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Learning

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a relatively permanent change in an organism's behavior due to experience

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Classical conditioning

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involuntary learning through association; type of learning in which one learns to link two or more stimuli to anticipate an event (behavioral approach)

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Operant conditioning

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voluntary learning through reward and punishment (behavioral approach)

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Cognitive Learning

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learning through acquisition of information and mental processing (thinking, planning, remembering) cognitive approach

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Observational Learning

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learning through observation and imitation or by observing others (Cognitive and behavioral approach)

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acquisiton

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phase in classical conditioning, where response is learned

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generalization

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tendency for similar stimuli to illicit similar responses from subjects who've been conditioned

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discrimination

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learned ability to distinguish between-like stimuli

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extinction

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diminishing response when conditioning is no longer used

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spontaneous recovery

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conditioned response that was acquired and then extinguished that re-emerges much more quickly than originally acquired

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belongingness

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external consequences tend to be associated with external stimuli, while internal consequences are associated with internal stimuli ("bright-noisy experiment")

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reinforcement

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any event that encourages, or increases the likelihood of, the behavior that it follows

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punishment

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any event that discourages, or decreases the likelihood of, the behavior that it follows

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adaptablility

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our capacity to learn new behaviors that cope with changing circumstances

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habituation

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an organism's decreasing response to a stimulus with repeated exposure to it

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associative learning

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learning that certain events occur together. The events may be 2 stimuli (as in classical conditioning) or a response and consequences (operant conditioning)

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behaviorism

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the view that psych should be 1) an objective science that 2) studies behavior without reference to mental processes most research psychologists agree with one but not two

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unconditioned response

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in classical conditioning, the unlearned, naturally occurring response to unconditioned stimulus, such as salivation when food in mouth

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unconditioned stimulus

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stimulus that unconditionally, naturally, and automatically triggers a response

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conditioned response

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in classical conditioning, the learned response to a previously neutral (now conditioned) stimulus

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controlled stimulus

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an originally irrelevant stimulus that, after association with unconditioned stimulus, comes to trigger conditioned response

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higher-order conditioning

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procedure in which conditioned stimulus in 1 conditioning experience is paired with new neutral stimulus, created 2nd (often weaker) stimulus

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learned helplessness

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hopelessness and passive resignation an animal/human learns when unable to avoid repeated aversive events

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respondent behavior

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behavior that occurs as automatic response to some stimulus

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operant behavior

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behavior that operates on environment, producing consequences

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law of effect

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Thorndike's principle that behaviors followed by favorable consequences become more likely, and behaviors followed by unfavorable consequences become less likely

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operant chamber

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chamber (also known as Skinner box) containing a bar or key that an animal can manipulate to obtain food or water reinforcer; attached devices record animal's rate of bar pressing or key pecking

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shaping

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operant conditioning procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior toward closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior

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discriminative stimulus

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stimulus that illicit a response after association with reinforcement (in contrast to related stimuli not associated with reinforcement)

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reinforcer

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in operant conditioning, any event that strengthens the behavior that it follows

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positive reinforcement

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increasing behaviors by presenting positive stimuli, such as food. A positive reinforcer is any stimulus that, when presented after response, strengthens the response.

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negative reinforcement

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increasing behaviors by stopping or reducing negative stimuli, such as shock. A negative reinforcer is any stimulus that when removed after a response, strengthens the response (negative reinforcement is not punishment)

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primary reinforcer

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innately reinforcing stimulus, such as one that satisfies a biological need

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conditioned reinforcer

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stimulus that gains its reinforcing power through its association with primary reinforcer; aka secondary reinforcer

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continuous reinforcement

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reinforcing the desired response every time it occurs

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partial (intermittent) reinforcement

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reinforcing a response only part of the time, results in slower acquistion of a response but much greater resistance to extinction than does continuous reinforcement

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fixed-ratio schedule

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reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after specified # of responses

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variable-ratio response

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

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fixed-interval schedule

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reinforcement schedule that reinforces response only after specified time has elapsed

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variable-interval schedule

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reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals

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cognitive map

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mental representation of layout of one's environment. For example, after exploring a maze, rats act as if they've learned a cognitive map of it.

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latent learning

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

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insight

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sudden and often novel realization of the solution to a problem

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intrinsic motivation

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desire to perform a behavior effectively for its own sake

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extrinsic motivation

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desire to perform a behavior to receive promised rewards or avoid a threatened punishment

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modeling

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process of observing and imitating a specific behavior

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mirror neurons

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frontal lobe neurons that fire when performing certain actions or when observing others. the brain's mirroring of another's action may enable imitation and empathy.

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prosocial behavior

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positive, constructive, helpful behavior. The opposite of anti-social behavior.

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