Unit 6 Exam Flashcards
(51 cards)
habituation
an organisms decreasing response to a stimulus with repeated exposure to it.
associative learning
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).
classical conditioning
a type of learning in which one learns to link two or more stimuli and anticipate events.
behaviorism
the that psychology (1) should be an objective science that (2) studies behavior without reference to mental processes. Most research psychologists today agree with (1) but not with (2).
unconditioned response (ur)
the unlearned naturally occurring response to the unconditioned stimulus (us), such as salivation when food is in the mouth.
unconditioned stimulus (us)
a stimulus that unconditionally - naturally and automatically - triggers a response
conditioned response (cr)
the learned response to a previously neutral (but now conditioned) stimulus (cs)
conditioned stimulus (cs)
in classical conditioning, an originally irrelevant stimulus that, after association with an unconditioned stimulus (US), comes to trigger a conditioned response.
acquisition
in classical conditioning, when one links a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus so that the neutral stimulus begins triggering the conditioned response. In operant conditioning, the strengthening of a reinforced response.
higher-order conditioning
a procedure in which the 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
extinction
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 is no longer enforced
spontaneous recovery
the reappearance, after a pause, of an extinguished conditioned response.
generalization
the tendency, once a response has been conditioned, for stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus to elicit similar responses.
discrimination
in classical conditioning, the learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and stimuli that do not signal an unconditional stimulus.
learned helplessness
the hopelessness and passive resignation an animal or human learns when unable to avoid repeated aversive events.
respondent behavior
behavior that occurs as an automatic response to some stimuli
operant conditioning
a type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforcer or diminished if followed by a punisher
operant behavior
behavior that operates on the environment, producing consequences
law of effect
Thorndike’s principle that behaviors followed by favorable consequences become more likely, and that behaviors followed by unfavorable consequences become less likely.
operant chamber
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 the animal’s rate of bar pressing or key pecking
shaping
an operant conditioning procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior toward closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior.
discriminative stimulus
in operant conditioning, a stimulus that elicits a response after association with reinforcement (in contrast to related stimuli not associated with reinforcement)
reinforcer
in operant conditioning, any event that strengthens the behavior it follows
positive reinforcement
increasing behaviors by presenting a positive stimuli, such as food. A positive reinforcer is any stimulus that, when presented after a response, strengthens the response.
