Conditioning
What is classical conditioning?
a process that involves creating an association between a naturally existing stimulus and a previously neutral one.
What is shaping?
an operant conditioning procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior toward closer and closer approximation of a desired goal
What is a reinforcer?
in operant conditioning, an event that strengthens the behavior it follows
What is learning?
a relatively permanent change in an organism's behavior due to experience
Define discrimination
in classical conditioning, the learned ability to distinguished between a conditioned stimulus and other stimuli that do not signal an unconditioned stimulus
What is operant conditioning?
a type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by reinforcement or diminished if followed by punishment
What is a fixed-ratio schedule?
in operant conditioning, a schedule of reinforcement that reinforces a response only after a specified number of responses
What is a primary reinforcer?
an innately reinforcing stimulus, such as one that satisfies a biological need
Define 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)
What is generalization?
the tendency, once a response has been conditioned, for stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus to elicit similar responses
What is extinction?
the diminishing of a conditioned response; occurs during classical conditioning when an unconditioned stimulus (UCS) does not follow a conditioned stimulus (CS); occurs in operant conditioning when a response is no longer reinforced
What is a variable-ratio schedule?
in operant conditioning, a schedule of reinforcement that reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses
What is a conditioned reinforcer (secondary reinforcer)?
a stimulus that gains its reinforcing power through its association with a primary reinforcer
What is latent learning?
learning that occurs but is not apparent until there is an incentive to demonstrate it
What is behaviorism?
the view that psychology 1) should be an objective science that 2) studies behavior without reference to mental processes. Most research psychologists today agree with 1) but not with 2).
What is acquisition?
the initial stage in classical conditioning; the phase associating a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus so that the neutral stimulus comes to elicit a conditioned response. In operant conditioning, the strengthening of a reinforced response
in operant conditioning, a schedule of reinforcement that reinforces a response only after a specified time has elapsed.
What does continuous reinforcement mean?
reinforcing the desired response every time it occurs
What is observational learning?
learning by observing others
behavior that occurs as an automatic response to some stimulus; Skinner's term for behavior learned through classical conditioning
What is spontaneous recovery?
the reappearance, after a rest period, of an extinguished conditioned response
What is a variable-interval schedule?
in operant conditioning, a schedule of reinforcement that reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals
What is partial or intermittent reinforcement?
reinforcing a response only part of the time; results in slower acquisition of a response but much greater resistance to extinction than does continuous reinforcement
What is modeling?
the process of observing and imitating a specific behavior
What is the law of effect?
Thorndike's principle that behaviors followed by favorable consequences become more likely, and that behaviors followed by unfavorable consequences become less likely