unit 3 psychology learning

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts in learning theories.

Antecedent

What happens just before something else.

Attention

The process of focusing on specific stimuli or aspects of the sensory environment while ignoring others.

Behaviour

Any action made by a living person or animal that can be observed or measured.

Behaviourist approach to learning

Emphasises the study of observable behaviour alone to understand learning without regard to underlying mental processes.

Behaviourism

The theory that human and animal behaviour can be explained in terms of conditioning without appeal to thoughts or feelings.

Classical conditioning

A three-phase learning process resulting in the involuntary association between a neutral stimulus and unconditioned stimulus to produce a conditioned response.

Conditioned response (CR)

The learned or acquired response to the conditioned stimulus in classical conditioning.

Conditioned stimulus (CS)

The initially neutral stimulus that eventually becomes associated with the unconditioned stimulus.

Conditioning

A learning process through which stimuli and responses become associated with one another.

Consequence

In operant conditioning, the environmental event occurring immediately after the behaviour that affects the likelihood of that behaviour occurring again.

Discriminative stimulus

The antecedent stimulus that has stimulus control over behaviour because it was reliably reinforced in the past.

Learning

A relatively permanent change in behaviour due to experience.

Maturation

The action or process of maturing.

Motivation

Processes within an organism that activate behaviour directed towards achieving a goal.

Negative punishment

The removal of a desirable stimulus, thereby weakening the likelihood of a response recurring.

Negative reinforcement

The removal of an unpleasant stimulus, strengthening the likelihood of a desired response reoccurring.

Negative reinforcer

Any unpleasant stimulus that strengthens the frequency of a desired response when removed.

Neutral stimulus (NS)

An object or event that does not normally produce a predictable response.

Observational learning

Acquisition of information, skills or behaviour through watching others, involving attention, retention, reproduction, motivation, and reinforcement.

Operant

Any response that acts on the environment to produce consequences.

Operant conditioning

A learning process where the consequences of a behaviour determine its likelihood of being performed again.

Positive punishment

Presentation of an unpleasant stimulus that weakens a response.

Positive reinforcement

Presentation of a positive reinforcer following a desired response.

Positive reinforcer

Stimulus that strengthens the frequency of a desired response by providing a satisfying consequence.

Punishment

Delivery of an unpleasant consequence to weaken a response or decrease its likelihood of occurring again.

Reflex

An automatic, involuntary reaction to a stimulus occurring in the same way each time.

Reinforcement

A stimulus that strengthens the frequency of a response that it follows.

Reinforce

To strengthen or support an existing feeling, idea, or habit.

Reproduction (in observational learning)

When a closely attended behaviour is imitated.

Response

A reaction by an organism to a stimulus.

Retention (in observational learning)

Remembering a behaviour that has been closely attended to.

Social learning

The process of learning by observing the social interactions and behaviours of others.

Social-cognitive approach (to learning)

Emphasises the role of cognitive processes in learning alongside environmental stimuli.

Stimulus

Any object or event that elicits a response from an organism.

Three-phase model of operant conditioning

Explains operant conditioning occurring in a sequence of antecedent, behaviour, and consequence.

Vicarious conditioning

Conditioning through observation of a model's behaviour and its consequences.

Vicarious punishment

Being conditioned indirectly by observing someone else’s punishment.

Vicarious reinforcement

Being conditioned indirectly by observing someone else’s reinforcement.

Unconditioned response (UCR)

An involuntary response that occurs when the unconditioned stimulus is presented.

Unconditioned stimulus (UCS)

Any stimulus that consistently produces a naturally occurring involuntary response.

Way of knowing

Different ways people arrive at a knowledge of the world.