Classical Conditioning

Learning

Relative permanent change in behavior caused by experience.

Classical Conditioning

A type of learning where a stimulus gains the power to cause a response.

Stimulus vs. Response

Stimulus: anything in the environment that one can respond to; Response: any behavior or action.

Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS)

Stimulus that triggers a response reflexively.

Unconditioned Response (UCR)

Automatic response to the Unconditioned Stimulus.

Conditioned Stimulus (CS)

Previously neutral stimulus that gains the power to cause a response through learning.

Conditioned Response (CR)

Response to the Conditioned Stimulus; it is the same as the Unconditioned Response.

Acquisition

Process of developing a learned response when the CS is paired with the UCS.

Extinction

The CS loses its power to trigger a CR when presented alone repeatedly.

Spontaneous Recovery

Return of an extinguished classically conditioned response after a rest period; recovered response is weaker.

Generalization

An organism produces the same response to two similar stimuli.

Discrimination

An organism produces different responses to two stimuli.

Little Albert Study

Demonstrated that phobias can be conditioned; fear generalized to other white animals.

Taste Aversion

Biologically predisposed aversion to food eaten before becoming sick.

Operant Conditioning

The frequency of a behavior depends on the consequence that follows that behavior.

The Law of Effect

Behaviors followed by favorable consequences will occur more frequently; those with less favorable consequences will occur less frequently.

Positive Reinforcement

Behavior is followed by a desirable event or state.

Negative Reinforcement

Behavior ends an undesirable event or state.

Positive Punishment

Behavior followed by an undesirable event.

Negative Punishment

Behavior ends a desirable state or event.

Immediate Reinforcement

Reinforcement that is given immediately after a behavior; more effective than delayed reinforcement.

Primary Reinforcement

Something naturally rewarding, such as food or warmth.

Secondary Reinforcement

Something learned as rewarding because it has been paired with primary reinforcement.

Shaping

Establishing new behaviors by reinforcing behaviors that are increasingly similar to the desired one.

Extinction in Operant Conditioning

Loss of a learned response when reinforcement no longer follows it.

Continuous Reinforcement

Reward that follows every correct response; useful for teaching new behaviors.

Partial Reinforcement

Reward that follows only some correct responses; harder to extinguish.

Fixed Partial Interval Reinforcement

Rewards only the first correct response after a defined period of time.

Variable Partial Interval Reinforcement

Rewards the first correct response after an unpredictable amount of time.

Fixed Ratio Partial Reinforcement

Reward only after a certain number of correct responses.

Variable Ratio Partial Reinforcement

Rewards an unpredictable number of correct responses; highest resistance to extinction.

Observational Learning

Learning by watching and imitating others.

Social Learning Theory

Learning without direct experience.