Psyc 100 Lecture 6: Conditioning and Learning

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts related to conditioning and learning, providing definitions for important vocabulary.

Learning

Relatively permanent change in behavior due to experience.

Classical Conditioning

A learning process that involves pairing a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus to elicit a conditioned response.

Operant Conditioning

Learning in which behaviors are modified by their consequences, involving reinforcement or punishment.

Unconditioned Stimulus (US)

An antecedent that innately triggers a reflex response.

Conditioned Response (CR)

A learned response to a conditioned stimulus that was previously neutral.

Neutral Stimulus (NS)

A stimulus that does not evoke a response before conditioning.

Acquisition

The learning phase during classical conditioning where the conditioned stimulus is paired with the unconditioned stimulus.

Reinforcement

Any stimulus that increases the probability of a desired response.

Punishment

An event that decreases the likelihood of a response being repeated.

Conditioned Emotional Response (CER)

An emotional response that has been classically conditioned to occur by pairing a neutral stimulus with an emotional stimulus.

Vicarious Conditioning

Learning by observing the conditioning of another.

Extinction

The diminishing of a conditioned response when the unconditioned stimulus is no longer presented.

Spontaneous Recovery

The reappearance of a conditioned response after a period of rest following extinction.

Generalization

The tendency to respond to stimuli that are similar to the conditioned stimulus.

Discrimination

The ability to distinguish between different stimuli and respond appropriately.

Schedules of Reinforcement

The rules that determine how and when reinforcement is delivered.

Premack Principle

The principle that more probable behaviors can reinforce less probable behaviors.