Psy 101 -- Chapter 8

Front 1

learning

Back 1

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

Front 2

associative learning

Back 2

learning that certain events occur together

Front 3

classical conditioning

Back 3

a type of learning in which an organism comes to associate stimuli

Front 4

behaviorism

Back 4

the view that psychology should be an objective science that studies behavior without reference to mental processes

Front 5

unconditioned response (UR)

Back 5

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

Front 6

unconditioned stimulus (US)

Back 6

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

Front 7

conditioned response (CR)

Back 7

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

Front 8

conditioned stimulus

Back 8

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

Front 9

acquisition

Back 9

the initial stage in classical conditioning; the phase associating a neural stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus so that the neural stimulus comes to elicit a conditioned response

Front 10

extinction

Back 10

the diminishing of a conditioned response

Front 11

spontaneous recovery

Back 11

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

Front 12

generalization

Back 12

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

Front 13

discrimination

Back 13

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

Front 14

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

Front 15

respondent conditioning

Back 15

behavior that occurs as an automatic response to some stimulus

Front 16

operant behavior

Back 16

behavior that operates on the environment, producing consequences

Front 17

law of effect

Back 17

Thorndike's principle that behaviors followed by favorable consequences become more likely, and that behaviors followed by unfavorable consequences become less likely

Front 18

operant chamber

Back 18

a chamber less known as a Skinner Box, containing a bar or key that an animal can manipulate to obtain a food or water reinforcer, with attached devices to record the animal's rate of bar pressing or key pecking

Front 19

shaping

Back 19

an operant conditioning procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior toward closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior

Front 20

reinforcer

Back 20

in operant conditioning, any event that strengthens the behavior it follows

Front 21

positive reinforcement

Back 21

increasing behaviors by presenting positive stimuli, such as food

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negative reinforcement

Back 22

increasing behaviors by stopping or reducing negative stimuli, such as shock

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primary reinforcer

Back 23

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

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conditioned reinforcer

Back 24

a stimulus that gains its reinforcing power through its association with a primary reinforcer

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continuous reinforcement

Back 25

reinforcing the desired response every time it occurs

Front 26

partial reinforcement

Back 26

reinforcing a response only part of the time

Front 27

fixed-ratio schedule

Back 27

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

Front 28

variable-ratio schedule

Back 28

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

Front 29

fixed-interval schedule

Back 29

in operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified time has elapsed

Front 30

variable-interval schedule

Back 30

in operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals

Front 31

punishment

Back 31

an event that decreases the behavior that it follows

Front 32

cognitive map

Back 32

a mental representation of the layout of one's environment

Front 33

latent learning

Back 33

learning that occurs but is not apparent until there is an incentive to demonstrate it

Front 34

intrinsic motivation

Back 34

a desire to perform a behavior for its own sake

Front 35

extrinsic motivation

Back 35

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

Front 36

observational learning

Back 36

learning by observing others

Front 37

modeling

Back 37

the process of observing and imitating a specific behavior

Front 38

mirror neurons

Back 38

frontal lobe neurons that fire when performing certain actions or when observing another doing so

Front 39

prosocial behavior

Back 39

positive, constructive, helpful behavior