Unit 6 vocab Flashcards
(49 cards)
an organisms decreasing response to a stimulus with repeated exposure to it
habituation
a relatively permanent change in an organisms behavior due to experience
learning
learning that certain events occur together.
The events may be two stimuli (as in classical conditioning) OR
a response and its consequences (operant conditioning)
associative learning
a type of learning 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 psychologists today agree with 1 but not 2
behaviorism
in classical conditioning, the unlearned, natural occurring response to the unconditioned stimulus (US) such as salivation when food is in the mouth
unconditioned response (UR)
in classical conditioning, a stimulus that unconditionally -naturally and automatically- triggers a response
unconditional stimulus (US)
in classical conditioning the 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
conditioned stimulus (CS)
in classical conditioning, the initial stage, 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
acquisition
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
higher-order conditioning
aka second-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 is 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
the hopelessness and passive resignation an animal or human learns when unable to avoid repeated aversive events
learned helplessness
behavior that occurs as an automatic response to some stimulus
respondent behavior
a type of leaning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforcer or diminished if followed by a punisher
operant conditioning
behavior that operates on the environment, producing consequences
operant behavior
Thorndike’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 (aka 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
operant chamber
an operant conditioning procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior toward closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior
shaping
in operant conditioning, a stimulus that elicits a response after association with reinforcement (in contrast to related stimuli not associated with reinforcement)
discriminative stimulus
in operant conditioning, any event that strengthens the behavior it follows
reinforcer
