Psychology Final Exam Flashcards
Classical conditioning
learn to associate two stimuli, and consequently, to anticipate events
Operant conditioning
learn to associate a response (our behavior) and its consequences
Cognitive learning
mental information through observing events, watching others, or language
Fixed ratio
provides reinforcement after a set number of correct responses
ex: factory worker is paid for every 10 items they produce then receive paycheck
Fixed interval
provides reinforcement after a set number of times
Variable ratio
variable number of responses
variable interval
variable amount of time has passed
Ex: fisherman catching fish
Neural stimulus (NS)
the stimulus that elicits no response before conditioning
ex: before paring with food, the sound of a bell does not cause dog to salivate
Unconditioned stimulus (US)
stimulus that automatically and naturally triggers a response without prior learning. This stimulus elicits an unconditioned response
Ex: Food in the mouth. In Pavlov’s experiment with dogs, the food automatically causes the dog to salivate.
Unconditioned response (UR)
A natural, automatic reaction or response to the unconditioned stimulus (US), which does not require prior learning or conditioning.
Ex: Salivation when food is placed in the mouth. The dog salivates automatically when food is presented
Conditioned stimulus (CS)
A previously neutral stimulus that, after being paired repeatedly with the unconditioned stimulus (US), eventually begins to trigger a conditioned response (CR) on its own.
Ex: After several pairings of the bell (NS) with food (US), the sound of the bell (now a conditioned stimulus, CS) alone will cause the dog to salivate.
Conditioned response (CR)
A learned response that occurs after the conditioned stimulus (CS) is presented. It is similar to the unconditioned response (UR), but the response is now triggered by the CS rather than the US.
Ex: Salivation in response to the bell sound alone. After the bell (CS) has been paired with food (US) several times, the dog learns to salivate in response to the bell alone, even without food being presented.
Acquisition
when an individual requires a new skill
Extinction
gradual weakening and eventual disappearance of a CR when the CS is repeatedly presented without the US
Spontaneous
the reappearance of a previously extinguished CR after some time wouthout exposure the CS
Generalization
tendency of a learned behavior or response to occur in the presence of stimuli that are similar, but not identical to the original CS
Discrimination
ability to distinguish between different stimuli and respond differently to them based on their relevance or similarity to the CS (opposite of generalization)
Shaping
technique used in operant conditioning to gradually teach a new behavior by reinforcing successive approximations of the desired behavior
Reinforcement
a process in operant conditioning that increases the likelihood of a behavior being repeated by providing a consequence that follows the behavior
Schema
mental framework or concept that organizes information
Assimilation
incorporating new experiences into existing schemas
Accommodation
changing or creating new schemas to adapt to new information that doesn’t fit existing schemas
Object permanence
Understanding that the object still exists after it being taken away
Conservation
refers to the understanding that certain properties of the object remain the same despite changes in their appearance of form
