Psych Chapter 5; Definitions

Front 1

learning

Back 1

an adaptive process in which the tendency to perform a particular behaviour is changed by experience

Front 2

performance

Back 2

the behavioural change produced by the internal changes brought about by learning

Front 3

orienting response

Back 3

any response by which an organism directs appropriate sensory organs (eyes, ears, nose) toward the source of a novel stimulus

Front 4

habituation

Back 4

the simplest form of learning; learning not to respond an unimportant event that occurs repeatedly.

Front 5

classical conditioning

Back 5

the process by which a response normally elicited by one stimulus (the UCS) comes to be controlled by another stimulus (the CS) as well.

Front 6

unconditional stimulus (UCS)

Back 6

in classical conditioning a stimulus such as food, that naturally elicits a reflexive response such as salivation.

Front 7

conditional stimulus (UCR)

Back 7

in classical conditioning a response such as salivation, that is natually elicited by the UCS

Front 8

CONDITIONAL RESPONSE (CR)

Back 8

in classical consitioning the response elicited by the cs

Front 9

acquisition

Back 9

in classical conditioning teh time during which a conditional response first appears and increses in frequency

Front 10

extinction

Back 10

in classical conditioning the elim,ination of a response that occurs when the conditional stimulus is repeatedly presented without being followed by teh unconditioned stimulus.

Front 11

spontaneous recovery

Back 11

after an interval of time, the reappearance of a response that had previously been extinguished

Front 12

gerneralization

Back 12

in classical conditioning, conditional responses elicited by stimuli that resemble the conditioned stimulus used in training (instead of responding to ring dog slso responds to different pitches and buzzes

Front 13

discrimination

Back 13

in classical conditioning teh appearnce of a conditioned response when one stimulus is presented (the CS+) but not another (the CS-)

Front 14

phobia

Back 14

unreasonable fear of specific objects such as insects. animals learned through classical conditioning

Front 15

OPERANT CONDITIONING

Back 15

a form of learning in which behavious is affected by its consequences. favourab;e consequences strengthen the behavious and unfavourable consequences weaken the behavious

Front 16

law of effect

Back 16

Throndike's odea that the consequences of a behaviour determine whether it is likely to be repeated

Front 17

operant chamber or skinner box

Back 17

an apparatus in wich an animal's behaviour can be easily observed, manipulated, and automatically recorded

Front 18

cumulative recorder

Back 18

a mechanical device connected to an operant chamber for the purpose of recording operant responses as they pccur in time

Front 19

discriminative stimulus

Back 19

in operant conditioning, teh stimulus that sets teh occasion for responding because in the past a behavious has produced certain consequences in teh presence of that stimulus

Front 20

three term contingency

Back 20

teh relation among discriminative stimuli, behavious, and the consequences of that behavious. a motivated organism emits a specific response in the presemce

Front 21

positive reinforcement

Back 21

an increse in the frequency of a response that is regularly and reliably followed by an apetitive stimuluis

Front 22

negative reinforcement

Back 22

an increse in teh frequency of a response that is regularly and reliably followed by teh termination of an aversive stimulus

Front 23

punishment

Back 23

a decrease in the frequency of a response that regularly and reliably followed by an aversive stimulus

Front 24

response cost

Back 24

a decrease in the frequency of a response that is regularly and reliably followed by teh termination of an apetitive stimulus.

Front 25

extinction

Back 25

a decrease in th frequency of a previously reinforced response because it is no longer followed by a reinforcer

Front 26

shaping

Back 26

the reinforcement of behavious that sucessively approximates the desired response until that response is fully acquired.

Front 27

intremittenet reinforcement

Back 27

the occasional reinforcement of a particular behaviour; produces responding that is more resistant to extinction

Front 28

fixed-ratio schedule

Back 28

a schedule of reinforcement in which reinforcement occurs only after a fixed number of responses have been made since the previous reinforcement (or start of teh session)

Front 29

variable ratio-schedule

Back 29

a schedule of reinforcement similar to a fixed ratio schedule but characterized by a variable response requirement having a particular meaning

Front 30

fixed-intreval schedule

Back 30

a schedule of reinforcement in which the first response that is made after a fixed interval of time since the previous reinforcememnt is reinforced.

Front 31

variable interbal schedule

Back 31

a schedule of reinforcement similar to a fixed-interval schedule but characterized by a variable time requirement having a particular mean

Front 32

generalization

Back 32

in OPERANT CONDITIONING teh occurence of responding when a stimulus similar to the discriminative stimulus is present.

Front 33

discrimination

Back 33

IN OPERANT CONDITIONING responding only when a specific discriminative stimulus is present but not hen similar stimuli are present

Front 34

primary reinforcer

Back 34

a biologically significant appetitive stimilus such as food or water

Front 35

primary punisher

Back 35

a biologically significant aversive stimuli such as pain

Front 36

conditioned or secondary reinforcer or punisher

Back 36

a stimulus that acquires its reinforcing or punishing properties through association with a primary reinforcer (or punisher). sometimes refferred to as a secondary reinforcer (or punsiher)

Front 37

escape response

Back 37

an operant response acquired through negative reinforcement that terminates an aversive stimulus

Front 38

avoidance response

Back 38

an operant response acquired through negative reinforcement that prevents an aversive stimulus from occurring.

Front 39

conditioned flavour aversion learning

Back 39

a type of learning in wich a substance is avoided because its flavour has been associated wih illness