ap psych learning

unconditioned stimulus

a stimulus that elicits an automatic or involuntary response

unconditioned response

any original response that occurs naturally and in the absence of conditioning

neutral stimulus

a stimulus that initially does not elicit the reflect or automatic response being studied

conditioned stimulus

a neutral stimulus that is repeatedly paid with an unconditioned stimulus unit it acquires the ability to elicit a response that it previously did not.

conditioned response

the learned or acquired response to a conditioned stimulus

acquisition

the first stages of learning when a conditioned response is established

extinction

the decrease or disappearance of a conditioned response

spontaneous recovery

the reappearance of a conditioned response after a rest period or a period of lessened response

generalization

the process of responding to a new stimulus in the same way you would to an original, learned stimulus because the new stimulus is similar

discrimination

the ability to distinguish between like stimuli and resound to specific stimuli only

higher-order conditioning

conditioned stimulus used as unconditioned stimulus

habituation

diminished response to intermittent or enduring stimulus

operant conditioning

the process in which behavioral change occurs as a function of the consequences of behavior

classical conditioning

learning process where an organism learns to associate a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus, causing the neutral stimulus to elicit a conditioned response

reinforcement

any event that strengthens the behavior it follows

punishment

any event that tends to decrease the behavior that it follows

the law of effect

reinforcement strengthens behavior and punishment weakens behavior

shaping

an operant conditioning procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior toward closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior

instinctive drift

the tendency of learned behavior to gradually revert to biologically predisposed patterns

positive

adds stimulus

negative

removes stimulus

positive reinforcement

strengthens behavior by giving you something you liek

positive punishment

weakens behavior by giving you something you don’t like

negative reinforcement

strengthens behavior by taking away something you don’t like

negative punishment

weakens behavior by taking away something you do like

superstitious behavior

occurs when consequences reinforce unrelated behaviors

learned helplessness

the hopelessness and passive resignation humans and other animals learn when unable to avoid repeated aversive events

continuous reinforcement

the reinforcement of every correct response

partial reinforcement

any pattern of reinforcement in which only some responses are reinforced

fixed ratio

reinforcement is given after a specified number of responses

variable ratio

intermittent reinforcement in which a response is reinforced after a unpredictable or average number of responses

fixed interval

the first response that occurs after a set time has elapsed is reinforced

variable interval

reward is presented for the first response after a variable period has elapsed since the previous reinforcement

social learning

theory that we learn social behavior by observing and imitating and by being rewarded or punished

vicarious conditioning

process whereby a person becomes more likely to engage in a particular behavior by observing another individual being reinforced for that behavior and less likely to engage by observing another individual being punished for that behavior

modeling

process of observing and imitating a specific behavior

insight

aha moment

latent learning

learning that occurs but is not apparent until these is an incentive to demonstrate it

cognitive map

a mental representation of the layout of one’s environment