Psychology Chapter 5

Front 1

Behaviorism

Back 1

a theory of learning that focuses solely on observable behaviors, discounting the importance of such mental activity as thinking wishing, and hoping

Front 2

Learning

Back 2

a systematic, relatively permanent change in behavior that occurs through experience

Front 3

Associative learning

Back 3

learning that occurs when an organism makes a connection, or an association, between two events

Front 4

Classical Conditioning

Back 4

learning process in which a neutral stimulus becomes associated with an innately meaningfull stimulus and acquires the capacity to elicit a similar response

Front 5

Acquisition

Back 5

the initial learning of the connection between the unconditioned stimulus and the conditioned stimulus when these two stimuli are paired

Front 6

unconditioned stimulus (US)

Back 6

a stimulus that produces a response without prior learning

Front 7

unconditioned response (UR)

Back 7

a unlearned reaction that is automatically elicited by the unconditioned stimulus

Front 8

conditioned stimulus (CS)

Back 8

a previously neutral stimulus eventually elicits a conditioned response after being paired with the unconditioned stimulus

Front 9

contiguity

Back 9

the CS and the US are presented very close together in time- even a mere fraction of a second

Front 10

contingency

Back 10

the CS must not only precede the US closely in time; it must also serve as a reliable indicator that the US is on its way. The CS provides a systematic signal that the US is on its way.

Front 11

Generalization (classical conditioning)

Back 11

the tendency of a new stimulus that is similar to the original conditioned stimulus to elicit a response that is similar to the conditioned response

Front 12

Discrimination (classical conditioning)

Back 12

the process of learning to respond to certain stimuli and not others

Front 13

Extinction (classical conditioning)

Back 13

the weakening of the conditioned response when the unconditioned stimulus is absent

Front 14

Spontaneous Recovery

Back 14

the process by which a conditioned response can recur after a time delay, without further conditioning.

Front 15

Counterconditioning

Back 15

a classical conditioning procedure for changing the relationship between a conditioned stimulus and its conditioned response

Front 16

Aversive conditioning

Back 16

a form of treatment that consists of repeated pairings of a stimulus with a very unpleasant stimulus

Front 17

Placebo effect

Back 17

observable changes, that cannot be explained by the effects of an actual treatment

Front 18

immunosuppression

Back 18

a decrease in the production of antibodies which can lower a persons ability to fight disease

Front 19

taste aversion

Back 19

a special kind of classical conditioning involving the learned association between a particular taste and nausea. it typically requires only one pairing of a neutral stimulus (a taste) with the unconditioned response of nausea to seal the connection, often for a long time

Front 20

Habituation

Back 20

which refers to the decreased responsiveness to a stimulus after repeated presentation

Front 21

Operant Conditioning

Back 21

a form of associative learning in which the consequences of a behavior change the probability of the behaviors occurrence. (B.F. Skinner)

Front 22

Law of effect

Back 22

law stating that behaviors followed by positive outcomes are are strengthened and that behaviors followed by negative outcomes are weakened

Front 23

Shaping

Back 23

rewarding successive approximations of a desired behavior

Front 24

Reinforcement

Back 24

the process by which a stimulus or an event following a particular behavior increases the probability that the behavior will happen again