Psych Concept Cards Unit 6

Front 1

learning

Back 1

Def: A relatively permanent change in an organism's behavior due to experience
RC: associative learning

Front 2

Associative Learning

Back 2

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

Front 3

Classical Conditioning

Back 3

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

Front 4

Behaviorism

Back 4

Def: The view that psych should be an objective science that studies behavior without reference to mental processes. Most research psych's agree with one but not the other.
RC: psych

Front 5

Unconditioned Response (UCR)

Back 5

Def: In classical cond, the unlearned, naturally occurring response to the UCS, such as salivation when food is in the mouth.
RC: UCS

Front 6

Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS)

Back 6

Def: In classical cond, a stim. that unconditionally-naturally and automatically-triggers a response.
RC: UCS

Front 7

Conditioned Response (CR)

Back 7

Def: In classical cond, the learned response to a previously neutral conditioned stim.
RC: CS

Front 8

Conditioned Stimulus (CS)

Back 8

Def: In classical cond, an originally irrelevant stim that, after association with an UCS
RC: CR

Front 9

Acquisition

Back 9

Def: The initial stage in classical cond; the phase associating a neutral stim with an UCS so that the NS comes to elicit a CR. In operant cond, the strengthening of a reinforced response.
RC: Classical Conditioning

Front 10

Extinction

Back 10

Def: The diminishing of a CR; occursin classical cond when an UCS does not follow a CS; occus in operant cond when a response is no longer reinforced.
RC: Classical Conditioned

Front 11

Spontaneous Recovery

Back 11

Def: The reappearance, after a rest pd, of an extinguished CR.
RC: CR

Front 12

Generalization

Back 12

Def: The tendency, once a response has been conditioned, for stimuli sim to the CS to elicit similar responses.
RC: CS

Front 13

Discrimination

Back 13

Def: In classical cond, the learned ability to distinguish between a CS and other stimuli that do not signal an UCS.
RC: Classical Conditioning

Front 14

Operant Conditioning

Back 14

Def: A type of learning in which a behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforcer or dimished if followed by a punisher.
RC: Learning

Front 15

Respondent Behavior

Back 15

Def: Behavior that occurs as auto response to some stimulus; Skinner's term for behavior learned through classical cond.
RC: Classical Cond.

Front 16

Operant Behavior

Back 16

Def: Behavior that operates ont eh enviornment, producing consequences.
RC: Operant Cond.

Front 17

Law of Effect

Back 17

Def: Throndike's principle that behavoirs followed by favorable consequences become more likely, and that behaviors followed by an unfavorable consequences become less likely.
RC: learning.

Front 18

Operant Chamber

Back 18

Def: A chamber 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 pressure or key pecking. Used in operant cond. research.
RC: Operant Cond.

Front 19

Shaping

Back 19

Def: An operant cond. peocedure in which reinforcers guide behavior toward closer and closer approximations of a desired goal.
RC: Operant Cond.

Front 20

Reinforcer

Back 20

Def: In operant cond, any event that strengthens the behavior it follows.
RC: Operant Cond.

Front 21

Primary Reinforcer

Back 21

Def: An innately reinforcing stim, such as one that satisfies a bio need.
RC: Learning

Front 22

Conditioned Reinforcer (Secondary Reinforcer)

Back 22

Def: A stim that gains its reinforcing pow. through its association with a primary reinforcer; also as secondary reinforcer.
RC: Learning.

Front 23

Continuous Reinforcement

Back 23

Def: Reinforcing the desired response every time it occurs.
RC: Learning

Front 24

Parital (Intermittent) Reinforcement

Back 24

Def: Reinforcing a response only part of the time; results in slower acquistion of a response but much greater resistance to extinction than does continuous reinforcement.
RC: Continuous Reinforcement

Front 25

Fixed-Ratio Schedule

Back 25

Def: In operant cond, a schedule of reinforcement that reinforces a response only after a specified number o fresponses.
RC: Fixed-Interval Schedule

Front 26

Variable-Ratio Schedule

Back 26

Def: In operant cond, a schedule of reinforcement that reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses
RC: Variable-Interval Schedule

Front 27

Fixed-Interval Schedule

Back 27

Def: In operant cond, a schedule of reinforcement that reinforces a response only after a specified time has elapsed.
RC: Fixed-Ratio Schedule

Front 28

Variable-Interval Schedule

Back 28

Def: In operant cond, a schedule of reinforcement that reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals.
RC: Variable-Ratio Schedule

Front 29

Punishment

Back 29

Def: An event that decreases the behavoir that it follows.
RC: Learning

Front 30

Cognitive Map

Back 30

Def: A mental representation of the layout of one's enviornment. After exploring a maze, rats act as if they have learned a cognitive map of it.
RC: Learning

Front 31

Latent Learning

Back 31

Def: Learning that occurs but is not apparent until there is an incentive to demonstrate it.
RC: Learning

Front 32

Overjustification Effect

Back 32

Def: 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 ofr performing the task.
RC: Learning

Front 33

Intrinsic Motivation

Back 33

Def: A desire to perform a behavior for its own sake and to be effective.
RC: Learning

Front 34

Extrinsic Motivation

Back 34

Def: A desire to perform a behavior due to promised rewards or threats of punishment.
RC: Learning

Front 35

Observational Learning

Back 35

Def: Learning by observing others.
RC: Learning

Front 36

Modeling

Back 36

Def: The process of observing and imitating a specific behavior.
RC: Observational Learning

Front 37

Mirrior Neurons

Back 37

Def: Frontal lobe neurons that fire when performing certain actions or when observing another doing so. The brain's mirroring of another's action may enable imitation, language learning, and empather.
RC: Cerebral Cortex.

