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AP Psychology - Learning
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1.
acquisition
an ability that has been acquired by
training (process)
2.
aversive
conditioning
A type of counterconditioning that
associates an unpleasant state (such as
nausea) with an unwanted behavior (such
as drinking alcohol)
3.
behavior
modification
psychotherapy that seeks to extinguish or
inhibit abnormal or maladaptive behavior
by reinforcing desired behavior and
extinguishing undesired behavior
4.
biological
preparedness
In learning theory, the idea that an
organism is innately predisposed to form
associations between certain stimuli and
responses.
5.
classical
conditioning
a type of learning in which one learns to link
two or more stimuli and anticipate events
6.
conditioned
stimulus
in classical conditioning, an originally
irrelevant stimulus that, after association
with an unconditioned stimulus, comes to
trigger a conditioned response
7.
contiguity
the tendency to perceive two things that
happen close together in time as being
related
8.
contingency
Refers to dependent and/or temporal
relations between operant behavior and its
controlling variables.
9.
continuous
reinforcement
reinforcing the desired response every time
it occurs
10.
discrimination
in classical conditioning, the learned ability
to distinguish between a conditioned
stimulus and stimuli that do not signal an
unconditioned stimulus
11.
12.
extinction
fixed interval
a conditioning process in which the
reinforcer is removed and a conditioned
response becomes independent of the
conditioned stimulus
reinforces a response only after a specified
time has elapsed
13.
fixed ratio
a schedule where reinforcement happens
after a correct number of responses
14.
generalization
(psychology) transfer of a response learned
to one stimulus to a similar stimulus
15.
generalized
reinforcer
A conditioned reinforcer that as a result of
having been paired with many other
reinforcers does not depend on an
establishing operation for any particular
form of reinforcement for its effectiveness.
16.
higher-order
conditioning
a procedure in which the conditioned
stimulus in one conditioning experience is
paired with a new neutral stimulus, creating
a second (often weaker) conditioned
stimulus. For example, an animal that has
learned that a tone predicts food might then
learn that a light predicts the tone and begin
responding to the light alone. (Also called
second-order conditioning.)
17.
insight
the clear (and often sudden) understanding
of a complex situation
18.
instinctive
drift
tendency for animals to return to innate
behaviors following repeated reinforcement
19.
instrumental
learning
associative learning in which a behavior
becomes more or less probable depending
on its consequences
20.
latent
learning
learning that occurs but is not apparent until
there is an incentive to demonstrate it
21.
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
22.
learning
the cognitive process of acquiring skill or
knowledge
23.
negative
reinforcement
increasing the strength of a given response
by removing or preventing a painful
stimulus when the response occurs
24.
neutral
stimulus
a stimulus that does not initially elicit a
response
25.
observational
learning
A type of learning that occurs when an
organism's responding is influenced by the
observation of others, who are called models.
26.
omission
training
removal of a rewarding consequence that
follows a voluntary behavior thereby
decreasing the probability the behavior will
be repeated.
27.
operant
conditioning
A type of learning in which behavior is
strengthened if followed by a reinforcer or
diminished if followed by a punisher
28.
partial
reinforcement
occasional reinforcement of a particular
behavior; produces response that is more
resistant to extinction
29.
positive
reinforcement
any stimulus that, when presented after a
response, strengthens the response
30.
premack
principle
A principle that states that making the opportunity to engage in a high-probability behavior contingent on the
occurrence of a low-frequency behavior will function as reinforcement for the low-frequency behavior.
31.
primary
reinforcer
an innately reinforcing stimulus, such as one that satisfies a biological need
32.
punishment
an event that decreases the behavior that it follows
33.
secondary
reinforcer
stimulus such as money that becomes reinforcing through its link with a primary reinforcer
34.
shaping
an operant conditioning procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior toward closer and closer approximations of
the desired behavior
35.
spontaneous
recovery
the reappearance, after a pause, of an extinguished conditioned response
36.
stimulus
a change in an organism's surroundings that causes the organism to react
37.
superstitious
behaviors
can result from unintended reinforcement of unimportant behavior
38.
token
economy
an operant conditioning procedure in which people earn a token of some sort for exhibiting a desired behavior and
can later exchange the tokens for various privileges or treats
39.
unconditioned
response
in classical conditioning, the unlearned, naturally occurring response to the unconditioned stimulus (US), such as
salivation when food is in the mouth.
40.
unconditioned
stimulus
in classical conditioning, a stimulus that unconditionally—naturally and automatically—triggers a response
41.
variable
interval
a schedule where reinforcement happens after a varied length of time
42.
variable ratio
a schedule where reinforcement happens after a varied number of responses