PSY 339 Principles Exam 1

Learning

A relatively enduring change in behavior due to experience.

Behavior

Anything an organism does that can be measured.

Natural selection

Tendency for survival-promoting characteristics to persist.

Evolution

Selection of traits across generations.

Learning vs. evolution

Learning selects behaviors within a lifetime; evolution selects traits across generations.

Habituation

Decrease in a reflex response after repeated exposure to a stimulus.

Reflex

Relationship between a specific event and a simple response.

Modal Action Pattern (MAP)

Inherited sequence of interrelated behaviors triggered by a releaser.

General Behavioral Trait (GBT)

Broad behavioral tendency strongly influenced by genes.

Releaser

Stimulus that triggers a modal action pattern.

Artificial selection

Human-controlled breeding to improve traits in later generations.

Nature

Natural or genetic influences on behavior.

Nurture

Environmental and experiential influences on behavior.

Natural science approach

Systematic study of natural phenomena using observation and testable explanations.

Occam's razor

Simplest explanation that fits the data is preferred.

Error measure

Measurement of incorrect responses, typically expected to decrease with learning.

Topography

The observable form or physical appearance of a behavior.

Intensity

The force or strength with which a behavior occurs.

Speed

How quickly a behavior is performed.

Latency

Time between an event and initiation of a behavior.

Rate

Number of behaviors occurring over a given period.

Fluency

Number of correct responses per unit of time.

Anecdote

First- or second-hand report of personal experience.

Case study

Detailed study and description of one case.

Descriptive study

Study describing a group using data collected from its members.

Experiment

Study measuring effects of independent variables on dependent variables.

Independent variable (IV)

Variable controlled or manipulated by the researcher.

Dependent variable (DV)

Measured outcome expected to depend on the independent variable.

Experimental group

Group exposed to the independent variable.

Control group

Group not exposed to the independent variable.

Between-subjects design

Independent variable varies across different groups.

Within-subjects design

Same subjects experience different conditions at different times.

Matched-subjects design

Participants are matched on relevant characteristics before group assignment.

ABA reversal design

Baseline, experimental condition, then return to baseline.

Ivan Pavlov

Physiologist whose work led to classical/Pavlovian conditioning.

Classical conditioning

Learning in which a stimulus becomes associated with a reflexive response.

Unconditioned stimulus (US)

Stimulus that naturally elicits a response before conditioning.

Unconditioned response (UR)

Naturally occurring response elicited by the US.

Conditioned stimulus (CS)

Previously neutral stimulus that acquires the ability to elicit a response.

Conditioned response (CR)

Learned response elicited by the conditioned stimulus.

Higher-order conditioning

New neutral stimulus becomes associated with an established CS.

Probe trial

Presentation of the CS without the US to test for learning.

Response latency

Time between CS presentation and occurrence of the CR.

Response amplitude

Strength or intensity of the conditioned response.

Pseudoconditioning

Increased responding to a neutral stimulus after exposure to a US.

Trace conditioning

CS ends, a trace interval occurs, then the US appears.

Delay conditioning

CS begins before the US and remains present when the US begins.

Simultaneous conditioning

CS and US occur at the same time.

Backward conditioning

US occurs before the CS.

CS-US contingency

How reliably the CS predicts the US.

CS-US contiguity

Temporal closeness between the CS and US.

Salience

How noticeable a stimulus is.

Novelty

Property of a stimulus being relatively new or unfamiliar.

Biological preparedness

Tendency to learn certain associations especially easily.

Compound stimulus

Two or more conditioned stimuli presented together.

Blocking

Existing CS prevents another stimulus from becoming a CS.

Overshadowing

One stimulus in a compound becomes a CS while another is weaker or fails.

Sensory preconditioning

Two neutral stimuli are paired before one is conditioned with a US.

Extinction

Repeated presentation of the CS without the US.

Spontaneous recovery

Return of an extinguished response after a rest period.

Stimulus substitution theory

CS eventually substitutes for the US and produces a similar response.

Preparatory response theory

CR prepares the organism for the upcoming US.

Compensatory response theory

CR prepares for the US by counteracting its effects.

Rescorla-Wagner model

Model explaining conditioning trial-by-trial using prediction error and salience.

Associative strength

Strength of the learned association between stimuli.

Reward prediction error

Difference between expected and actual reward.

Positive prediction error

More reward occurs than was predicted.

Zero prediction error

Reward occurs exactly as predicted.

Negative prediction error

Less reward occurs than was predicted.

John Watson

Behaviorist who applied classical conditioning to emotional responses.

Little Albert

Case demonstrating conditioned fear and stimulus generalization.

Generalization

Transfer of a learned response to similar stimuli.

Mary Cover Jones

Researcher who used counterconditioning to reduce fear.

Counterconditioning

Pairing a feared stimulus with a response incompatible with fear.

Systematic desensitization

Gradual exposure to feared stimuli while using relaxation.

Fear hierarchy

Ordered list of feared situations from least to most frightening.

In vivo exposure

Exposure to the feared stimulus in real life.

VRET

Virtual reality exposure therapy using simulated feared situations.

Conditioned taste aversion

Learned avoidance of a taste associated with illness.

Garcia and Koelling

Researchers associated with taste aversion and biological preparedness.

Preparedness

Biological tendency to learn some associations more readily than others.

Conditioned immune response

Learned association that can influence immune functioning.

Contextual stimulus

Stimulus associated with a particular environment that can elicit a response.

Conditioned compensatory response

Response that counteracts effects of a drug or other US.

Drug tolerance

Reduced drug effect partly associated with conditioned compensatory responses.

Thorndike

Psychologist who developed the Law of Effect through animal problem-solving research.

Law of Effect

Behaviors followed by satisfying consequences become more likely.

B.F. Skinner

Behaviorist who developed major principles of operant learning.

Operant learning

Learning in which consequences strengthen or weaken behavior.

Instrumental learning

Another term for operant learning because behavior produces consequences.

Skinner Box

Operant conditioning chamber used to study behavior and consequences.

Positive reinforcement

Adding a stimulus to increase behavior.

Negative reinforcement

Removing a stimulus to increase behavior.

Positive punishment

Adding a stimulus to decrease behavior.

Negative punishment

Removing a stimulus to decrease behavior.

Reinforcement

A consequence that increases the future strength of behavior.

Punishment

A consequence that decreases the future strength of behavior.

Primary reinforcer

Reinforcer that does not depend on another reinforcer for its value.

Secondary reinforcer

Reinforcer whose value is learned through association.

Natural reinforcer

Reinforcing consequence that follows naturally from behavior.