Learning Vocab

Question 1

Learning

Answer 1

the process of acquiring through experience new and relatively enduring information or behaviors

Question 2

Associative Learning

Answer 2

learning that certain events occur together

Question 3

Cognitive Learning

Answer 3

the acquisition of mental information, whether by observing events, by watching others, or through language

Question 4

Social Learning

Question 5

Classical Conditioning

Answer 5

a type of learning in which we link two or more stimuli

Question 6

Neutral Stimulus

Answer 6

a stimulus that elicits no response before conditioning

Question 7

Unconditioned Response

Answer 7

an unlearned, naturally occurring response (such as salivation) to an unconditioned stimulus

Question 8

Unconditioned Stimulus

Answer 8

a stimulus that unconditionally—naturally and automatically—triggers an unconditioned response (UR)

Question 9

Conditioned Response

Answer 9

a learned response to a previously neutral (but now conditioned) stimulus (CS)

Question 10

Conditioned Stimulus

Answer 10

an originally neutral stimulus that, after association with an unconditioned stimulus (US), comes to trigger a conditioned response (CR)

Question 11

Higher-Order Conditioning

Answer 11

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

Question 12

Extinction

Answer 12

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

Question 13

Spontaneous Recovery

Answer 13

the reappearance, after a pause, of a weakened conditioned response

Question 14

Generalization

Answer 14

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

Question 15

Discrimination

Answer 15

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

Question 16

Operant Conditioning

Answer 16

a type of learning in which a behavior becomes more likely to recur if followed by a reinforcer or less likely to recur if followed by a punisher

Question 17

Positive Reinforcement

Answer 17

increasing behaviors by presenting a pleasurable stimulus

Question 17

Reinforcement

Answer 17

any event that strengthens the behavior it follows

Question 18

Negative Reinforcement

Answer 18

increasing behaviors by stopping or reducing an aversive stimulus

Question 19

Shaping

Answer 19

an operant conditioning procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior toward closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior

Question 20

Primary Reinforcer

Answer 20

an innately reinforcing stimulus, such as one that satisfies a biological need

Question 21

Reinforcement Schedule

Answer 21

a pattern that defines how often a desired response will be reinforced

Question 22

Fixed-Ratio

Answer 22

a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified number of responses

Question 23

Variable-Ratio

Answer 23

a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses

Question 24

Fixed-Interval

Answer 24

a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified time has elapsed

Question 25

Variable-Interval

Answer 25

a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals

Question 26

Positive Punishment

Answer 26

an event that decreases a behavior by administering a negative stimulus

Question 27

Negative Punishment

Answer 27

an event that decreases behavior by removing a rewarding stimulus

Question 28

Cognitive Map

Answer 28

a mental representation of the layout of one’s environment

Question 29

Latent Learning

Answer 29

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

Question 30

Biological Preparedness

Answer 30

organism influences by evolutionary history (taste=nausea; prepared to fear storm/blood/height)

Question 31

Conditioned Food Aversions

Answer 31

biological tendency in which organisms learn to avoid good with specific sight, smell, taste after single experience (eating followed by illness)