Chapter 8: Learning

Front 1

learning

Back 1

a relatively permanent chnage in an organism's behavior due to experience

Front 2

associative learning

Back 2

learning that certian events occur together. The events may be two stimuli (as in classical conditioning) or a response and its consequences (as in operant conditioning)

Front 3

classical conditioning

Back 3

a type of learning in which an organism comes to associate stimuli. A neutral stimulus that signals an unconditioned stimulus (US) begins to produce a response that anticipates and prepares for the unconditioned stimulus

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behaviorism

Back 4

the view that psychology (1) should be an objective science that (2) studies behavior without reference to mental processes. Most agree with (1) but not with (2)

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unconditioned stimulus (US)

Back 5

in classical conditioning, a stimulus that unconditionally - naturally and automatically - triggers a response

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unconditioned response (UR)

Back 6

in classical conditioning, the unlearned, naturally occuring response to the unconditioned stimulus (US), such as salivation when food is in the mouth

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conditioned response (CR)

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in classical conditioning, the learned response to a previously neutral (but now conditioned) stimulus (CS)

Front 8

conditioned stimulus (CS)

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in classical conditioning, an orginally irrelevant stimulus that, after association with an unconditioned stimulus (US), comes to trigger a conditioned response

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acquisition

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the initial stage in classical conditioning; the phase associating a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus so that the neutral stimulus comes to elicit a conditioned response. in operant conditioning, the strengthening of a reinforced response

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extinction

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the diminishing of a conditioned response; occurs in classical consitioning when an US does not follow a CS; occurs in operant conditioning when a response is no longer reinforced

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spontaneous recovery

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the reappearance, after a pause, of an extinguished conditioned response

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generalization

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the tendency, once a response has been conditioned, for stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus to elicit similar responses

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discrimination

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in classical conditioning, the learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and stimuli that do not signal an unconditioned stimulus

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operant conditioning

Back 14

a type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforcer or diminished if followed by a punisher