AP Psych | Unit 3B Must-Know Terms: 3.8

Operant conditioning

A method of learning that uses rewards and punishments to better help behavior

The Law of Effect

Behaviors that are followed by a pleasant/satisfying consequence that is likely repeated, while behaviors are followed by unpleasant consequences that most likely won’t be repeated

Reinforcement vs. Punishment

Increased likelihood of a behavior happening again vs decreased likelihood of a behavior happening again

Positive reinforcement

Stimulus is added to elicit a behavior

Negative reinforcement

Stimulus is removed to elicit a behavior

Positive punishment

Stimulus is added to reduce a behavior

Negative punishment

Stimulus is taken away to reduce a behavior

Primary reinforcers

Unlearned stimulus that naturally increases the likelihood of a behavior

Secondary reinforcers

A stimulus that gains a reinforcing power to strengthen a behavior

Reinforcement discrimination

Differentiating between stimuli and situations that do or do not reinforce

Reinforcement generalization

Applying a learned behavior to a new situation

Shaping

A process of a learned behavior that wouldn’t normally occur

Instinctive drift

Tendency of animals to revert to their innate behavior despite repeated reinforcement

Superstitious behaviors

An action repeated if it was accidentally reinforced creating a false association and outcome

Learned helplessness

When an individual continuously faces a negative, uncontrollable situation and stops trying to change their circumstances because they think it will never get better

Schedules of reinforcement

Specific structured rules in operant conditioning that will determine how often a behavior will be rewarded/reinforced

Continuous vs. partial

Rewarding a behavior every time it occurs (faster) vs rewards behaviors only occasionally (slower)

Fixed ratio

Predictable response

Variable ratio

Unpredictable response

Fixed interval

Predictable time

Variable interval

Unpredictable time

Graph pattern of responses

Visual representation used to identify trends, rates, or characteristics of behavior