Unit 4 Term List

Question 1

Reinforcement

Answer 1

Any consequence that increases the frequency of a behavior.

Question 2

Punishment

Answer 2

Any consequence that decreases the frequency of a behavior.

Question 3

Skinner Box

Answer 3

A completely controlled environment used to study the effectiveness of patterns of reinforcement.

Question 4

Acquisition

Answer 4

When the organism shows a new behavior - the initial learning phase in both classical and operant conditioning.

Question 5

Extinction

Answer 5

The gradual weakening and disappearance of a response because it is no longer followed by reinforcement - In classical conditioning, the process by which the conditioned response decreases after repeated exposure to the conditioned stimulus in the absence of the unconditioned stimulus; in operant conditioning, the disappearance of a learned behavior through the removal of its reinforcer.

Question 6

Resistance to Extinction

Answer 6

An organism continues to make a response after delivery of the reinforcer because it has been terminated.

Question 7

Continuous Reinforcement

Answer 7

Reinforcing a behavior each time the behavior is shown.

Question 8

Intermittent Reinforcement

Answer 8

Reinforcing a behavior occasionally - not reinforcing the behavior each time.

Question 9

Fixed-Ratio Schedule

Answer 9

The reinforcer is given after a fixed number of nonreinforced responses.

Question 10

Variable-Ratio Schedule

Answer 10

The reinforcer is given after a variable number of nonreinforced responses.

Question 11

Fixed-Interval Schedul

Answer 11

The reinforcer is given for the first response that occurs after a fixed interval has elapsed.

Question 12

Variable-Interval Schedule

Answer 12

The reinforcer is given for the first response after a variable amount of time has elapsed.

Question 13

Positive Reinforcement

Answer 13

Increasing a response by adding a pleasurable consequence.

Question 14

Negative Reinforcement

Answer 14

Increasing a response by removing an unpleasant consequence.

Question 15

Stimulus Contiguity

Answer 15

Pavlov found that classical conditioning occurred only when the CS preceded the US. And, he found that the fastest conditioning occurred within 1/2 of a second between the two stimuli.

Question 16

Spontaneous Recovery

Answer 16

The reappearance of a seemingly extinct conditioned response.

Question 17

Stimulus Generalization

Answer 17

Showing the same conditioned response to a similar stimulus.

Question 18

Stimulus Discrimination

Answer 18

Not showing the same conditioned response to another stimulus.

Question 19

Higher Order Conditioning

Answer 19

A second level of classical conditioning.

Question 20

Observational Learning

Answer 20

Occurs when an organism’s responding is influenced by the observation of others, who are called models.

Question 21

Model

Answer 21

The one being observed in observational learning.

Question 22

Descriptive Statistics

Answer 22

A way of organizing numbers and summarizing them so that patterns can be discerned.

Question 23

Measures of Central Tendency

Answer 23

Numbers that best represent the most typical score of a data set.

Question 24

Mean

Answer 24

The arithmetic average of a data set.

Question 25

Median

Answer 25

The middle score in an ordered distribution of scores, or the mean of the two middle numbers.

Question 26

Mode

Answer 26

The most frequent score in a data set.

Question 27

Normal Curve

Answer 27

A frequency distribution, shaped like a bell, in which the scores are symmetrically distributed around the mean. And, the mean, median, and mode are all located on the same point on the curve.

Question 28

Operant Conditioning

Answer 28

Learning that occurs when voluntary actions become associated with their consequences.

Question 29

Shaping

Answer 29

A process by which a person observes the behaviors of another organism, providing reinforcers if the organism performs at a required level.

Question 30

Classical Conditioning

Answer 30

A learning process in which two stimuli become associated with each other; when an originally neutral stimulus is conditioned to elicit an involuntary response.

Question 31

Unconditioned Response (UR)

Answer 31

A reflexive, involuntary response to an unconditioned stimulus.

Question 32

Unconditioned Stimulus (US)

Answer 32

A stimulus that automatically triggers an involuntary response without any learning needed.

Question 33

Conditioned Response (CR)

Answer 33

A learned response to a conditioned stimulus.

Question 34

Conditioned Stimulus (CS)

Answer 34

A previously neutral stimulus that an organism learns to associate with an unconditioned stimulus.

Question 35

Instinctive Drift

Answer 35

The tendency for animals to revert to instinctual behaviors after a behavior pattern has been learned.

Question 36

Partial Reinforcement

Answer 36

A schedule of reinforcement in which target behaviors are reinforced intermittently, not continuously.

Question 37

Partial Reinforcement Effect

Answer 37

The tendency for behaviors acquired through intermittent reinforcement to be more resistant to extinction than those acquired through continuous reinforcement.