AP Psychology: Behaviorism Vocabulary

Extrinsic Motivation

a desire to perform a behavior effectively to receive a promised reward or avoid threatened punishment

Shaping

a prodecure where reinforcers guide behavior toward the desired behavior

Operant Conditioning

a type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforcer or diminished if followed by a punisher

Primary Reinforcer

an innately reinforcing stimulus

Law of Effect

behaviors favored by favorable consequences are more likely, and the opposite applies as well; thorndike's principle

Acquisition

when one links a neutral stimulus to an unconditioned stimulus so that the neutral stimulus begins triggering the conditioned response

Classical Conditioning

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

Latent Learning

learning that occurs but is not apparent until there is an incentive to demonstrate it

Generalization

the tendency once a response has been conditioned for stimulus similar to the continued stimulus to elicit similar responses

Behaviorism

the view that psychology should be an objective science that studies behavior without reference to mental processes

Intrinsic Motivation

a desire to perform a behavior effectively for its own sake

CR (Conditioned Response)

a learned response to a previously neutral stimulus

Cognitive Map

a mental representation of the layout of ones environment

Variable-Ratio Schedule

a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses

Variable-Interval Schedule

a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals

Fixed-Interval Schedule

a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified time has passed

Fixed-Ratio Schedule

a reinforcement schedule that reinforces response only after a certain number of responses

Secondary Reinforcer

a stimulus that gains its reinforcing power through association with a primary reinforcer

UCS (Unconditioned Stimulus)

a stimulus that unconditionally and naturally trigger a response

Punishment

an event that tends to decrease the behavior that it follows

CS (Conditioned Stimulus),

an originally irrelevant stimulus that after association with an unconditioned stimulus comes to trigger a continued response

UCR (Unconditioned Response)

an unlearned naturally occurring response to a unconditioned stimulus

Reinforcer

any event that strengthens the behavior to follows

Mirror Neurons

frontal lobe neurons that some scientists believe fire when preforming certain actions or when observing others doing so

Discrimination

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

Negative Reinforcement

increasing behavior by stoping or reducing negative stimuli

Positive Reinforcement

increasing behaviors by presenting positive reinforcers

Extinction

the diminishing of a conditioned response

Learning

the process of acquiring new and relatively enduring information or behaviors

Modeling

the process of observing and imitating a specific behavior

Spontaneous Recovery

the reappearance after a pause of an extinguished conditioned response