Ch. 6 Vocab Part 1

Question 1

decreasing responsiveness with repeated stimulation

Answer 1

habituation

Question 2

learning that certain events occur together; the events may be two stimuli (as in classical conditioning) or a response and its consequences (as in operant conditioning)

Answer 2

associative learning

Question 3

any event or situation that evokes a thought

Answer 3

stimulus

Question 4

the acquisition of mental information, whether by observing events, by watching others, or through language

Answer 4

cognitive learning

Question 5

a type of learning in which one learns to link two or more stimuli and anticipate events

Answer 5

classical conditioning

Question 6

the view that psychology (1) should be an objective science that (2) studies behavior without reference to mental processes. Most research psychologists today agree with (1) but not with (2).

Answer 6

behaviorism

Question 7

in classical conditioning, a stimulus that elicits no response before conditioning

Answer 7

neutral stimulus

Question 8

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

Answer 8

unconditioned response

Question 9

in classical conditioning, a stimulus that unconditionally—naturally and automatically—triggers a response

Answer 9

unconditioned stimulus

Question 10

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

Answer 10

conditioned response

Question 11

in classical conditioning, an originally irrelevant stimulus that, after association with an unconditioned stimulus (US), comes to trigger a conditioned response (CR).

Answer 11

conditioned stimulus

Question 12

in classical conditioning, the initial stage, when one links a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus so that the neutral stimulus begins triggering the conditioned response. In operant conditioning, the strengthening of a reinforced response

Answer 12

acquisition

Question 13

a procedure in which the conditioned stimulus in one conditioning experience is paired with a new neutral stimulus, creating a second (often weaker) conditioned stimulus

Answer 13

higher-order conditioning

Question 14

the diminishing of a conditioned response; occurs in classical conditioning when an unconditioned stimulus (US) does not follow a conditioned stimulus (CS); occurs in operant conditioning when a response is no longer reinforced

Answer 14

extinction

Question 15

the reappearance, after a pause, of an extinguished conditioned response

Answer 15

spontaneous recovery

Question 16

the tendency, once a response has been conditioned, for stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus to elicit similar responses

Answer 16

generalization

Question 17

(1) in classical conditioning, the learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and stimuli that do not signal an unconditioned stimulus (2) in social psychology, unjustifiable negative behavior toward a group and its members

Answer 17

discrimination

Question 18

a type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforcer or diminished if followed by a punisher

Answer 18

operant conditioning

Question 19

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

Answer 19

law of effect

Question 20

in operant conditioning research, a chamber (also known as a Skinner box) containing a bar or key that an animal can manipulate to obtain a food or water reinforcer; attached devices record the animal’s rate of bar pressing or key pecking

Answer 20

operant chamber

Question 21

in operant conditioning, any event that strengthens the behavior it follows

Answer 21

reinforcement

Question 22

an operant conditioning procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior toward closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior

Answer 22

shaping

Question 23

in operant conditioning, a stimulus that elicits a response after association with reinforcement (in contrast to related stimuli not associated with reinforcement)

Answer 23

discriminative stimulus

Question 24

increasing behaviors by presenting positive reinforcers;any stimulus that, when presented after a response, strengthens the response

Answer 24

positive reinforcement

Question 25

increasing behaviors by stopping or reducing negative stimuli; any stimulus that, when removed after a response, strengthens the response

Answer 25

negative reinforcement

Question 26

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

Answer 26

primary reinforcer

Question 27

a stimulus that gains its reinforcing power through its association with a primary reinforcer

Answer 27

conditioned reinforcer

Question 28

a pattern that defines how often a desired response will be reinforced

Answer 28

reinforcement schedule

Question 29

reinforcing the desired response every time it occurs

Answer 29

continuous reinforcement

Question 30

reinforcing a response only part of the time; results in slower acquisition of a response but much greater resistance to extinction than does continuous reinforcement

Answer 30

partial reinforcement

Question 31

in operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified number of responses

Answer 31

fixed-ratio schedule

Question 32

in operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses

Answer 32

variable-ratio schedule

Question 33

in operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified time has elapsed

Answer 33

fixed-interval schedule

Question 34

in operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals

Answer 34

variable-interval schedule

Question 35

an event that tends to decrease the behavior that it follows

Answer 35

punishment

Question 36

the process of acquiring new and relatively enduring information or behaviors

Answer 36

learning