Flashcards on Classical and Operant Conditioning Concepts

A comprehensive set of flashcards covering key concepts and vocabulary related to classical and operant conditioning, as well as motivational theories and their applications.

Classical Conditioning

A learning process whereby a neutral stimulus gains the ability to elicit a response after being paired with an unconditioned stimulus.

Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS)

A stimulus that naturally and automatically triggers a response without any learning.

Unconditioned Response (UCR)

The unlearned, naturally occurring response to the unconditioned stimulus.

Conditioned Stimulus (CS)

A previously neutral stimulus that, after associating with an unconditioned stimulus, starts triggering a conditioned response.

Conditioned Response (CR)

The learned response to a conditioned stimulus.

Extinction

The diminishing of a conditioned response when an unconditioned stimulus does not follow a conditioned stimulus.

Autonomic Arousal

Automatic physical responses controlled by the autonomic nervous system, such as increased heart rate or sweating.

Generalization

The tendency for stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus to evoke similar responses.

Discrimination

The ability to differentiate between the conditioned stimulus and other stimuli to avoid a conditioned response.

Experimental Neurosis

A situation in which an animal becomes confused and stressed due to difficulty in discrimination between similar stimuli.

Little Albert Experiment

An experiment by John Watson that demonstrated classical conditioning in humans using a child to condition fear of a white rat.

Counterconditioning

The process of changing the emotional response to a conditioned stimulus by pairing it with a new unconditioned stimulus.

Systematic Desensitization

A behavioral therapy method used to reduce anxiety by gradually exposing the patient to the feared object or context while teaching them relaxation techniques.

Interoceptive Conditioning

A form of conditioning where internal stimuli evoke responses, often involving associations with bodily sensations.

Taste Aversion Learning

A learned avoidance of a particular food after it has been paired with illness or nausea.

Biological Preparedness

The concept that organisms are evolutionarily predisposed to form certain associations faster than others.

Conditioned Emotional Responses (CERs)

Learned emotional reactions (such as fear or joy) that arise due to previous associations between stimuli.

Operant Conditioning

A learning process where behavior is modified by its consequences, such as reinforcement or punishment.

Primary Reinforcer

A naturally occurring stimulus that satisfies a biological need (e.g., food, water).

Secondary Reinforcer

A stimulus that gains its value through association with a primary reinforcer.

Law of Effect

The principle that responses followed by satisfying outcomes are likely to recur.

Reinforcement

Any consequence that strengthens the likelihood of a behavior's occurrence in the future.

Latent Learning

Learning that occurs without immediate reinforcement but is not demonstrated until there is motivation to show it.

Observational Learning

Learning that occurs by watching others and modeling their behavior.

Vicarious Reinforcement

Learning that occurs when an individual observes the consequences of another’s behavior.

Incentive Value

The attractiveness or desirability of a goal or reward that motivates behavior.

Drive Theory

A theoretical framework positing that behavior is motivated by the need to reduce drives that arise from biological needs.

Psychic Energy (Freud)

The energy associated with the instinctual drives of the id, which motivates behavior.

Motivation

The process that initiates, guides, and maintains goal-oriented behaviors.

Homeostasis

The body's tendency to maintain a stable internal environment.

Freud's Psychosexual Stages

Stages of human development where personality is formed based on the gratification of basic instincts (oral, anal, phallic, latency, genital stages).

Helplessness Effect

The phenomenon wherein an individual becomes passive or demotivated after experiencing lack of control over their environment.

Discriminative Stimuli (Sd)

Cues that signal whether a behavior will be reinforced or punished, influencing responses.

Reinforcement Schedules

The rules that determine how and when reinforcement is delivered to maintain desired behaviors.

Positive Contrast Effect

An increase in performance following a reward after a period of lower rewards.

Negative Contrast Effect

A decrease in performance when a previously high reward is suddenly lowered.

Drive Reduction Theory

A theory suggesting that an individual acts to reduce drives and restore homeostasis.

Conditioned Taste Aversions

The phenomenon where an organism avoids a specific food after a single negative experience.

Two-Factor Theory of Avoidance Learning

A theory proposing that avoidance learning involves both classical and operant conditioning.

Emotional Arousal

A heightened physical response that is linked to emotional experiences.

Behavior Modification

A technique used to change behavior by modifying reinforcement and punishment strategies.

Self-Regulation

The process of guiding one's own goal-directed behavior.

Cognitive Processing

The mental processes involved in gaining knowledge and comprehension, influencing expectations and motivation.

Modeling Processes

The steps through which observational learning occurs, including attention, retention, reproduction, and motivation.

Fear Conditioning

A type of learning where an organism develops a fear response to a previously neutral stimulus.

Reinforcement Effects on Learning

The influence that reinforcement has on acquiring and demonstrating learned behavior.

Drive Induction Theory

A theory suggesting that certain behaviors can be reinforced by increasing motivation without necessarily reducing internal drives.

Long-Delay Learning

Learning that involves a substantial gap between the conditioned stimulus and the unconditioned stimulus.

Taste Aversion Study

Research demonstrating that animals associate specific tastes with sickness or nausea.

Biological Constraints on Learning

The idea that evolution helps dictate what associations are more easily learned.

The Garcia Effect

The phenomenon illustrating how taste aversions can develop based on learned associations between taste and illness.

Human Learning Environments

Settings in which individuals learn, shaped by social, cultural, and physical contexts.

Freud's Drive Reduction Theory

A theory that explains motivation as stemming from biological urges and the need to satisfy them.

Drives

Innate biological urges that propel behavior to fulfill needs.

Pressure (in drives)

The intensity of a drive, influencing motivation and behavior.

Aim (of a drive)

The specific goal that a drive seeks to achieve.

Source of the Drive

The specific need or deficit that gives rise to a psychological drive.

Drive Theory Summary

The integration of biological needs, psychological urges, and motivational behavior.

Reinforcement and Factors

The role of various reinforcement factors in shaping behavior outcomes.

Learning vs. Behavior

The distinction that learning may happen without immediate demonstration of behavior.

Conditioned Emotional Responses

Responses that are learned through conditioning, often through pairing stimuli.

Discriminatory Learning

The ability to learn the difference between different stimuli based on past experiences.

Attention in Learning

The capacity to focus on specific stimuli in learning, essential for effective acquisition.

Memory in Learning

The ability to retain and recall learned behaviors and information.

Reproduction in Learning

The capability to perform previously learned behaviors post-observation.

Motivation in Learning

The driving force behind an individual's desire to learn and grow.

Incidental Learning

Learning that occurs without an intent to learn, often through experience.