cognitive development, classical conditioning, treatment

Cognitive Development

Jean Jacques Piaget's theory that individuals construct higher levels of knowledge through interaction with the environment, leading to cognitive equilibrium and stages of development.

Assimilation

The process of integrating new knowledge into existing schemas according to Piaget's theory of cognitive development.

Accommodation

The adjustment of existing schemas to incorporate new knowledge, as described by Piaget in cognitive development.

Zone of Proximal Development

Vygotsky's concept emphasizing the role of social interaction and scaffolding in aiding individuals to reach their next developmental level.

Classical Conditioning

Ivan Pavlov's theory explaining how stimuli acquire the capacity to elicit specific responses through pairing of conditioned and unconditioned stimuli.

Systematic Desensitization

A treatment technique developed by Joseph Wolpe involving pairing undesirable behaviors with incompatible behaviors to eliminate anxiety or phobias.

Operant Conditioning

B.F. Skinner's theory focusing on the association between behavior and its consequences, where reinforcement and punishment influence the likelihood of behavior recurrence.

Reinforcement

The process of increasing desired behavior through positive or negative reinforcement, as a key concept in operant conditioning.

Punishment

The process of decreasing behavior through positive or negative punishment, as a key concept in operant conditioning.

Extinction

The reduction and eventual elimination of a behavior by withdrawing reinforcement, leading to a decrease in the behavior's occurrence.