Learning Flashcards
learning
The acquisition, from experience, of new knowledge, skills, or responses that results in a relatively permanent change in the state of the learner.
habituation
A general process in which repeated or prolonged exposure to a stimulus results in a gradual reduction in responding.
sensitization
A simple form of
learning that occurs when presentation
of a stimulus leads to an increased
response to a later stimulus.c
classical conditioning
A type of
learning that occurs when a neutral
stimulus produces a response after
being paired with a stimulus that
naturally produces a response.
unconditioned stimulus (US)
Something that reliably produces
a naturally occurring reaction in an
organism.
unconditioned response (UR)
A reflexive reaction that is reliably
produced by an unconditioned stimulus.
acquisition
The phase of classical
conditioning when the CS and the US
are presented together.
conditioned stimulus (CS)
A previously neutral stimulus that
produces a reliable response in an
organism after being paired with a US.
conditioned response (CR)
A reaction that resembles an
unconditioned response but is
produced by a conditioned stimulus.
second-order conditioning
A type
of learning in which a CS is paired with
a stimulus that became associated with
the US in an earlier procedure.
extinction
The gradual elimination of a
learned response that occurs when the CS
is repeatedly presented without the US.
spontaneous recovery
The tendency
of a learned behaviour to recover from
extinction after a rest period.
generalization
The CR is observed
even though the CS is slightly different
from the CS used during acquisition.
discrimination
The capacity to
distinguish between similar but
distinct stimuli.
biological preparedness
A propensity for learning particular kinds of associations over other kinds.
law of effect
the principle that
behaviours 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.
operant behaviour
Behaviour that
an organism performs that has some
impact on the environment.
fixed-interval (FI) schedule
An
operant conditioning principle whereby
reinforcers are presented at fixed time
periods, provided that the appropriate
response is made.
variable-interval (VI) schedule
An
operant conditioning principle whereby
behaviour is reinforced on the basis of
an average time that has expired since
the last reinforcement, although the
exact time to the next reinforcement is
not predictable.
