Vocab

Behaviorism Vocab

• Classical Conditioning: Learning through association, where a neutral stimulus becomes associated with a reflexive response.

• Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS): A stimulus that naturally triggers a response without prior learning (e.g., food).

• Unconditioned Response (UCR): A natural, unlearned reaction to the unconditioned stimulus (e.g., salivating to food).

• Conditioned Stimulus (CS): A previously neutral stimulus that, after being paired with the UCS, triggers a conditioned response.

• Conditioned Response (CR): A learned response to the conditioned stimulus, similar to the unconditioned response.

• Acquisition: The initial phase of learning in classical conditioning when the CS and UCS are paired.

• Extinction: The weakening of a conditioned response when the conditioned stimulus is repeatedly presented without the unconditioned stimulus.

• Spontaneous Recovery: The reappearance of a conditioned response after it has been extinguished and time has passed.

• Generalization: When a conditioned response occurs to stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus.

• (Conditioning) Discrimination: The ability to differentiate between the conditioned stimulus and other stimuli that are different.

• One-Trial Conditioning: Learning that occurs after just one pairing of the CS and UCS.

• Aversion Therapy: Using classical conditioning to create a negative response to a harmful stimulus (e.g., pairing alcohol with nausea).

• Learned Helplessness: When a subject learns that it cannot escape a bad situation, so it stops trying, even if conditions change.

• Biological Preparedness: The idea that organisms are biologically predisposed to form associations that aid survival (e.g., fear of snakes).

• Instinctive Drift: The tendency for animals to revert to instinctive behaviors that interfere with conditioned responses.

• Operant Conditioning: Learning where behaviors are shaped by consequences, like rewards or punishments.

• Positive Reinforcement: Adding a pleasant stimulus to increase a behavior.

• Negative Reinforcement: Removing an unpleasant stimulus to increase a behavior.

• Positive Punishment: Adding an unpleasant stimulus to decrease a behavior.

• Negative Punishment: Removing a pleasant stimulus to decrease a behavior.

• Shaping: Gradually reinforcing behaviors that get closer to the desired behavior.

• Token Economy: A system where tokens are earned for good behavior and exchanged for rewards.

• Partial Reinforcement: Reinforcing a behavior only sometimes, which makes it more resistant to extinction.

• Fixed Ratio: A reinforcement schedule where reinforcement occurs after a set number of responses (e.g., every 5 tasks).

• Variable Ratio: A reinforcement schedule where reinforcement occurs after an unpredictable number of responses (e.g., gambling).

• Fixed Interval: A reinforcement schedule where reinforcement occurs after a set amount of time (e.g., a paycheck every 2 weeks).

• Variable Interval: A reinforcement schedule where reinforcement occurs at unpredictable time intervals (e.g., checking for email).

• Observational/Social Learning/Modeling: Learning by watching others and imitating their behavior.

• Latent Learning: Learning that occurs without immediate reward, but is demonstrated later when needed.

• Insight Learning: A sudden realization of how to solve a problem without trial and error.

Social Psych Vocab

• Mere Exposure Effect: Preference for things simply because we are familiar with them.

• Central Route: Persuasion through logical arguments and deep thinking.

• Peripheral Route: Persuasion influenced by superficial cues like attractiveness.

• The Halo Effect: Assuming positive traits in one area mean positive traits in others.

• Foot-in-the-Door: A small request is followed by a larger one.

• Door-in-the-Face: A large request is made first, followed by a smaller one.

• Social Reciprocity Norm: The expectation to return benefits for benefits received.

• Dispositional Attribution: Explaining behavior by personality traits.

• Situational Attribution: Explaining behavior by external circumstances.

• Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: When expectations cause someone to act in ways that make the expectation come true.

• Fundamental Attribution Error/Bias: Overestimating personal traits and underestimating situational factors.

• Self-Serving Bias: Attributing successes to oneself and failures to external factors.

• Cognitive Dissonance: Discomfort from holding conflicting thoughts or beliefs.

• False Consensus Effect: Overestimating how much others share our opinions or behaviors.

• Just World Bias: Believing people get what they deserve, often leading to victim-blaming.

• Social Comparison Theory: Determining self-worth by comparing ourselves to others.

• Out-Group Homogeneity Bias: Believing that members of an out-group are more similar than they really are.

• In-Group Bias: Favoring one’s own group over others.

• Belief Perseverance: Holding onto beliefs even after they’re disproven.

• The Bystander Effect: Less likelihood of helping in an emergency when others are present.

• Norms: Social rules about expected behavior in certain situations.

• Social Loafing: Putting in less effort when working in a group compared to working alone.

• Group Polarization: Group discussions make individuals' beliefs more extreme.

• Groupthink: Prioritizing group harmony over critical thinking, often leading to poor decisions.

• Deindividuation: Losing self-awareness and acting impulsively in group situations.

• Social Facilitation: Performing better on tasks when others are watching.

• Social Impairment: Performing worse on tasks when others are watching.

• Solomon Asch’s Conformity Study: A study showing individuals often conform to a group’s wrong answer.

• Stanley Milgram’s Obedience Study: A study demonstrating people’s willingness to obey authority, even when it involves harming others.