Operant Conditioning and Extinction

Flashcards for understanding concepts of operant conditioning, extinction, and discriminative stimuli from the lecture.

Extinction

The process of stopping a learned behavior by discontinuing reinforcement.

Discriminative Stimulus

A cue that signals when a specific behavior will be reinforced.

Operant Conditioning

A learning process where behavior is shaped by reinforcement or punishment.

Punishment

A consequence that decreases the likelihood of a behavior occurring again.

Reinforcement

Any stimulus that strengthens or increases the probability of a behavior.

Cue for Behavior

An environmental signal that prompts an individual to perform a certain action.

Example of Discriminative Stimulus

A red flag in the environment indicating what behavior should or shouldn't occur.

Behavioral Extinction Example

If a job stops paying you, the behavior of going to work extinguishes.

Classical vs. Operant Conditioning

Classical conditioning associates two stimuli, while operant conditioning associates behavior with consequences.

Learned Cause and Effect Relationship

The connection between behavior and its outcomes that can be unlearned.