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Unit 6 AP Psych
Question | Answer |
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Learning | A relatively permanent change in an organism's behavior due to experience. |
Habituation | An organism's 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 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 with (2). |
Unconditioned Response (UR) | In classical conditioning, the unlearned, naturally occurring response to the unconditioned stimulus (US), such as salivation when food is in the mouth. |
Unconditioned Stimulus (US) | In classical conditioning, a stimulus that unconditionally -- naturally and automatically -- triggers a response. |
Conditioned Response (CR) | In classical conditioning, 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, 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. |
Higher-order Conditioning (Also called "second-order conditioning.") | A procedure in which the CS in one experience is paired with a new neutral stimulus,creating a second(often weaker)stimulus.Animals that've learned that a tone predicts food might then learn that light predicts that and begin responding to just the light. |
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 reinforced. |
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 unconditioned 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 stimulus. |
Operant Conditioning | A type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforcer or diminished if followed by a punisher. |
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 respons 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 positive stimuli, such as food. A positive reinforcer is any stimulus that, when presented after a response, strengthens the response. |
Negative Reinforcement | Increasing behaviors by stopping or reducing negative stimuli, such as shock. A negative reinforcer is any stimulus that, when removed after a reponse, strengthens the response. (Note: negative reinforcement is not punishment.) |
Primary Reinforcer | An innately reinforcing stimulus, such as one that satisfies a biological need. |
Conditioned Reinforcer | A stimulus that gains its reinforcing power through its association with a primary reinforcer; also known as a secondary reinforcer. |
Continuous Reinforcement | Reinforcing the desired response every time it occurs. |
Partial (Intermittent) Reinforcement | Reinforcing a response only part of the time; results in slower acqusition of a response but much greater resistance to extinction than does continuous reinforcement. |
Fixed-ratio Schedule | In operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified number of responses. |
Variable-ratio Schedule | In operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses. |
Fixed-interval Schedule | In operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified time has elapsed. |
Variable-interval Schedule | In operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals. |
Punishment | An event that decreases the behavior it follows. |
Cognitive Map | A mental representation of the layout of one's environment. For example, after exploring a maze, rats act as if they have learned a cognitive map of it. |
Latent Learning | Learning that occurs but is not apparent until there is an incentive to demonstrate it. |
Insight | A sudden and often novel realization of the solution to a problem. |
Intrinsic Motivation | A desire to perform a behavior effectively for its own sake. |
Extrinsic Motivation | A desire to perform a behavior to receive promised rewards or avoid threatened punishment. |
Observational Learning | Learning by observing others. Also called social learning. |
Modeling | The process of observing and imitating a specific behavior. |
Mirror Neurons | Frontal lobe neurons that fire when performing certain actions or when observing another doing so. The brain's mirroring of another's action may enable imitation and empathy. |
Prosocial Behavior | Positive, constructive, helpful behavior. The opposite of antisocial behavior. |