Unit 6: Learning Vocab

Learning - the process of acquiring through experience new and relatively enduring information or behaviors

Associative learning - associating two events that occur in proximity of each other

Stimulus - an event of situation that evokes a response

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

Observational Learning - learn from other’s experiences

Classical Conditioning - type of learning in which we relate 2 or more stimuli, making one stimuli imply the 2nd one is coming & makes the subject anticipate the 2nd stimulus

Behaviorism - the view that psychology (1) should be an objective science that (2) studies behavior without references to mental processes (most psychologists today agree with objective science and not behavior without mental processes)

Neutral Stimulus (NS) - in classical conditioning, a stimulus that elicits no response before conditioning

Unconditioned Responses (UR) - in classical conditioning, an unlearned, naturally occurring response (such as salivation) to an unconditioned stimulus (US) (such as food in the mouth).

Unconditioned Stimulus (US) - in classical conditioning, a stimulus that unconditionally—naturally and automatically—triggers an unconditioned response (UR)

Conditioned Response (CR) - in classical conditioning, a learned response to a previously neutral (but now conditioned) stimulus (CS)

Conditioned Stimulus (CS) - in classical conditioning, an originally neutral stimulus that, after association with an unconditioned stimulus (US), comes to trigger a conditioned response (CR)

Acquisition - initial stage of classical conditioning

High-Order Conditioning - Unconditioned Stimulus is paired with a Conditioned Stimulus creating a weaker 2nd Conditioned Stimulus

Extinction - diminishing of a conditioned response due to lack of presence from a Unconditioned Stimulus

Spontaneous recovery - the reappearance, after a pause, of an extinguished conditioned response

Generalization - tendency to respond to stimuli similar to that of a conditioned stimulus

Discrimination - ability to distinguish between conditioned stimulus and other stimulus and choose which to respond to and which one anticipates the unconditioned stimulus

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Operant conditioning - type of learning in which a behavior becomes more likely to recur if followed by a reinforcer or less likely to recur if followed by  a punisher

Law of effect - Thorndike’s principle that behaviors followed by favorable consequences become more likely, and that behaviors followed by unfavorable consequences become less likely

Operant chamber (skinner’s box) - a chamber containing a bar/key that an animal can manipulate to obtain a food/water reinforcer; attached devices record the animal’s rate of bar pressing

Reinforcement - any event that strengthens the behavior it follows

Shaping - procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior toward closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior

Successive approximations - reinforce responses that are ever closer to the final desired behavior

Discriminative stimulus - signal that a response will be reinforced

Positive reinforcement - increasing behaviors by presenting positive reinforcers. A positive reinforcer is any stimulus that, when presented after a response, strengthens the response

Negative reinforcement - increasing behaviors by stopping/ reducing negative stimuli. A negative reinforcer is any stimulus that, when removed after a response, strengthens the response

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

Conditioned reinforcers - a stimulus that gains its reinforcing power through its association with a primary reinforcer (secondary reinforcer)

Reinforcement schedules - a pattern that defines how often a desired response will be reinforced

Continuous reinforcement - reinforcing the desired response every time it occurs

Partial reinforcement schedules - reinforcing a response only part of the time; results on slower acquisition of a response but much greater resistance

fixed-ratio schedule - a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified number of responses

Variable-ratio schedule - a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses

Fixed-interval schedule - a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specific amount of time has elapsed

Variable-interval schedule - a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals

Punishment - an event that tends to decrease the behavior that it follows

Preparedness - a biological predisposition to learn associations, such as between taste and nausea, that have survival value

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

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

Intrinsic Motivation - a desire to perform a behavior effectively for its own sake

Extrinsic Motivation - a desire to perform a behavior to receive promised rewards or avoid threatened punishment

Observational learning - learning by observing others

Modeling - the process of observing and imitating a specific behavior

Mirror neurons - frontal lobe neurons that some scientists believe fire when we perform certain actions or observe another doing so

Prosocial (positive, helpful) behaviors - positive, constructive, helpful behavior. The opposite of antisocial behavior