Chp 03 - Human Learning

Front 1

Backward conditioning

Back 1

A Pavlovian conditioning procedure in which the US precedes the CS. (Cf. forward chaining.)

Front 2

Blocking

Back 2

Failure of a stimulus to become a CS when it is part of a compound stimulus that includes an effective CS. The effective CS is said to block the formation of the new CS. Cf. overshadowing.)

Front 3

Classical (Pavlovian) conditioning

Back 3

The procedure of pairing a neutral stimulus (typically referred to as the CS) with a US. Also called Pavlovian or respondent conditioning

Front 4

Compound stimulus

Back 4

Two or more stimuli presented simultaneously, often as a CS.

Front 5

Conditional reflex

Back 5

A reflex acquired through Pavlovian conditioning and consisting of a conditional stimulus and a conditional response.

Front 6

Conditioned response (CR)

Back 6

The response part of a conditional reflex; the response elicited by a conditional stimulus. Often called conditioned response.

Front 7

Conditioned stimulus (CS)

Back 7

The stimulus part of a conditional reflex; the stimulus that elicits a conditional response. Often called conditioned stimulus.

Front 8

Contiguity

Back 8

Nearness of events in time (temporal contiguity) or space (spatial contiguity).

Front 9

Contingency

Back 9

A dependency between events. An event may be stimulus contingent (dependent of the appearance of a stimulus) or response contingent (dependent on the appearance of a behaviour).

Front 10

Delayed conditioning

Back 10

A Pavlovian conditioning procedure in which the CS starts before, and then overlaps with, the US.

Front 11

Extinction

Back 11

(1)In Pavlovian conditioning, the procedure of repeatedly presenting a CS without the US. (2) In operant training, the procedure of withholding the reinforcers that maintain a behaviour. (Cf. forgetting.)

Front 12

Higher-order conditioning

Back 12

A variation of Pavlovian conditioning in which a stimulus is paired, not with a US, but with a well-established CS.

Front 13

Interstimulus interval (ISI)

Back 13

The interval between the CS and US. The ISI is a measure of contiguity in Pavlovian conditioning.

Front 14

Intertrial interval

Back 14

The interval separating the trials of discrete trial procedure.

Front 15

Latent inhibition

Back 15

In Pavlovian conditioning, the failure of a CR to appear as a result of prior presentation of the CS in the absence of the US.

Front 16

Overshadowing

Back 16

Failure of a stimulus that is part of a compound stimulus to become a CS. The stimulus is said to be overshadowed by the stimulus that does becomes a CS. (Cf. blocking.)

Front 17

Pseudo-conditioning

Back 17

The tendency of a neutral stimulus to elicit a CR when presented after a US has elicited a reflex response. Pseudo-conditioning is apparently due to sensitisation.

Front 18

Rescorla-Wagner model

Back 18

A theory of Pavlovian conditioning based on the assumption that the amount of learning that can occur on a particular trial is limited by the nature of the CS and US and the amount of learning that has already occurred. It is expressed by the equation ∆Vn = c(λ – Vn-1).

Front 19

Sensory preconditioning

Back 19

A procedure in which two neutral stimuli are paired, after which one if repeatedly paired wit a US. If the other stimulus is then presented alone, it may elicit a CR even through it was never paired with the US.

Front 20

Simultaneous conditioning

Back 20

A Pavlovian conditioning procedure in which the CS and US occur together in time.

Front 21

Spontaneous recovery

Back 21

The sudden reappearance of a behaviour following its extinction

Front 22

Stimulus-substitution theory

Back 22

In Pavlovian conditioning, the theory that the CS substitutes for the US. Assumes that the CR is essentially the same as the UR.

Front 23

Test trial

Back 23

In Pavlovian conditioning, the procedure of presenting the CS on some occasions without the US to determine whether learning has occurred.

Front 24

Trace conditioning

Back 24

A Pavlovian conditioning procedure in which the CS begins and ends before the US is presented.

Front 25

Unconditional reflex

Back 25

A synonym for reflex. An unconditional reflex consists of an unconditional stimulus and an unconditional response.

Front 26

Unconditional response (UR)

Back 26

The response elicited by an unconditional stimulus. Often called an unconditioned response. (Cf. conditional response.)

Front 27

Unconditioned stimulus (US)

Back 27

The stimulus that elicits an unconditional response. Often called an unconditioned stimulus. (Cf. conditional stimulus.)