SLS20 Chapter 7 Flashcards
learning
Experience that results in a relatively permanent change in the state of the learner
classical conditioning
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
conditioned stimulus (CS)
A stimulus that is initially neutral and produces no reliable response in an organism
conditioned response (CR)
A reaction that resembles an unconditioned response but is produced by a conditioned stimulus
acquisition
The phase of classical conditioning when the CS and the US are presented together
second-order conditioning
Conditioning where the US is a stimulus that acquired its ability to produce learning from an earlier procedure in which it was used as a CS
extinction
The gradual elimination of a learned response that occurs when the US is no longer presented
spontaneous recovery
The tendency of a learned behavior to recover from extinction after a rest period
generalization
A process in which the CR is observed even though the CS is slightly different from the original one used during acquisition
discrimination
The capacity to distinguish between similar but distinct stimuli
biological preparedness
A propensity for learning particular kinds of associations over others
operant conditioning
A type of learning in which the consequences of an organism’s behavior determine whether it will be repeated in the future
law of effect
The principle that behaviors 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 behavior
Behavior that an organism produces that has some impact on the environment
reinforcer
Any stimulus or event that functions to increase the likelihood of the behavior that led to it
punisher
Any stimulus or event that functions to decrease the likelihood of the behavior that led to it
positive reinforcement
rewarding stimulus is presented
negative reinforcement
Unpleasant stimulus is removed
positive punishment
Unpleasant stimulus is administered
negative punishment
Rewarding stimulus is removed
overjustification effect
Circumstances when external rewards can undermine the intrinsic satisfaction of performing a behavior
fixed interval schedule (FI)
An operant conditioning principle in which reinforcements are prsented at fixed time periods, provided that the appropriate response is made
variable interval schedule (VI)
An operant conditioning principle in which behavior is reinforced based on an average time that has expired since the last reinforccement
fixed ratio schedule (FR)
An operant conditioning principle in which behavior is reinforced based on an average time that has expired since the last reinforcement
variable ratio schedule (VR)
An operant conditioning principle in which the delivery of reinforcement is based on a particular average number of responses
intermittent reinforcement
An operant conditioning principle in which only some of the responses made are followed by reinforcement
Intermittent-reinforcement effect
The fact that operant behaviors that are maintained under intermittent reinforcement schedules resist extinction better than those maintained under continuous reinforcement
shaping
Learning that results from the reinforcement of successive steps to a final desired behavior
latent learning
A condition in whihc something is learned but it is not manifested as a behavioral change until sometime in the future (ex. rats in maze without food, then with food)
cognitive map
A mental representation of the physical features of an environment (ex. rats in mazes)
observational learning
A condition in which learning takes place by watching the actions of others
diffusion chain
A process in which individuals initially learn a behavior by observing another individual perform that behavior, and then serve as a model from which other individuals learn the behavior
implicit learning
Learning that takes place largely without awareness of the process or the products of information acquisition
habituation
A general process in which repeated or prolonged exposure to a stimulus results in a gradual reduction in response
