AP Notes, Outlines, Study Guides, Vocabulary, Practice Exams and more!

AP Psychology Learning and Memory Flashcards

Terms : Hide Images
13678128960learninga relatively permanent change in an organism's behavior due to experience0
13678128961habituationan organism's decreasing response to a stimulus with repeated exposure to it1
13678128962associative learninglearning that certain events occur together.2
13678128963classical conditioninga type of learning in which one learns to link two or more stimuli and anticipate events3
13678128964behaviorismpsychology: (1) should be an objective science that (2) studies behavior without reference to mental processes.4
13678128965unconditioned response (UR)the unlearned, naturally occurring reaction to US, such as salivation when food is in the mouth5
13678128966unconditioned stimulus (US)a stimulus that naturally and automatically triggers a reaction (like food)6
13678128967conditioned response (CR)the learned reaction to a previously neutral (but now conditioned) stimulus (CS)7
13678128968conditioned stimulus (CS)an originally irrelevant stimulus that, after association with an US, comes to trigger a conditioned reaction8
13678128969acquisitionthe "learned" behavior or response9
13678128970higher-order conditioninga procedure in which the CS in one conditioning experience is paired with a new NS, creating a second (often weaker) CS.10
13678128971extinctionthe diminishing of a CR; when a response is no longer reinforced11
13678128972spontaneous recoverythe reappearance, after a pause, of an extinguished CR12
13678128973generalizationthe tendency, once a response has been conditioned, for stimuli similar to the CS to elicit responses13
13678128974discriminationthe learned ability to distinguish between a CS and stimuli that do not signal an US14
13678128975learned helplessnessthe hopelessness and passive resignation an animal or human learns when unable to avoid repeated aversive events15
13678128976operant conditioninga type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforcer or diminished followed by a punisher16
13678128977law of effectThorndike's principle that behaviors followed by favorable consequences become more likely, or where behaviors followed by unfavorable consequences become less likely17
13678128978operant chamberSkinner box containing a bar or key that an animal can manipulate to obtain food or water reinforce; attached devices record the animal's rate of bar pressing or key pecking18
13678128979shapingreinforcers guide behavior toward closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior19
13678128980reinforcerany event that strengthens the behavior it follows20
13678128981positive reinforcementincreasing behaviors by presenting positive stimuli, such as food.21
13678128982negative reinforcementincreasing behaviors by stopping or reducing negative stimuli, such as shock.22
13678128983primary reinforcean innately reinforcing stimulus, such as one that satisfies a biological need23
13678128984continuous reinforcementreinforcing the desired response every time it occurs24
13678128985partial (intermittent) reinforcementreinforcing a response only part of the time; results in slower acquisition of a response but much greater resistance to extinction than does continuous reinforcement25
13678128986fixed-ratio schedulea reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified number of responses26
13678128987variable-ratio schedulea reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses27
13678128988fixed-interval schedulea reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified time has elapsed28
13678128989variable-interval schedulea reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals29
13678128990punishmentan event that decreases the behavior that it follows30
13678128991cognitive mapa mental representation of the layout of one's environment. (For example, after exploring a maze, rats act as if they have learned a cognitive map of it)31
13678128992latent learninglearning that occurs but is not apparent until there is an incentive to demonstrate it LATER32
13678128993insighta sudden and often novel realization of the solution to a problem33
13678128994intrinsic motivationa desire to perform a behavior effectively for its own sake; INSIDE34
13678128995extrinsic motivationa desire to perform a behavior to receive promised rewards or avoid threatened punishment, OUTSIDE35
13678128996modelingthe process of observing and imitating a specific behavior36
13678128997mirror neuronsfrontal lobe neurons that fire when performing certain actions or when observing another doing so. The brain's mirroring of another's actions may enable imitation and empath37
13678128998prosocial behaviorpositive, constructive, helpful behavior. The opposite of antisocial behavior38
13678128999little albertsubject in John Watson's experiment, proved classical conditioning principles, especially the generalization of fear39
