Untitled Flashcard Set

Instinctive Drift – The tendency for learned behaviors to revert back to biologically predisposed, instinctual patterns.
High Order Conditioning – When a conditioned stimulus is paired with a new neutral stimulus, creating a second (often weaker) conditioned stimulus.
Social Learning Theory – The theory that people learn by observing, imitating, and modeling the behavior of others.
Reciprocal Determinism – The idea that behavior, personal factors, and the environment all interact and influence one another.
The Law of Effect – Behaviors followed by satisfying outcomes are more likely to recur, while those followed by unpleasant outcomes are less likely.
Shaping – Reinforcing successive approximations toward a desired behavior.
Discrimination – Learning to respond differently to similar stimuli.
Generalization – Responding similarly to stimuli that resemble the conditioned stimulus.
Extinction – The weakening of a learned response when reinforcement or the conditioned stimulus is no longer present.
Token Economy – A system that uses tokens as rewards that can be exchanged for other reinforcers.
Secondary Reinforcer – A stimulus that gains reinforcing power through association with a primary reinforcer (e.g., money).
Vicarious Reinforcement – Learning by observing someone else being reinforced.
Habituation – Decreased response to a repeated, harmless stimulus.
Cognitive Learning – Learning that involves mental processes such as thinking, knowing, and problem-solving.
Acquisition – The initial stage of learning when a response is first established and strengthened.
Discriminative Stimulus – A stimulus that signals when a particular response will be reinforced.
Primary Reinforcer – A naturally reinforcing stimulus that satisfies a biological need (e.g., food, water).
Conditioned Reinforcer – A learned reinforcer associated with a primary reinforcer.
Continuous Reinforcement – Reinforcing a behavior every time it occurs.
Partial Reinforcement – Reinforcing a behavior only some of the time, making the behavior more resistant to extinction.
Cognitive Map – A mental representation of the layout of an environment.
Latent Learning – Learning that occurs without reinforcement but becomes apparent when needed.
Insight Learning – Sudden realization of a solution to a problem without trial-and-error.
Modeling – Learning through observing and imitating others.
Mirror Neurons – Brain cells that fire both when performing an action and when observing someone else perform it.
Prosocial Behavior – Positive, helpful, constructive behavior.
Antisocial Behavior – Negative, aggressive, or harmful behavior toward others.