Psychology Exam 2

Question 1

Learning

Answer 1

The process of acquiring through experience new and relatively enduring behaviors.

Question 2

Associative Learning

Answer 2

Learning that certain events occur together.

Question 3

Cognitive Learning

Answer 3

Acquisition of mental information.

Question 4

Stimulus

Answer 4

An event that evokes a response.

Question 5

Neutral Stimulus

Answer 5

A stimulus that elicits no response before conditioning.

Question 6

Unconditioned Response

Answer 6

An unlearned, naturally occurring response to an unconditioned stimulus.

Question 7

Unconditioned Stimulus

Answer 7

A stimulus that unconditionally, naturally, and automatically triggers an unconditioned response.

Question 8

Conditioned Response

Answer 8

A learning response to a previously neutral (but now conditioned) response.

Question 9

Conditioned Stimulus

Answer 9

An originally irrelevant stimulus, that after association with an unconditioned stimulus comes to trigger a conditioned response.

Question 10

Behaviorism

Answer 10

Studies behavior without reference to mental processes.

Question 11

Pavlov

Answer 11

Studied digestive system; first Russian nobel prize; Demonstrated associative learning via salivary conditioning.

Question 12

Acquisition

Answer 12

Initial stage, when one links a NS with an US so that the NS begins triggering the CR.

Question 13

Extinction

Answer 13

Diminishing of a conditioned response.

Question 14

Spontaneous Recovery

Answer 14

Reappearance, after a pause, of an extinguished CR.

Question 15

Generalization

Answer 15

Tendency, once one has been conditioned, for a similar stimulus to the CS to elicit similar responses.

Question 16

Discrimination

Answer 16

Ability to distinguish between a CS and other relevant stimuli.

Question 17

Operant Conditioning

Answer 17

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

Question 18

B.F. Skinner

Answer 18

Modern behaviorism’s most influential and controversial figure.

Question 19

Reinforcement

Answer 19

Any event that strengthens the behavior it follows.

Question 20

Positive Reinforcement

Answer 20

Add a desired stimulus. Increases behaviors by presenting positive reinforcers.

Question 21

Negative Reinforcement

Answer 21

Remove a aversive stimulus. Increases behavior by stopping or reducing a negative stimuli.

Question 22

Primary Reinforcer

Answer 22

Unlearned; Innately reinforcing stimuli.

Question 23

Conditioned Reinforcer

Answer 23

Stimulus that gains power through association with primary reinforcer.

Question 24

Immediate Reinforcement

Answer 24

Occurs immediately after a behavior.

Question 25

Delayed Reinforcement

Answer 25

Involves time delay between desired response of and delivery of reward.

Question 25

Reinforcement Schedule

Answer 25

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

Question 26

Continuous Reinforcement Schedule

Answer 26

Reinforcing the desired response every time it occurs.

Question 27

Partial Reinforcement

Answer 27

Reinforcing a response only part of the time.

Question 28

Fixed Ratio

Answer 28

Behavior is reinforced after a specific number of responses.

Question 29

Variable Ratio

Answer 29

Behavior is reinforced after an average, but unpredictable, number of responses,

Question 30

Fixed Interval

Answer 30

Behavior is reinforced for the first response after a specific amount of time has passed.

Question 31

Variable Interval

Answer 31

Behavior is reinforced for the first response after an average, but unpredictable, amount of time has passed.

Question 32

Punishment

Answer 32

Administers an undesirable consequence or
withdraws something desirable in an attempt to decrease the frequency of a behavior.

Question 33

Positive Punishment

Answer 33

Presenting a negative consequence after an undesired behavior.

Question 34

Negative Punishment

Answer 34

Removing a desired stimulus after a particular undesired behavior.

Question 35

Shaping

Answer 35

Gradually guiding behavior toward
closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior.