Chapter 6 Vocab

Question 1

Prosocial Behavior

Answer 1

positive, constructive, helpful behavior. The opposite of antisocial behavior

Question 2

Learning

Answer 2

A relatively permanent change in an organism’s behavior due to experience

Question 3

Classical Conditioning

Answer 3

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

Question 4

Operant Conditioning

Answer 4

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

Question 5

Habituation

Answer 5

An organism’s decreasing response to a stimulus with a repeated exposure to it

Question 6

Unconditioned Response

Answer 6

in classical conditioning, the unlearned, naturally occurring response to the unconditioned stimuli, such as salivation when food is in the mouth

Question 7

Extrinsic Motivation

Answer 7

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

Question 8

Extinction

Answer 8

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

Question 9

Conditioned Stimulus

Answer 9

the learned response to a previously neutral stimulus

Question 10

Modeling

Answer 10

the process of observing and initiating a specific behavior

Question 11

Higher Order Conditioning

Answer 11

a procedure in which the conditioned stimulus in one conditioning experience is paired with a neutral stimulus, creating a second (often weaker) conditioned stimulus. For example, an animal that has learned that a tone predicts food might then learn that a light predicts the tone and begin responding to a light alone

Question 12

Mirror Neurons

Answer 12

frontal lobe neurons that fire when performing certain actions or when observing another doing so. The brain’s mirroring of another’s actions may enable imitation and empathy

Question 13

Spontaneous Recovery

Answer 13

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

Question 14

Observational Learning

Answer 14

learning by observing others. Also called social learning

Question 15

Positive Reinforcement

Answer 15

increasing behaviors by preventing positive stimuli, such as food. a positive reinforcer is any stimulus that, when presented after a response, strengthens the response

Question 16

Intrinsic Motivation

Answer 16

a desire to perform a behavior for its own sake

Question 17

Negative Reinforcement

Answer 17

increasing behaviors by stopping or reducing negative stimuli, such as shock. a negative reinforcer is any stimuli that, when removed after a response, strengthens the rsponse