Ch. 7: Learning From Experience

Question 1

classical conditioning

Answer 1

a set of procedures used to investigate how organisms learn about the signaling properties of events. Classical conditioning involves learning relations between events—conditioned and unconditioned stimuli—that occur outside of one’s control

Question 2

conditioned inhibition

Answer 2

learning that an event signals the absence of the unconditioned stimulus

Question 3

conditioned reinforcer

Answer 3

a stimulus that has acquired reinforcing properties through prior learning

Question 4

conditioned response (CR)

Answer 4

the acquired stimulus that is produced by the conditioned stimulus in anticipation of the unconditioned response

Question 5

conditioned stimulus (CS)

Answer 5

the neutral stimulus that is paired with the unconditioned stimulus during classical conditioning

Question 6

discriminative stimulus

Answer 6

the stimulus situation that sets the occasion for a response to be followed by reinforcement or punishment

Question 7

extinction

Answer 7

presenting a conditioned stimulus repeatedly after conditioning, without the unconditioned stimulus, resulting in a loss in responding

Question 8

fixed-interval (FI) schedule

Answer 8

a schedule in which the reinforcement is delivered for the first response that occurs following a fixed interval of time

Question 9

fixed-ratio (FR) schedule

Answer 9

a schedule in which the number of responses required for reinforcement is fixed and does not change

Question 10

habituation

Answer 10

the decline in the tendency to respond to an event that has become familiar through repeated exposure

Question 11

law of effect

Answer 11

if a response in a particular situation is followed nu a satisfying consequence, it will be strengthened. If a response in a particular situation is followed by an unsatisfying consequence, it will be weakened

Question 12

learning

Answer 12

a relatively permanent change in behavior, or potential behavior, that results from experience

Question 13

modeling

Answer 13

the natural tendency to imitate the behavior of significant oth

Question 14

negative punishment

Answer 14

an event that, when removed after a response lowers the likelihood of that response occurring again

Question 15

negative reinforcement

Answer 15

an event that, when removed after a response, increases the likelihood of that response occurring again

Question 16

observational learning

Answer 16

learning by observing the experience of others

Question 17

operant conditioning

Answer 17

a procedure for studying how organisms learn about the consequences of their own voluntary actions (also called instrumental conditioning)

Question 18

orienting response

Answer 18

an inborn tendency to notice and respond to novel or surprising events

Question 19

partial reinforcement schedule

Answer 19

a schedule in which reinforcement is delivered only some of the time after the response has occurred

Question 20

positive punishment

Answer 20

an event that, when presented after a response, lowers the likelihood of that response occurring again

Question 21

positive reinforcement

Answer 21

an event that, when presented after a response, increases the likelihood of that response

Question 22

reinforcement

Answer 22

response consequences that increase the likelihood of responding in a similar way again

Question 23

schedule of reinforcement

Answer 23

a rule that is used to determine when particular responses will be reinforced

Question 24

second-order conditioning

Answer 24

a procedure in which an established conditioned stimulus is used to condition a second neural stimulus

Question 25

sensitization

Answer 25

increased responsiveness, or sensitivity, or an event that has been repeated

Question 26

shaping

Answer 26

a procedure in which reinforcement is delivered for successive approximations of the desired

Question 27

spontaneous recovery

Answer 27

the recovery of an extinguished conditioned response after a period of nonexposure to the conditioned stimulus

Question 28

stimulus discrimination

Answer 28

responding differently to a new stimulus than how one responds to an established conditioned stimulus

Question 29

stimulus generalization

Answer 29

responding to a new stimulus in a way similar to the response produced by an established conditioned stimulus

Question 30

unconditioned response (UR)

Answer 30

the observable response that is produced automatically, prior to training, on presentation of an unconditioned stimulus

Question 31

unconditioned stimulus (US)

Answer 31

a stimulus that automatically leads to an observable response prior to any training

Question 32

variable-interval (VI) schedule

Answer 32

a schedule in which the allotted time before a response will yield reinforcement varies from trial to trial

Question 33

variable-ration (VR) schedule

Answer 33

a schedule in which a certain number of responses are required for reinforcement, but the number of required responses typically changes

Question 34

punishment

Answer 34

consequences that decrease the likelihood of responding in a similar way again