AP Psychology Conditioning

Punishment

Adding/taking something away to decrease behavior in the future.

Associative learning

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).

Modeling

Learning that consists of witnessing another person's actions, retaining information on that behavior, and re-enacting what was learned.

Behaviorism

The view that psychology (1) should be an objective science that (2) studies behavior without reference to mental processes.

Primary reinforcers

Things we can't live without; food, water, shelter

Law of effect

Thorndike's rule that behaviors which have positive outcomes tend to be repeated

Natural stimulus

Unconditioned stimulus

Cognitive map

a mental representation of the layout of one's environment. For example, after exploring a maze, rats act as if they have learned a _________ ___ of it.

Intermittent reinforcement schedule

an operant conditioning principle in which only some of the responses made are followed by reinforcement

Respondent behavior

behavior that occurs as an automatic response to some stimulus; Skinner's term for behavior learned through classical conditioning

Operant Behavior

behavior that operates on the environment producing consequences

Prosocial behavior

positive, constructive, helpful behavior. The opposite of antisocial behavior.

Secondary (conditioned) reinforcers

-a stimulus that becomes an effective reinforcer because of its association with a primary or unconditioned reinforce

Mirror neurons

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 empathy.

Extinction

In classical conditioning, the decrease in response resulting from repeated presentation of the conditioned stimulus without the presence of the unconditioned stimulus.

Discrimination

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

Generalization

In classical conditioning, the process by which two distinct but similar stimuli come to produce the same response.

Fixed ratio schedule

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

Negative reinforcement

Taking something away to increase the likeliness of the behavior repeating

Learning

The modification of behavior based on specific experiences.

Latent learning

a change in behavior due to experience acquired without conscious effort,(ex: a student uses a quote on a test even though they did not try to memorize it)

Extrinsic motivation

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

Spontaneous recovery

in classical conditioning the re-occurence of conditioning after it had appeared to be extinct

Unconditioned stimulus (UCS)

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

Conditioned stimulus (CS)

in classical conditioning, an originally irrelevant stimulus that, after association with an unconditioned stimulus, comes to trigger a conditioned response

Acquisition

in classical conditioning, the initial stage, when one links a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus so that the neutral stimulus begins triggering the conditioned resposne. in operant conditioning, the strengthening of a reinforced response

Conditioned response (CR)

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

Unconditioned response (UCR)

in classical conditioning, the unlearned, naturally occuring response to the unconditioned stimulus, such as salvation when food is in the mouth

Variable ratio schedule

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

Reinforcer

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

Observational (social) learning

learning do perform a certain behavior by observing someone else do it. Synonymous with modeling.

Continuous reinforcement

reinforcing the desired response every time it occurs

Operant conditioning

A type of associative learning that occurs through rewards and punishments for behavior (Skinner).

Classical conditioning

A type of learning in which one learns to link two or more stimuli and anticipate events

Positive reinforcement

Adding something good to increase the likeliness of the behavior repeating

Shaping

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

Skinner Box (Operant Chamber)

A box in which the rat presses a lever and then receives food for it.

Intrinsic motivation

Motivation that leads to behaviors engaged in for no apparent reward except the pleasure and satisfaction of the activity itself