PSYCH - Ch. 6
High Order Conditioning
(1) According to behaviorists, a classical conditioning procedure in which a previously neutral stimulus comes to elicit the response brought forth by a conditioned stimulus by being paired repeatedly with that conditioned stimulus. (2) According to cognitive psychologists, the learning of relationships among events, none of which evokes an unlearned response
Variable-Interval Schedule
A Schedule in which a variable amount of time must elapse between the previous and subsequent times that reinforcement is available.
Variable-Ratio Schedule
A Schedule in which reinforcement is provided after a variable number of correct responses
Flooding
A behavioral fear-reduction technique based on principals of classical conditioning. Fear-evoking stimuli (CSs) are presented continuously in the absence of actual harm so that fear responses (CRs) are extinguished
Systematic Desensitization
A behavioral fear-reduction technique in which a hierarchy of fear-evoking stimuli is presented while the person remains relaxed.
Counterconditioning
A fear-reduction technique in which pleasant stimuli are associated with fear-evoking stimuli so that the fear-evoking stimuli lose their aversive qualities.
Reward
A pleasant stimulus that increases the frequency of the behavior it follows
Conditioned Stimulus (CS)
A previously neutral stimulus that elicits a conditioned response because it has been paired repeatedly with a stimulus that has already elicited that response.
Shaping
A procedure for teaching that at first reinforces approximations of the target behavior
Positive Reinforcer
A reinforcer that when presented increases the frequency of a operant
Negitive reinforcer
A reinforcer that when removed increases the frequency of an operant
Fixed-Interval Schedule:
A schedule in which a fixed amount of time must elapse between the previous and subsequent times that reinforcement is available
Fixed-Ratio Schedule
A schedule in which reinforcement is provided after a fixed number of correct responses
Continuous Reinforcement
A schedule of reinforcement in which every correct response is reinforced
Classical Conditioning
A simple form of learning in which an organism comes to associate or anticipate events. A neutral stimulus comes to evoke the response usually evoked by another stimulus by being paired repeatedly with the other stimulus. (Cognitive theorists view classical conditioning as the learning of relationships among events so as to allow an organism to represent its environment.) Also referred to as respondent conditioning or Pavlovian conditioning
Operant Conditioning
A simple form of learning in which an organism learns to engage in behavior because it is reinforced.
Reflex
A simple unlearned response to a stimulus
Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS)
A stimulus that elicits a repsonse from an organism prior to conditioning
Secondary Reinforcer
A stimulus that gains reinforcement value through association with established reinforcers.
Learning
According to behaviorists, a relatively permanent change in behavior that results from experience. (2) According to cognitive theorists, the process by which organisms make relatively permanent changes in the way they represent the environment because of inexperience. These changes influence the organism's behavior but do not fully determine it
Stimulus
An environmental condition that elicits a response
Extinction
An experimental procedure in which stimuli lose their ability to evoke learned responses because the events that had followed the stimuli no longer occur. (learned responses are extinguished)
Cumulative Recorder
An instrument that records the frequency of an organism's operants (or correct responses) as a function of the passage of time
Model
An organism that engages in a response that is then imitated by another organism.
Primary Reinforer
An unlearned reinforcement
Orienting Reflex
An unlearned response in which an organism attends to a stimulus
Unconditioned Response (UCR)
An unlearned response to an unconditioned stimulus
Punishment
An unpleasant stimulus that suppresses the behavior it follows.
Conditioned Reinforcer
Another term for a secondary reinforce
Successive Approximations
Behaviors that are progressively closer to a target behavior
Time Out
Removal of an Organism from a situation in which reinforcement is available when unwanted behavior is shown.
Observational Learning
The acquisition of knowledge and skills through the observation of others (who are called models) rather than by means of direct experience.
Latent
Hidden or concealed
Conditioned Response (CR)
In classical conditioning, a learned response to a conditioned stimulus
Generalization
In conditioning, the tendency for a conditioned response to be evoked by stimuli that are similar to the stimulus to which the response was conditioned.
Discrimination
In conditioning, the tendency for an organism to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and similar stimuli that do not forecast an unconditioned stimulus.
Discriminative Stimulus
In operant conditioning, a stimulus that indicates that reinforcement is available
Partial Reinforcement
One of several reinforcement schedules in which not every correct response is reinforced
Spontaneous Recovery
The recurrence of an extinguished response as a function of the passage of time.
Operant
The same as an operant behavior
Contingency Theory
The view that learning occurs when stimuli provide information about the likelihood of the occurrence of other stimuli.
Law of Effect
Thorndike's principle that responses are "stamped in" by rewards and "stamed out" by punishments
Reinforce
To follow a response with a stimulus that increases the frequency of the response.
Operant Behavior
Voluntary Responses that are reinforced