Front 38

Prosocial Behavior

Back 38

Def: Positive, constructive, helpful behavior. The opposite of antisocial behavior.
RC: Antisocial Behavior

Front 39

Memory

Back 39

Def: The persistence of learning over time through the storage and retrieval of info.
RC: Brain

Front 40

Flashbulb Memory

Back 40

Def: A clear memory of an emotionally significant moment or event.
RC: Memory

Front 41

Encoding

Back 41

Def: The processing of info into the memory system.
RC: Memory

Front 42

Storage

Back 42

Def: The retention of encoded info over time.
RC: Encoding

Front 43

Retrieval

Back 43

Def: The process of getting info out of memory storage.
RC: Storage

Front 44

Sensory Memory

Back 44

Def: The immediate, initial recording of sensory info in the memory system.
RC: Memory

Front 45

Short-Term Memory

Back 45

Def: Activated memory that holds a few items briefly, such as the seven digits of phone number while dialing, before the info is stored or forgotten. Working memory is similar concept that focuses more on the processing of briefly stored info.
RC: Memory

Front 46

Long-Term Memory

Back 46

Def: The relatively permament and limitless store-house of the memory system.
RC: Memory

Front 47

Automatic Processing

Back 47

Def: Unconscious encoding of the incidental info, such as space, time, and frequency and of well-learned info, such as word meanings.
RC: Encoding

Front 48

Effortful Processing

Back 48

Def: Encoding that requires attention and conscious effort.
RC: Encoding

Front 49

Rehearsal

Back 49

Def: The conscious repetition of info, either to maintain it in consciousness or to encode it for storage.
RC: Encoding

Front 50

Spacing Effect

Back 50

Def: The tendency for destributed study or practice to yield better long-term retention than is achieved through massed study or practice.
RC: Memory

Front 51

Serial Position Effect

Back 51

Def: Our tendency to recall best the late and first items in a list.
RC: Memory

Front 52

Visual Encoding

Back 52

Def: The encoding of picture images.
RC: Encoding

Front 53

Acoustic Encoding

Back 53

Def: The encoding of sound, especially the sound of words.
RC: Encoding

Front 54

Semantic Encoding

Back 54

Def: The encoding of meaning, including the meaning of words.
RC: Encoding

Front 55

Imagery

Back 55

Def: Mental pictures; a powerful aid to effortful processing, especially when combined with semantic encoding.
RC: Visual Encoding

Front 56

Mnemonics

Back 56

Def: Memory aids, especially, those techniques that use vivid imagery and organizational devices.
RC: Memory

Front 57

Chunking

Back 57

Def: Organizing items into familiar, manageable units; often occurs automatically.
RC: Memory

Front 58

Iconic Memory

Back 58

Def: A mementary sensory memory of a visual stimuli; a photographic or picture-image memory lasting no more than a few thenths of a second.
RC: Memory

Front 59

Echoic Memory

Back 59

Def: A momentary sensory memory of auditory stimuli; if attention is elsewhere, sounds and words ca still be recalled within 3 or 4 seconds.
RC: Memory

Front 60

Long-Term Potentiation

Back 60

Def: An increase in a synapse's firing potential after brief, rapid stim. Believed to be a neural basis for learning and mem.
RC: Memory

Front 61

Amnesia

Back 61

Def: The loss of memory.
RC: Memory

Front 62

Implicit Memory

Back 62

Def: Retention independent of conscious recollection. AKA procedural mem.
RC: Memory

Front 63

Explicit Memory

Back 63

Def: Memory of facts and experience that one can consciously know and "declare".
RC: Memory

Front 64

Hippocampus

Back 64

Def: A neural center located in the limbic system that helps process explicit memories for storage.
RC: Brain

Front 65

Recall

Back 65

Def: A measure of mem in which the person must retrieve info learned earlier, as on a fill-in-the-blank test.
RC: Memory

Front 66

Recognition

Back 66

Def: A measure of memory in which the person need only identify items preiviously learned, as on a mult-choice test.
RC: Memory

Front 67

Relearning

Back 67

Def: A memory measure that assesses the amount of time saved when learning material for a second time.
RC: Memory

Front 68

Priming

Back 68

Def: The activiation, often unconsciously, of a particular associations in memory.
RC: Memory

Front 69

Deja Vu

Back 69

Def: That eerie sense that "I've experience this before." Cues from current situation may subconsciously trigger retrieval of an earlier experience.
RC: Retrieval

Front 70

Mood-Congruent Memory

Back 70

Def: The tendency to recall experiences that are consistent with one's current good or bad mood.
RC: Recall

Front 71

Proactive Interference

Back 71

Def: The disruptive effect of prior learning on the recall of new info.
RC: Retroactive Interference

Front 72

Retroactive Interference

Back 72

Def: The disruptive effect of new learning on the recall of old info.
RC: Proactive Interference

Front 73

Repression

Back 73

Def: In psychoanalytic theory, the basic defense mechanism that banishes anxiety-arousing thoughts, feelings, and mems from consciousness.
RC: Consciousness.

Front 74

Misinformation Effect

Back 74

Def: Incorporating misleading info into one's mem of an event.
RC: Memory

Front 75

Source Amnesia

Back 75

Def: Attributing to the wrong source an event that we have experienced, heard about, read about, or imagined. Source amnesia, along with the misinformation effect, is at the heart of many false mems.
RC: Misinformation Effect.