psych or learning test one

basic behavior analysis aka experimental analysis of behavior

the basic science that grew out of Skinners philosophy of radical behaviorism, which experimentally investigates the basic principles of behavior, especially operant conditioning.

neobehaviorism

A brand of behaviorism that utilizes intervening variables, in the form of hypothesized physiological processes, to help explain behavior.

contingency

a predictive relationship between two events such that the occurence of one event predicts the probable occurrence of the other.

control group design

a type of group design in which, at its simplest, subjects are randomly assigned to either an experimental (or treatment) group or a control group

applied behavior analysis

a science and technology of behavior that is concerned with applying the basic principles of behavior toward the analysis and improvement of real-world issues.

behaviorism

a natural science approach to psychology that emphasizes the study of environmental influences on observable behavior.

empiricism

in psychology, the assumption that behavior patterns are mostly learned rather that inherited. (nurture)

evolutionary adaptation

a helpful genetic trait that have been shaped through natural selection.

learning

a relatively enduring change in behavior that results from some type of experience.

methodological behaviorism

a brand of behaviorism that asserts for methodological reasons, psychologists should study environmental influences only on those behaviors that can be directly observed

mind-body dualism

Descartes' philosophical assumption that some human behaviors are bodily reflexes that are automatically elicited by external stimulation, while other behaviors are freely chosen and controlled by the mind.

nativism

The assumption that a person's characteristics are largely inborn. Also known as the nature perspective.

natural selection

evolutionary principle according to which organisms that are better able to adapt to environmental pressures are more likely to reproduce and pass along those adaptive characteristic than those organisms that cannot adapt.

radical behaviorism

A brand of behaviorism that emphasizes the influence of the environment on overt behavior, rejects the use of internal events to explain behavior, and views thoughts and feelings as behaviors that themselves need to be explained.

reciprocal determinism

The assumption that environmental events, observable behavior, and "person variables" (including internal thoughts and feelings) reciprocally influence each other.

social learning theory

a brand of behaviorism that strongly emphasizes the importance of observational learning and cognitive variables in explaining human behavior

S-R theory

the theory that learning involves the establishment of a connection between a specific stimulus and specific response.

structuralism

an approach to psychology that assumes that it is possibl eto determine the structure of mined by identifying the basic elements that compose it.

comparative design

a type of group in which different species constitute one of the independent variables

behavior

any activity of an organism that can be observed or somehow measured

British empiricism

a philosophical school of though that maintains that almost all knowledge is a function of experience

cognitive behaviorism

A brand of behaviorism that utilizes intervening variables, usually in the form of hypothesized cognitive processes, to help explain behavior.

cognitive map

a mental representation of the layout of one's spatial surroundings

functionalism

an approach to psychology that proposes that the mind evolved to help us adapt to the world around us and that the focus of psychology should be the study of those adaptive processes.

introspection

the attempt to accurately describe one's internal conscious thoughts, emotions, and sensory experiences.

latent learning

learning that occurs in the absence of any observable indication of learning and only becomes apparent at a later time.

law of contiguity

a law of association in which events that occur in close proximity to each other in time or space are readily associated with each other

law of contrast

A law of association, according to which events that are opposite from each other are readily associated with each other.

law of frequency

A law of association, according to which the more frequently two items occur together, the more strongly they are associated with each other.

law of similarity

a law of association in which events that are similar to each other are readily associated with each other

covert behavior

behavior that can be subjectively perceived only by the person performing the behavior.

cumulative reorder

a device that records total number of responses over time and provides a graphic depiction of the rate or response

dependent variable

that aspect of an experiment that is allowed to freely vary to determine if it is affected by changes in the independent variable.

descriptive research

research that focuses on describing behavior and the circumstances within which it occurs

duration

the total amount of time that an individual repeatedly or continuously performs a certain behavior, with no concern for how fast or slow the behavior is occurring

establishing operation

a procedure that increases the appetitiveness or aversiviness of a stimulus

experimental research

a research method in which one or more independent variables are systematically varied to determine their effect on a dependent variable

factorial design

a type of group design in which one examines the effects of two or more independent variables (or factors) across groups of subjects

functional relationship

the relationship between changes in an independent variable and changes in a dependent variable, a cause-and-effect relationship

group design

a type of experimental research in which one manipulates one or more independent variables across groups of subjects

independent variable

that aspect of an experiment that is made to systematically vary across the different conditions in an experiment

intensity

the force or magnitude of a behavior

interobserver reliability

the extent to which observers agree

interval recording

the measurement of whether or not a behavior occurs within a series of continuous intervals

latency

the length of time required for a behavior to begin

motivating operation

a procedure that affects the appetitiveness or aversiveness of a stimulus

multiple-baseline design

a type of single-subject design in which a treatment is institued at successive points in time for two or more persons, settings, or behavior

naturalistic observation

a descriptive research approach that involves the systematic observation and recording of behavior in its natural environment

overt behavior

behavior that can potentially be observed by an individual other than the one performing the behavior

quasi-independent variable

a variable that is inseparable from an individual and cannot be manipulated, but group-level comparisons can be made using the variable

