Modules 20-22: Learning

Front 1

associative learning

Back 1

learnign taht certain events (two stimuli in classical conditioning) occur together.

Front 2

classical conditioning

Back 2

a type of learnign in which an organism comes to associate stimuli, a neutral stimulus that signals an unconditioned stimulus (UCS) begins to produce a responses that anticipates and prepares for teh unconditioned stimulus. also called pavolovian conditioning.

Front 3

learning

Back 3

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

Front 4

behaviorism

Back 4

the view that psychology 1. should be an objective science that 2. studies behavior without reference to mental processes. most reserach psychologists today agree with 1. but not with 2.

Front 5

unconditioned response (UCR)

Back 5

in classical conditioning, teh unlearned, naturally occurring response to the unconditioned stimulus (UCS), such as salivation when food is in teh mouth.

Front 6

unconditioned stimulus (UCS)

Back 6

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

Front 7

conditioned response (CR)

Back 7

in clascical conditioning, teh learned response to a previously netural conditioned stimulus (CS)

Front 8

conditioned stimulus (CS)

Back 8

in calssical conditioning, an originally irrelevant stimulus that, after association with an unconditioned stimulus (UCS), comes to trigger an conditioned response

Front 9

acquisition

Back 9

the inital stage in classical conditioning; the phase associating a neutral stimulus wiht an uconditioned stimulus so that teh netural stimulus comes to elicit a conditioned response.

Front 10

extinction

Back 10

the diminishing of a conditoned response; occurs in classical conditioning when an unconditioned stimulus (UCS) does not follow a conditioend stimulus (CS).

Front 11

spontaneous recovery

Back 11

the reappearance, after a rest period, of an extinguished conditoined response

Front 12

generalization

Back 12

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

Front 13

discrimination

Back 13

in classical conditioning, the learned ability to distinguish between a conditoined stimulus and other stimuli that do not signal an unconditoned stimuls.

Front 14

associative learning

Back 14

learning that certain events (a response and its consequences in operant conditioning) occur together.

Front 15

operant conditoining

Back 15

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

Front 16

repondent behavior

Back 16

behavior that occurs as an automatic response to some stimulus; skinner's term ofr behavior learned through classical conditioning.

Front 17

operant behavior

Back 17

behavior that operates on teh environment, producing consequences.

Front 18

law of effect

Back 18

thorndike's principle that behaviors followed by favorable consequcnes become more likely, and that behaviors follwed by unfavorable consequences become less likely.

Front 19

operant chamber (skinner's box)

Back 19

a chamber containing a bar or key that an animal can manipulate to obtain a food or water reinforcer, with attached edevieces to record teh animal's rate of bar pressing or key pecking. used in operant conditioning research.

Front 20

shaping

Back 20

an operant conditioining procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior toward closer and closer apporximations of a desired goal

Front 21

reinforcer

Back 21

in operant conditioning, an event that strengthens teh behavior it follows.

Front 22

primary reinforcer

Back 22

an innately reinforcing stimulus, such as one that satisfies a biological need.

Front 23

conditioned reinforcer

Back 23

a stimulus that gains its reinforcing power through its association with a primary reinforecer; also known as secondary reinforcer.

Front 24

continuous reinforcement

Back 24

reinforcing the desired response every time it occurs

Front 25

partial (intermittent) reinforcement

Back 25

reinforcing a response only part of the time; results in slower acquisition of a response but much tgreater resistance ot extinction that does continuous reinforcemtn.

Front 26

fixed ratio schedule

Back 26

in operant conditioning, a schedule of reinforcement that reinforces a response only after a specified number of responses

Front 27

variable-ratio schedule

Back 27

in operant condionting, a schedule of reinforcement that reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses.

Front 28

fixed interval scedule

Back 28

in operant conditioining, a schedule of reinforcemtn that reinforces a response only after a specified time has elapsed.

Front 29

variable-interval schedule

Back 29

in operant conditioning, a schedule of reinforcemtn that reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals.

Front 30

punishment

Back 30

an event that decreases the behavior that it follows.

Front 31

cognitive map

Back 31

a mental representation of teh layout of one's environemtn. for example after exploring a maze, rats act as if they have laerned a cognitive map of it.

Front 32

latent learnign

Back 32

learnign that occurs but i snot apparent until there is an incentive to demonstrate it.

Front 33

overjustification effect

Back 33

the effect of promising a reward for doing what one already likes to do. the person may now see the reward, rather than intrinsic interest, as the motivation for performing the task.

Front 34

intrinsiv motivation

Back 34

a desire to perform a behavior for its own sake and to be effective.

Front 35

extrinsic motivation

Back 35

a desire to perform a behavior due to promised rewards or threats of punishment.

Front 36

prosocial behavior

Back 36

positive, constructive, helpful behavior. the opposite of antisocial behavior.

Front 37

observational learning

Back 37

learning by observing others.

Front 38

modeling

Back 38

the process of observing and imitating a specific behavior.

Front 39

mirror neurons

Back 39

frontal lobe neurons that fire when performing certain actions or when observing another doing so. teh brain's mirroring of another's action may enable imitation, language learning, and empathy.