AP Psych Unit 3 Vocab

Habituation

decreasing responsiveness with repeated stimulation. As infants gain familiarity with repeated exposure to a visual stimulus, their interest wanes and they look away sooner

Associative Learning

learning that certain events occur together. The events may be two stimuli (as in classical conditioning) or a response and its consequences (as in operant conditioning).

Respondent Behavior

behavior that occurs as an automatic response to some stimulus

Operant Behavior

behavior that operates on the environment, producing consequences

Cognitive Learning

the acquisition of mental information, whether by observing events, by watching others, or through language

Classical Conditioning

a type of learning in which one learns to link two or more stimuli and anticipate events

Neutral Stimulus

in classical conditioning, a stimulus that elicits no response before conditioning

Unconditioned Response

in classical conditioning, the unlearned, naturally occurring response to the unconditioned stimulus (UCS), such as salivation when food is in the mouth.

Unconditioned Stimulus

in classical conditioning, a stimulus that unconditionally—naturally and automatically—triggers a response.

Conditioned Response

in classical conditioning, the learned response to a previously neutral (but now conditioned) stimulus (CS)

Conditioned Stimulus

in classical conditioning, an originally irrelevant stimulus that, after association with an unconditioned stimulus (US), comes to trigger a conditioned response.

Acquisition

In classical conditioning, the initial stage, when one links a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus so that the neutral stimulus begins triggering the conditioned response. In operant conditioning, the strengthening of a reinforced response.

Higher-Order Conditioning

a procedure in which the conditioned stimulus in one conditioning experience is paired with a new neutral stimulus, creating a second (often weaker) conditioned stimulus. For example, an animal that has learned that a tone predicts food might then learn that a light predicts the tone and begin responding to the light alone. (Also called second-order conditioning.)

Extinction

In classical conditioning, the diminishing of a conditioned response when an unconditioned stimulus does not follow a conditioned stimulus

Spontaneous Recovery

the reappearance, after a pause, of an extinguished conditioned response

Generalization

the tendency, once a response has been conditioned, for stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus to elicit similar responses

Discrimination

in classical conditioning, the learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and stimuli that do not signal an unconditioned stimulus

Operant Conditioning

a type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforcer or diminished if followed by a punisher

Reinforcement

in operant conditioning, any event that strengthens the behavior it follows

Shaping

an operant conditioning procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior toward closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior

Discriminative Stimulus

in operant conditioning, a stimulus that elicits a response after association with reinforcement (in contrast to related stimuli not associated with reinforcement)

Positive Reinforcement

Increasing behaviors by presenting positive stimuli, such as food. A positive reinforcer is any stimulus that, when presented after a response, strengthens the response

Negative Reinforcement

Increasing behaviors by stopping or reducing negative stimuli, such as shock. A negative reinforcer is any stimulus that, when removed after a response, strengthens the response. (Note: negative reinforcement is not punishment.)

Primary Reinforcer

an innately reinforcing stimulus, such as one that satisfies a biological need

Conditioned Reinforcer

a stimulus that gains its reinforcing power through its association with a primary reinforcer; also known as a secondary reinforcer

Continuous Reinforcement Schedule

reinforcing the desired response every time it occurs

Partial Reinforcement Schedule

reinforcing a response only part of the time; results in slower acquisition of a response but much greater resistance to extinction than does continuous reinforcement

Fixed Ratio Schedule

in operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified number of responses

Variable-Ratio Schedule

in operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses

Fixed Interval Schedule

in operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified time has elapsed

Variable Interval Schedule

in operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals

Punishment

an event that tends to decrease the behavior that it follows

Instinctive Drift

the tendency of learned behavior to gradually revert to biologically predisposed patterns

Cognitive Map

a mental representation of the layout of one's environment. For example, after exploring a maze, rats act as if they have learned a cognitive map of it.

Latent Learning

learning that occurs but is not apparent until there is an incentive to demonstrate it

Insight Learning

the process of mentally working through a problem until the sudden realization of a solution occurs

Observational Learning

learning by observing others; also called social learning

Modeling

the process of observing and imitating a specific behavior

Prosocial Behavior

positive, constructive, helpful behavior. The opposite of antisocial behavior

Antisocial Behavior

negative, destructive, unhelpful behavior