Exam 2 (Fall 2013)

Question 1

Learning

Answer 1

process of acquiring new and relatively enduring information or behaviors.

Question 2

Associative learning

Answer 2

our minds naturally connect events that occur in sequence.

Question 3

Acquistion

Answer 3

the initial stage, when one links neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus so that the neutral stimulus begins triggering the conditioned response.

Question 4

Extinction

Answer 4

the diminishing of a conditioned response, when an unconditioned stimulus does not follow a conditioned stimulus

Question 5

Higher-order conditioning

Answer 5

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

Question 6

Spontaneous recovery

Answer 6

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

Question 7

Generalization

Answer 7

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

Question 8

Discrimination

Answer 8

the learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and stimuli that do not signal an unconditioned stimulus.

Question 9

Current applications of Classical Conditioning in the “real world.”

Answer 9

Helping drug addicts recover by steering clear of places where they’ve experienced “highs” so it won’t trigger them.
The body’s disease fighting immune system with drug taste may be conditioned to produce an immune response.

Question 10

Law of Effect

Answer 10

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

Question 11

Operant chamber

Answer 11

containing a bar or key that an animal can manipulate to obtain food or water reinforcer; attached devices record the animal’s rate of bar pressing or key pecking.

Question 12

Shaping

Answer 12

reinforcers guide behavior towed closer approximations of the desired behavior

Question 13

Positive reinforcement

Answer 13

adding something desirable. Increases the behavior

Question 14

Negative reinforcement

Answer 14

ending something unpleasant. Increases behavior

Question 15

Positive punishment

Answer 15

adding something unpleasant. Reduces behavior.

Question 16

Negative punishment

Answer 16

taking something pleasant away. Reduces behavior

Question 17

disadvantages of using Punishment

Answer 17

May restart when punishment is over.
Instead of learning, one might learn to discriminate between different situations.
One might learn fear or hatred.
Models aggression and control as method of dealing with problems.

Question 18

Latent learning

Answer 18

learning that occurs but is not apparent until there is an incentive to demonstrate it.

Question 19

Intrinsic motivation

Answer 19

the desire to perform a behavior effectively and for its own sake

Question 20

Extrinsic motivation

Answer 20

behaving in certain ways to gain external rewards or avoid threatened punishment.

Question 21

Observational learning

Answer 21

learning by observing others

Question 22

Modeling

Answer 22

the process of observing and imitating a specific behavior

Question 23

Mirror neurons

Answer 23

frontal love neurons that some scientists believe fire when performing certain actions or when observing another doing so.

Question 24

Prosocial effect

Answer 24

positive, constructive, helpful behavior. Actions that benefit others

Question 25

Antisocial effect

Answer 25

actions harmful to others.

Question 26

id

Answer 26

a reservoir of unconscious psychic energy that strives to satisfy basic sexual and aggressive drives. The id operates on the pleasure principle, demanding immediate gratification.

Question 27

ego

Answer 27

the largely conscious “executive” part of personality that mediates among the demands of the id, superego, and reality. The ego operates on the reality principle, satisfying the id’s desires in ways that will realistically bring pleasure rather than pain.

Question 28

superego

Answer 28

the part of personality that represents internalized ideals and provides standards for judgment (the conscience) and for future aspirations.

Question 29

Free association

Answer 29

a method of exploring the unconscious mind in which a person relaxes and says whatever comes to mind.

Question 30

Self actualizing

Answer 30

one of the ultimate psychological needs that arises after basic physical and psychological needs are met and self-esteem is achieved the motivation to fulfill one’s potential.

Question 31

Unconditional positive regard

Answer 31

an attitude of total acceptance toward another person

Question 32

Self-concept

Answer 32

all our thoughts and feelings about ourselves, in answer to the question, “Who am I?”

Question 33

Trait

Answer 33

a characteristic pattern of behavior or disposition to feel and act, as assessed by self-port inventories and peer reports.

Question 34

Personality inventory

Answer 34

a questionnaire on which people respond to items designed to gauge a wide range of feelings and behaviors, used to assess selected personality traits

Question 35

Social-cognitive perspective

Answer 35

views behavior as influenced by the interaction between people’s traits (including their thinking) and their social context.

Question 36

Reciprocal determinism

Answer 36

back and forth without primary cause

Question 37

Internal locus of control

Answer 37

we are in charge of ourselves

Question 38

External locus of control

Answer 38

some outside force controls our fate

Question 39

Learned helplessness

Answer 39

when animals and people experience no control over repeated bad events, they often learn helplessness.

Question 40

Spotlight effect

Answer 40

overestimating others’ noticing and evaluating our appearance, performance, and blunders

Question 41

Self-serving bias

Answer 41

a readiness to perceive oneself favorably.

Question 42

Regression

Answer 42

Retreating to a more infantile psychosexual stage, where some psychic energy remains fixated

Question 43

Reaction formation

Answer 43

Switching unacceptable impulses into their opposites

Question 44

Projection

Answer 44

Disguising one’s own threatening impulses by attracting them to others

Question 45

Rationalization

Answer 45

Offering self-justifying explanations in place of the real, more threatening unconscious reasons for one’s actions

Question 46

Displacement

Answer 46

Shifting social or aggressive impulses toward a more acceptable or less threatening object or person

Question 47

Denial

Answer 47

Refusing to believe or even perceive painful realities

Question 48

current applications of Classical Conditioning

Answer 48

Helping drug addicts recover by steering clear of places where they’ve experienced “highs” so it won’t trigger them.
The body’s disease fighting immune system with drug taste may be conditioned to produce an immune response.

Question 49

Latent learning significance

Answer 49

It proves that there is more to learning than associating a response with a consequence; there is also cognition.

Question 50

current applications of Operant Conditioning

Answer 50

Monitoring high blood pressure, gaining social skills, reinforcement technologies in schools, sports, workplaces, and homes.

Question 51

Mirror neuron’s importance in observational learning

Answer 51

The brain’s mirroring of another’s action may enable imitation and empathy.

Question 52

Who is typically considered the founder of Psychoanalytic theory?

Answer 52

SIgmund Freud

Question 53

How did the neo-Freudians mainly differ from Freud’s ideas?

Answer 53

They believed that childhood social, NOT sexual, tensions are crucial for personality formation.

Question 54

What did Roger’s consider the necessary elements in gaining a positive self-concept?

Answer 54

Genuineness
Acceptance
Empathy

Question 55

What are some benefits of high self esteem?

Answer 55

Fewer sleepless nights, less likely to succumb to peer pressure, less shy, anxious, and lonely, just happier.