Chapter 7 Vocab

Question 1

learning

Answer 1

The acquisition of new knowledge, skills, or responses from experience that result in a relatively permanent change in the state of the learner.

Question 2

classical conditioning

Answer 2

A phenomenon that occurs when a neutral stimulus produces a response after being paired with a stimulus that naturally produces a response.

Question 3

unconditioned stimulus (US)

Answer 3

Something that reliably produces a naturally occurring reaction in an organism.

Question 4

unconditioned response (UR)

Answer 4

A reflexive reaction that is reliably produced by an unconditioned stimulus.

Question 5

conditioned stimulus (CS)

Answer 5

A stimulus that is initially neutral and produces no reliable response in an organism.

Question 6

conditioned response (CR)

Answer 6

A reaction that resembles an unconditioned response but is produced by a conditioned stimulus.

Question 7

acquisition

Answer 7

The phase of classical conditioning when the CS and the US are presented together.

Question 8

second-order conditioning

Answer 8

Conditioning in which the stimulus that functions as the US is actually the CS from an earlier procedure in which it acquired its ability to produce learning.

Question 9

extinction

Answer 9

The gradual elimination of a learned response that occurs when the US is no longer presented.

Question 10

spontaneous recovery

Answer 10

The tendency of a learned behavior to recover from extinction after a rest period.

Question 11

generalization

Answer 11

A process in which the CR is observed even though the CS is slightly different from the original one used during acquisition.

Question 12

discrimination (stimuli)

Answer 12

The capacity to distinguish between similar but distinct stimuli.

Question 13

biological preparedness

Answer 13

A propensity for learning particular kinds of associations over others.

Question 14

operant conditioning

Answer 14

A type of learning in which the consequences of an organism’s behavior determine whether that behavior will be repeated in the future.

Question 15

law of effect

Answer 15

The principle that behaviors that are followed by a “satisfying state of affairs” tend to be repeated and those that produce an “unpleasant state of affairs” are less likely to be repeated.

Question 16

operant behavior

Answer 16

Behavior that an organism produces that has some impact on the environment.

Question 17

reinforcer

Answer 17

Any stimulus or event that functions to increase the likelihood of the behavior that led to it.

Question 18

punisher

Answer 18

Any stimulus or event that functions to decrease the likelihood of the behavior that led to it.

Question 19

fixed interval (FI) schedule

Answer 19

An operant conditioning principle in which reinforcements are presented at fixed time periods, provided that the appropriate response is made.

Question 20

variable interval (VI) schedule

Answer 20

An operant conditioning principle in which behavior is reinforced based on an average time that has expired since the last reinforcement.

Question 21

fixed ratio (FR) schedule

Answer 21

An operant conditioning principle in which reinforcement is delivered after a specific number of responses have been made.

Question 22

variable ratio (VR) schedule

Answer 22

An operant conditioning principle in which the delivery of reinforcement is based on a particular average number of responses.

Question 23

intermittent reinforcement

Answer 23

An operant conditioning principle in which only some of the responses made are followed by reinforcement.

Question 24

intermittent-reinforcement effect

Answer 24

The fact that operant behaviors that are maintained under intermittent-reinforcement schedules resist extinction better than those maintained under continuous reinforcement.

Question 25

shaping

Answer 25

Learning that results from the reinforcement of successive steps to a final desired behavior.

Question 26

latent learning

Answer 26

A condition in which something is learned but it is not manifested as a behavioral change until sometime in the future.

Question 27

cognitive map

Answer 27

A mental representation of the physical features of the environment.

Question 28

observational learning

Answer 28

A condition in which learning takes place by watching the actions of others.

Question 29

diffusion chain

Answer 29

A phenomenon that occurs when individuals initially learn a behavior by observing another individual perform that behavior and then serve as a model from which other individuals learn the behavior.

Question 30

implicit learning

Answer 30

Learning that takes place largely without awareness of the process or the products of information acquisition.

Question 31

habituation

Answer 31

A general process in which repeated or prolonged exposure to a stimulus results in a gradual reduction in response.