13678129000Albert Banduraresearcher famous for work in observational or social learning including the famous Bobo doll experiment40
13678129001John GarciaResearched taste aversion. Showed that when rats ate a novel substance before being nauseated by a drug or radiation, they developed a conditioned taste aversion for the substance.41
13678129002Ivan PavlovRussian physiologist who observed conditioned salivary responses in dogs (1849-1936)42
13678129003B.F. Skinnerhe is famous for use of his operant conditioning aparatus which he used to study schedules of reinforcement on pidgeons and rats.43
13678129004John Watsonbehaviorist; famous for Little Albert study in which a baby was taught to fear a white rat44
13678129005biofeedbacka technique that trains people to improve their health by controlling certain bodily processes that normally happen involuntarily, such as heart rate, blood pressure, muscle tension, and skin temperature.45
13678129006aversion theoryan aversive (causing a strong feeling of dislike or disgust) stimulus is paired with an undesirable behavior in order to reduce or eliminate that behavior.46
13678129007neutral stimulus (NS)environmental factor that doesn't elicit a CR until it is repeatedly paired with the US (ex/ bell in Pavlov experiment)47
13678129008token economyobject or point reward system used in jail, school, & at Chuck E Cheese48
13678129009cognitive learningthe acquisition of mental information, whether by observing events, by watching others, or through language49
13678129010Stimulusa signal to which an organism responds50
13678129011reinforcementin operant conditioning, any event that strengthens the behavior it follows51
13678129012conditioned reinforcera stimulus that gains its reinforcing power through its association with a primary reinforcer; also known as a secondary reinforcer52
13678129013reinforcement schedulethe frequency and regularity with which rewards are offered; they can be based on a number of target behaviors (ratio) or on a time interval (interval); types include: fixed-ratio, variable-ratio, fixed-interval, and variable-interval53
13678129014respondent behaviorbehavior that occurs as an automatic response to some stimulus54
13678129015Copingalleviating stress using emotional, cognitive, or behavioral methods55
13678129016learned helplessnessthe hopelessness and passive resignation an animal or human learns when unable to avoid repeated aversive events56
13678129017external locus of controlthe perception that chance or outside forces beyond your personal control determine your fate.57
13678129018internal locus of controlthe perception that you control your own fate58
13678129019self-controlthe ability to control impulses and delay short-term gratification for greater long-term rewards59
13678129020observational learninglearning by observing others; also called social learning60
13678129021memorythe ability to store and retrieve information over time61
13678129022sensory memorythe immediate, very brief recording of sensory information in the memory system62
13678129023working memorya newer understanding of short-term memory that focuses on conscious, active processing of incoming auditory and visual-spatial information, and of information retrieved from long-term memory63
13678129024long-term memorythe relatively permanent and limitless storehouse of the memory system. Includes knowledge, skills, and experiences.64
13678129025procedural memoryA type of long-term memory of how to perform different actions and skills. Essentially, it is the memory of how to do certain things.65
13678129026episodic memoryA category of long-term memory that involves the recollection of specific events, situations and experiences.66
13678129027semantic memoryA category of long-term memory of associated facts and concepts that make up our general knowledge of the world67
13678129028implicit memoryretention independent of conscious recollection68
13678129029explicit memorymemory of facts and experiences that one can consciously know and "declare"69
13678129030Encodingthe processing of information into the memory system—for example, by extracting meaning.70

Need Help?

We hope your visit has been a productive one. If you're having any problems, or would like to give some feedback, we'd love to hear from you.

For general help, questions, and suggestions, try our dedicated support forums.

If you need to contact the Course-Notes.Org web experience team, please use our contact form.

Need Notes?

While we strive to provide the most comprehensive notes for as many high school textbooks as possible, there are certainly going to be some that we miss. Drop us a note and let us know which textbooks you need. Be sure to include which edition of the textbook you are using! If we see enough demand, we'll do whatever we can to get those notes up on the site for you!