Unit 6 Flashcards
The process of acquiring new and relatively enduring information or behaviors.
Learning
An organism’s decreasing response to a stimulus with repeated exposure to it.
Habituation
Learning that certain events occur together. The events may be two stimuli (as in classical conditioning) or a response and its consequences (as in operant conditioning).
Associative Learning
Any event or situation that evokes a response. `
Stimulus
The acquisition of mental information, whether by observing events, by watching others, or through language.
Cognitive learning
A type of learning in which one learns to link two or more stimuli and anticipate events.
Classical Conditioning
The view that psychology (1) should be an objective science that (2) studies behavior without reference to mental processes. Most research psychologist today agree with (1) but not with (2).
Behaviorism
In classical conditioning, a stimulus that elicits no response before conditioning.
Neutral Stimulus (NS)
In classical conditioning, an unlearned, naturally occurring response (such as salivation) to an unconditioned stimulus (US)(such as food in the mouth).
Unconditioned Response (UR)
In classical conditioning, a stimulus that unconditionally - naturally and automatically - triggers a response (UR).
Unconditioned Stimulus (US)
In classical conditioning, a learned response to a previously neutral (but now conditioned) stimulus (CS).
Conditioned Response (CR)
In classical conditioning, an originally irrelevant stimulus that, after association with an unconditioned stimulus (US), comes to trigger a conditioned response (CR).
Conditioned Stimulus (CS)
In classical conditioning, the initial stage, when one links a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus so that the neutral stimulus beings triggering the conditioned response. In operant conditioning, the strengthening of a reinforced response.
Acquisition
A procedure in which the conditioned stimulus in one conditioned stimulus in one conditioning experience is paired with a new neutral stimulus, creating a second (often weaker) conditioned stimulus. For example, an animal that has learned that a tone predicts food might then learn that a light predicts the tone and begin responding to the light alone.
Higher-order Conditioning
The diminishing of a conditioned response; occurs in classical conditioning when an unconditioned stimulus (US) does not follow a conditioned stimulus (CS); occurs in operant conditioning when a response in no longer reinforced.
Extinction
The reappearance, after a pause, of an extinguished conditioned response.
Spontaneous Recovery
The tendency, once a response has been conditioned, for stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus to elicit similar responses.
Generalization
In classical conditioning, the learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and stimuli that do not signal an unconditioned stimulus.
Discrimination
A type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforcer or diminished if followed by a punisher
Operant Conditioning
Throndike’s principle that behaviors followed by favorable consequences become more likely, and that behaviors followed by unfavorable consequences become less likely.
Law of Effect
In operant conditioning research, a chamber (also known as a Skinner Box) containing a bar or key that an animal can manipulate to obtain a food or water reinforcer; attached devices record animal’s rate of bar pressing or key pecking.
Operant Chamber
In operant conditioning, any event that strengthens the behavior it follows.
Reinforcement
An operant conditioning procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior towards closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior.
Shaping
In operant conditioning, a stimulus that elicts a response after association with reinforcement (in contrast to related stimuli not associated with reinforcement).
Discriminative Stimulus
Increasing behaviors by presenting positive reinforcers. A positive reinforcer is any stimulus that, when presented after a response, strengthens the response.
Positive Reinforcement
Increasing behaviors by stopping or reducing negative stimuli. A negative reinforcer is any stimulus that, when removed after a response, strengthens the response. (Not a punishment)
Negative Reinforcement
An innately reinforcing stimulus, such as one that satisfies a biological need.
Primary Reinforcer
A stimulus that gains its reinforcing power through its association with a primary reinforcer, also known as a secondary reinforcer.
Conditioned Reinforcer
A pattern that defines how often a desired response will be reinforced.
Reinforcement Schedule
Reinforcing the desired response every time it occurs.
Continuous Reinforcement
Reinforcing a response only part of the time; results in slower acquisition of a response but much greater resistance to extinction than does continuous reinforcement.
Partial (Intermittent) Reinforcement
In operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified number of responses.
Fixed-Ratio Schedule
In operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses.
Variable-Ratio Schedule
In operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified time has elapsed.
Fixed-Interval Schedule
In operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals.
Variable-Interval Schedule
An event that tends to decrease the behavior it follows
Punishment
Behavior that occurs as an automatic response to some stimulus.
Respondent Behavior
Behavior that operates on the environment, producing consequences.
Operant Behavior
A mental representation of the layout of one’s environment. For example, rats and mazes.
Cognitive Map
Learning that occurs but is not apparent until there is an incentive to demonstrate it.
Latent Learning
A sudden realization of a problem’s solution.
Insight
A desire to perform a behavior effectively for its own sake.
Intrinsic Motivation
Alleviating stress using emotional, cognitive, or behavioral methods.
Coping
Attempting to alleviate stress directly - by changing the stressor or the way we interact with that stressor.
Problem-Focused Coping
Attempting to alleviate stress by avoiding or ignoring a stressor and attending to emotional needs related to one’s stress reaction.
Emotion-Focused Coping
The hopelessness and passive resignation an animal or human learns when unable to avoid repeated aversive events.
Learned Helplessness
The perception that chance or outside forces beyond our control determine our fate.
External Locus of Control
The perception that you control your own fate.
Internal Locus of Control
The ability to control impulses and delay short-term gratification for greater long-term rewards.
Self-Control
Learning by observing others. Also called social learning.
Observational Learning
The process of observing and imitating a specific behavior.
Modeling
Frontal lobe neurons that some scientists believe fire when performing certain actions or when observing another doing so. The brain’s mirroring of another’s action may enable imitation and empathy.
Mirror Neurons
Positive, constructive, helpful behavior. the opposite of antisocial behavior.
Prosocial Behavior
A system for electronically recording, amplifying, and feeding back information regarding a subtle physiological state, such as blood pressure and muscle tension.
Biofeedback
A desire to perform a behavior to receive promised rewards or avoid threatened punishment.
Extrinsic Motivation
