Unit 3 - Classical and Operant Conditioning Flashcards
Learning
Relatively permanent change in organism’s behavior due to experience.
Classical Conditioning
(Ivan Pavlov) Organisms can come to associate two different stimuli together
Neutral Stimulus
Stimulus which initially produces no specific response other than focusing attention.
Unconditioned Stimulus
Stimulus that unconditionally (automatically) and naturally triggers a response.
Unconditioned Response
Unlearned, naturally occurring response to the unconditioned stimulus.
Conditioned Stimulus
After association with an unconditioned stimulus, it comes to trigger a conditioned response.
Conditioned Response
Learned response to a previously neutral conditioned stimulus.
Acquisition
Neutral stimulus comes to elicit a conditioned response; an organism learns a behavior
Higher Order Conditioning
The conditioned stimulus (CS) is one conditioning experience is paired with a new neutral stimulus, creating a second (often weaker) conditioned stimulus.
Extinction
The diminishing of a conditioned response.
Spontaneous Recovery
After a rest period, an extinguished conditioned response (CR) such salivation, spontaneously recovers.
Generalization
Tendency to respond to stimuli that is similar to the conditioned stimulus (CS)
Discrimination
A learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and other stimuli.
John Garcia
Studied taste aversion in rats; led to knowledge that sickness and taste preferences can be conditioned
Taste Aversion
Associates the taste of a certain food with symptoms caused by a toxic, spoiled, or poisonous substance.
John B. Watson
Believed in objective science/ behaviorism.
Behaviorism
The study of behavior without reference to unobservable mental processes.
Little Albert Experiment
Conditioned fear into an infant; Albert generalized his fears to other furry objects.
Robert Rescorla
The consistency of the pairing between two stimuli influences the strength of the connection between two stimuli.
E.L. Thorndike Law of Effect/ Puzzle Box
The probability of an action being repeated is strengthened when followed by a pleasant or satisfying consequence.
Operant Conditioning
Behavior is strengthened if followed by reinforcement or diminished if followed by punishment.
Operant Chamber
(B.F. Skinner) Bar or key that an animal manipulates to obtain a reinforcer.
Shaping
Procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior towards the desired target behavior through successive approximations.
Discriminative Stimulus
Stimulus that elicits a response after association with reinforcement.
Positive Reinforcement
Any event that strengthens the behavior it follows; added strength.
Negative Reinforcement
The removal of an aversive stimulus; it strengthens the behavior; aversive stimulus is taken away.
Punishment
Aversive event that decreases the behavior that it follows.
Positive Punishment
Adding (or presenting) a stimulus that weakens a response.
Negative Punishment
Taking away (or removing) a stimulus that weakens a response.
Primary Reinforcer
An innately reinforcing stimulus like food or drinking; Ex. candy.
Secondary Reinforcer
A learned reinforcer that gets in reinforcing power through association with the primary reinforcer; Ex. money, good grades.
Immediate Reinforcer
Reinforcer that occurs instantly after a behavior; Ex. food pellets.
Delayed Reinforcer
Reinforcer that is delayed in time for a certain behavior; Ex. paycheck
Respondent Behavior
Behavior that occurs as an automatic response to some stimulus.
Operant Behavior
Behavior that operates on the environment, producing consequences.
Fixed Ratio
Reinforces a response only after a specified number of responses; Ex. piecework pay.
Variable Ratio
Reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses; Ex. gambling, fishing.
Fixed Interval
Reinforces a response only after a specified time has elapsed; Ex. biweekly paychecks.
Variable Interval
Reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals; Ex. pop quizzes.