rate of response

the number of responses that occur in a certain period of time

response

an alternative term for behavior, but one that tends to be used when referring to a particular instance of a behavior or a reaction to a stimulus

reversal design

a type of a single-subject design that involves repeated alternations between a baseline period and a treatment period

simple comparison design

a type of single-subject design in which behavior in a baseline condition is compared to behavior in a subsequent treatment condition

single-subject design

a research design that requires only one or a few subjects in order to conduct an entire experiment

spatial contiguity

the extent to which events are situated close to each other in space

stimulus

any event that can potentially influence behavior

temporal contiguity

the extent to which events occur close together in time

time-sample recording

the measurement of whether or not a behavior occurs within a series of discontinuous intervals

topography

the physical form a behavior

variable

a characteristic of a person, place, or thing that can change over time from one situation to another

appetitive conditioning

conditioning procedure in which the US is an appetitive event (one that an organism approaches or seeks out)

aversive conditioning

conditioning procedure in which the US is an aversive event (one that an organism avoids)

backward conditioning

conditioning procedure in which the onset of the NS follows the onset of the US

classical conditioning

a process whereby a stimulus comes to elicit a response because it has been paired with (or associated with) another stimulus.

conditioned response

the response that is elicited by a conditioned stimulus

conditioned stimulus

an stimulus that, although initially neutral, comes to elicit a response because it has been associated with an unconditioned stimulus

delayed conditioning

conditioning procedure in which the onset of the neutral stimulus precedes the onset of the unconditioned stimulus, and the two stimuli overlap

dishabituation

the reappearance (or recover) of a habituated response to a stimulus following the presentation of another, seemingly irrelevant novel stimulus.

elicited behavior

Behavior that is drawn out (elicited) by a preceding stimulus.

excitatory conditioning

A conditioning procedure in which a stimulus is associated with the presentation of a US and therefore comes to elicit a certain response.

fixed action pattern

a fixed sequence of responses elicited by a specific stimulus

flexion response

the automatic response of jerking one's hand or foot away from a hot or sharp object

Habituation

a decrease in the strength of an elicited behavior following repeated presentations of the eliciting stimulus

inhibitory conditioning

conditioning procedure in which the NS is associated with the absence or removal of a US

opponent-process theory

A theory proposing that an emotional event elicits two competing processes: (1) an a-process (or primary process) that is directly elicited by the event, and (2) a b-process (or opponent process) that is elicited by the a-process and serves to counteract the a-process.

orientating response

the automatic positioning of oneself to facilitate attending to a stimulus

pseudoconditioning

false conditioning in which an elicited response that appears to be a CR is actually the result of sensitization rather than conditioning

reflex

A relatively simple, involuntary response to a stimulus.

reflex arc

a neural structure that underlies many reflexes and consists of a sensory neuron, an interneuron, and a motor neuron

sensitization

an increase in the strength of an elicited response following repeated presentations of the eliciting stimulus

sign stimulus

a specific stimulus that elicits a fixed action pattern

simultaneous conditioning

conditioning procedure in which the onset of the NS and the onset of the US are simultaneous

startle response

a defensive reaction to a sudden, unexpected stimulus, which involves automatic tightening of skeletal muscles and various hormonal and visceral changes

temporal conditioning

a form of classical conditioning in which the CS is the passage of time

trace conditioning

A classical conditioning procedure in which the conditioned stimulus precedes the unconditioned stimulus but is removed before the unconditioned stimulus is presented so that the two stimuli do not occur together.

unconditioned response

The response that is naturally and reliably elicited by the unconditioned stimulus

unconditioned simulus

a stimulus that naturally elicits a response

acquisition

The initial stage in classical conditioning; the phase associating a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus so that the neutral stimulus comes to elicit a conditioned response. In operant conditioning, the strengthening of a reinforced response.

asymptote of conditioning

the maximum amount of conditioning that can take place in a particular situation

blocking

the phenomenon whereby the presence of an established CS interferes with conditioning of a new CS

compound stimulus

a complex stimulus that consists of the simultaneous presentation of two or more individual stimuli

disinhibition

the sudden recovery of a conditioned response during an extinction procedure when a novel stimulus is introduced

experimental neurosis

an experimentally produced disorder in which animals exposed to unpredictable events develop neurotic-like symptoms

extinction

the diminishing of a conditioned response; occurs in classical conditioning when an unconditioned stimulus (US) does not follow a conditioned stimulus (CS); occurs in operant conditioning when a response is no longer reinforced.

higher-order conditioning

the process whereby an NS that is associated with a CS (rather than a US) also becomes a CS.

latent inhibtion

the phenomenon whereby a familiar stimulus is more difficult to condition as a CS that in an unfamiliar stimulus.

overshadowing

the phenomenon whereby the more salient member of a compound stimulus is more readily conditioned as a CS and thereby interferes with conditioning of the less salient member

occasion setting

A procedure in which a stimulus (known as an occasion setter) signals that a CS is likely to be followed by the US with which it is associated.

sensory preconditioning

When a stimulus elicits a CR even though it had never been paired with the US