Psychology - Chapter 7 - Terms

Learning -- a relatively permanent change in behavior or behavioral potential due to experience
behaviorism -- an approach to psychology that emphasizes the study of observable behavior in the role of the environment as a determinant of behavior
conditioning -- a basic kind of learning that involves associations between environmental stimuli and the organisms responses
unconditioned stimulus (US) -- the classical conditioning term for a stimulus that elicits a reflexive response in the absence of learning
unconditioned response (UR) -- the classical conditioning term for a reflexive response elicited by stimulus in the absence of learning
conditioned stimulus (CS) -- the classical conditioning term for an initially neutral stimulus that comes to elicit a conditioned response after being associated with a conditioned stimulus
conditioned response (CR) -- the classical conditioning term for response that is elicited by a conditioned stimulus; it occurs after the conditioned stimulus is associated with an unconditioned stimulus
classical conditioning -- the process by which a previously neutral stimulus acquires the capacity to deal a response through association with a stimulus that are ready elicits a similar or related response
extinction -- the weakening and eventual disappearance of a learned response; and classical conditioning, it occurs when the conditioned stimulus is no longer paired with the unconditioned stimulus
spontaneous recovery -- the reappearance of a learned response after its apparent extinction
higher order conditioning -- and classical conditioning, a procedure in which a neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus through association with and are ready established conditioned stimulus
stimulus generalization -- after conditioning, the tendency to respond to a stimulus that resembles one involved in an original conditioning; and classical conditioning, it occurs when a stimulus that resembles the CS elicits the CR
stimulus discrimination -- the tendency to respond differently to two or more similar stimuli; in classical conditioning, it occurs with stimulus similar to the CS fails to evoke the CR
counterconditioning -- and classical conditioning, the process of pairing a conditioned stimulus with a stimulus that elicits a response that is incompatible with an unwanted conditioned response
operant conditioning -- the process by which a response becomes more likely to occur or less so, depending on the consequences
reinforcement -- the process by which a stimulus or event strengthens or increases the probability of the response that it follows
punishment -- the process by which a stimulus or event weekends or reduces the probability of the response of it follows
primary reinforcer -- a stimulus that is inherently reinforcing, typically satisfying a psychological need; an example is food
primary punisher -- a stimulus that is inherently punishing; an example is electric shock
secondary reinforcer -- a stimulus that has acquired reinforcing properties through association with other reinforcer's
secondary punisher -- a that has acquired punishing properties through association with other punisher's
positive reinforcement -- a reinforcement procedure in which a response is followed by the presentation of, or increase in intensity of, a reinforcing stimulus; as a result, the response becomes stronger or more likely to occur
negative reinforcement -- a reinforcement procedure in which a response is followed by the removal, delay, or decrease in intensity of an unpleasant stimulus; as result, the response becomes stronger or more likely to occur
extinction -- the weakening and eventual disappearance of a learned response; and operant conditioning, it occurs when a response is no longer followed by a reinforcer
stimulus generalization -- in operant conditioning, the tendency for response that has been reinforced in the presence of one stimulus to occur in the presence of other, similar stimuli
stimulus discrimination -- in operant conditioning, the tendency of a response to occur in the presence of one stimulus but not in the presence of another, similar stimuli that differ from it on some dimension
discriminative stimulus -- a stimulus that signals or particular response is likely to be followed by certain type of consequence
continuous reinforcement -- a reinforcement schedule in which a particular response is always reinforced
intermittent (partial) scheduled reinforcement -- a reinforcement schedule in which a particular response is sometimes but not always reinforced
shaping -- an operant- conditioning procedure in which successive approximations of the desired response are reinforced
successive approximations -- and the operant conditioning procedure of shaping, behaviors that are ordered in terms of increasing similarity or closest to the desired response
instinctive drift -- during operant learning, the tendency for an organism to revert to instinctive behavior
Behavior modification -- the application of operant conditioning techniques to teach new responses or to reduce or eliminate maladaptive or problematic behavior; also called applied behavior analysis
extrinsic reinforcer's -- reinforcers that are not inherently related to the activity being reinforced
intrinsic reinforcers -- reinforcers that are inherently related to the activity being reinforced
latent learning -- a form of learning that is not immediately expressed with an overt response; it occurs without obvious reinforcement
social- cognitive theories -- theories that emphasized how behavior is learned and maintained through observation and imitation of others, positive consequences, and cognitive processes such as plants, expectations, and beliefs
observational learning -- a process in which an individual learns new responses by observing the behavior of another rather than through direct experience in a: sometimes called vicarious conditioning