Learning Theories

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering the core concepts of Behavioral Learning Theories, the work of John B. Watson and Ivan Pavlov, and the principles and applications of Classical Conditioning.

Learning

The process whereby behavior changes in response to external and situational contingencies.

Behaviorism

A school of thought formed by John B. Watson (1878-1958) based on the central idea that only observable behaviors are worthy of research because other abstractions like mood or thoughts are too subjective.

Radical Behaviorism

A formulation by John B. Watson with a sole focus on observable behaviors that can be measured, predicted, and controlled, viewing the mind as an irrelevant explanation for behavior.

“Albert”

An 11-month old boy who was conditioned to fear a white lab rat by pairing its arrival with a loud noise, demonstrating that emotions can be conditioned.

Habit Systems

Repeated behaviors formed in early childhood and set by age 30 which John B. Watson believed constituted personality.

Behavioral Psychology

The study of how our behavior results from stimuli both in the environment and within ourselves, often controlling for as many variables as possible.

Conditioning

A learning process where new responses are learned and old ones become internalized as behavior; also known as learning by association.

Ivan Pavlov

A Russian physicist (1849-1936) who received a Nobel prize for his contribution to science, specifically for the theory of classical conditioning.

Classical Conditioning

A type of learning, also referred to as respondent learning, in which a neutral stimulus acquires the ability to elicit a response through association.

Contiguous

Events that occur together in time and place so that the appearance of one indicates that the other event is to be anticipated.

Unconditioned stimulus (US)

A stimulus that elicits a reflexive, innate response in the absence of learning.

Unconditioned response (UCR)

The reflexive, innate response to a stimulus in the absence of learning.

Conditioned stimulus (CS)

A stimulus that elicits a learned response after being paired with an unconditioned stimulus.

Conditioned response (CR)

The learned response to a conditioned stimulus.

Principle of reinforcement

The rule that positive reinforcement, such as food given after a bell is rung, is essential for a new behavior to be learned.

The principle of extinction

The dying of a learned response that occurs when reinforcement is withdrawn, such as when a bell is not accompanied by food for several times.

The principle of spontaneous recovery

The reappearance of a learned response without reinforcement after a resting time following the process of extinction.

The principle of generalization

The act of responding to stimuli which are similar to the original stimuli as long as both are reinforced.

The principle of discrimination

Learning to pick out differences in stimuli and responding to a very specific stimulus instead of similar ones.

Exposure and response prevention

A technique where a client is repeatedly exposed to an anxiety-producing situation while preventing themselves from making the anxiety-reducing response.

Systematic desensitization

A collaborative process between psychologist and client to develop a stimulus hierarchy and use progressive relaxation to encounter stimuli from least to most frightening.

Stimulus hierarchy

A list of anxiety-eliciting stimuli ranked from least provoking to most frightening.

Flooding

A treatment where the most frightening stimulus is encountered continuously in imagery or in vivo until anxiety dissipates.

Aversion therapy

A form of psychological treatment where a patient is exposed to a stimulus while simultaneously being subjected to discomfort to cause a negative association.