondary Reinforcers

Conditioned stimuli that have acquired reinforcement value through learning.

Continuous Reinforcement

Reinforcement that is provided every time a desired behavior occurs.

Intermittent Reinforcement

Reinforcement that is provided only some of the time after a desired behavior occurs.

Learned Helplessness

A condition in which a person or animal learns to believe that they are powerless to change their situation.

Fixed Ratio (FR)

A reinforcement schedule where reinforcement is delivered after a set number of responses.

Variable Ratio (VR)

A reinforcement schedule where reinforcement is delivered after an unpredictable number of responses.

Fixed Interval (FI)

A reinforcement schedule where the first response is rewarded only after a specified amount of time has elapsed.

Variable Interval (VI)

A reinforcement schedule in which reinforcement is provided after an unpredictable amount of time.

Instinctive Drift/Biological Predispositions

The tendency for animals to revert to instinctive behavior that interferes with conditioned responses.

Taste Aversion

A learned response to avoid a food that has previously been associated with illness.

Observational Learning

Learning that occurs through observing the behavior of others.

Vicarious Learning

Learning that occurs by observing the consequences of someone else's behavior.

Modeling

Learning behavior by imitating others, typically a role model.

Bobo Doll Experiment

A study by Albert Bandura demonstrating that children imitate aggressive behavior observed in adults.

Latent Learning

Learning that occurs without an obvious reinforcement and is not immediately reflected in behavior.

Insight Learning

A type of problem-solving characterized by a sudden realization of a solution.

Classical Conditioning

A learning process that occurs through associations between an environmental stimulus and a naturally occurring stimulus.

Law of Effect

The principle that responses followed by satisfying consequences are more likely to be repeated.

Positive Reinforcement

The addition of a rewarding stimulus after a desired behavior to increase the likelihood of that behavior.

Negative Reinforcement

The removal of an aversive stimulus to increase the likelihood of a desired behavior.

Positive Punishment

The addition of an aversive stimulus to decrease a behavior.

Negative Punishment

The removal of a rewarding stimulus to decrease a behavior.

Ivan Pavlov

A Russian physiologist known for his work in classical conditioning.

John B. Watson

The founder of behaviorism, known for the Little Albert experiment.

Edward Thorndike

An American psychologist best known for his work on the law of effect.

B.F. Skinner

An American psychologist known for his contributions to operant conditioning.

Albert Bandura

A psychologist known for his work on observational learning and the Bobo doll experiment.

Robert Rescorla

A psychologist known for his research on the contingency model of classical conditioning.

Edward Tolman

An American psychologist known for his work on latent learning and cognitive maps.

Wolfgang Kohler

A psychologist known for his work on insight learning and problem-solving in apes.