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