Chapter 1–7: Conditioning and Learning (Classical Conditioning Basics)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from the lecture notes on learning, conditioning, Pavlov, Watson, and related phenomena.

Learning

The process of acquiring information and using it, often resulting in changed behavior.

Conditioning

The process of learning associations between stimuli and responses.

Classical Conditioning

A learning process in which a neutral stimulus becomes associated with a meaningful stimulus to elicit a conditioned response.

Operant Conditioning

A learning process that changes voluntary behavior through consequences.

Unconditioned Stimulus (US)

A natural stimulus that automatically triggers a reflex without prior learning (e.g., food).

Unconditioned Response (UR)

The automatic, reflexive response to an unconditioned stimulus (e.g., salivation to food).

Neutral Stimulus

A stimulus that initially does not evoke a response.

Conditioned Stimulus (CS)

A previously neutral stimulus that, after being paired with the US, elicits a conditioned response.

Conditioned Response (CR)

The learned response to the conditioned stimulus after conditioning.

Extinction

The weakening or loss of a conditioned response when the CS is repeatedly presented without the US.

Spontaneous Recovery

The reappearance of a previously extinguished conditioned response after a rest period.

Higher-Order Conditioning

A process where a CS is paired with a new stimulus to produce a new CS that can elicit the CR.

Stimulus Generalization

The tendency for stimuli similar to the CS to elicit the CR.

Stimulus Discrimination

The learned ability to distinguish the CS from similar stimuli that do not signal the US.

Ivan Pavlov

Physiologist who founded classical conditioning by studying salivation in dogs.

Little Albert

A child used by Watson in an experiment to condition fear to a white rat.

Natural Fear Response

An innate fear reaction to potential threats.

Conditioned Fear

A fear response to a previously neutral stimulus after conditioning (e.g., fear of a rat after pairing with a loud noise).

Taste Aversion

Rapid development of avoidance to a taste after a single illness experience with that taste.

Biological Preparedness

The idea that organisms are predisposed to form certain associations more readily due to biology and survival value.

One-Trial Learning

Rapid acquisition of a conditioned response after a single CS-US pairing (common in taste aversion).

Contingency/Reliability of CS-US Pairing

Stronger conditioning occurs when the CS reliably predicts the US.