An organism's decreasing response to a stimulus with repeated exposure to it.
Classical Conditioning
A type of learning in which one learns to link two or more stimuli and anticipate events.
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.
Continuous Reinforcement
Reinforcing the desired response every time it occurs.
Variable-interval Schedule
In operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals.
Learning
A relatively permanent change in an organism's behavior due to experience.
Learned Helplessness
The hopelessness and passive resignation an animal or human learns when unable to avoid repeated aversive 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).
Punishment
An event that decreases the behavior it follows.
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.
