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AP Psychology - Learning Flashcards

Advanced Placement Psychology
Enterprise High School, Redding, CA
All terms from Myers Psychology for AP (BFW Worth, 2011)

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6468931020learninga relatively permanent change in an organism's behavior due to experience.0
6468931021habituationdecreasing responsiveness with repeated stimulation. As infants gain familiarity with repeated exposure to a visual stimulus, their interest wanes and they look away sooner.1
6468931022associative learninglearning 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).2
6468931023classical conditioninga type of learning in which one learns to link two or more stimuli and anticipate events.3
6468931024behaviorismthe 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).4
6468931025unconditioned response (UR)in classical conditioning, the unlearned, naturally occurring response to the unconditioned stimulus (US), such as salivation when food is in the mouth.5
6468931026unconditioned stimulus (US)in classical conditioning, a stimulus that unconditionally—naturally and automatically—triggers a response.6
6468931027conditioned response (CR)in classical conditioning, the learned response to a previously neutral (but now conditioned) stimulus (CS).7
6468931028conditioned stimulus (CS)in classical conditioning, an originally irrelevant stimulus that, after association with an unconditioned stimulus (US), comes to trigger a conditioned response.8
6468931029acquisitionin classical conditioning, the initial stage, when one links a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus so that the neutral stimulus begins triggering the conditioned response. In operant conditioning, the strengthening of a reinforced response.9
6468931030higher-order conditioninga 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.)10
6468931031extinctionthe diminishing of a conditioned response; occurs in classical conditioning when an unconditioned stimulus (US) does not follow a conditioned stimulus (CS); occurs in operant conditioning when a response is no longer reinforced.11
6468931032spontaneous recoverythe reappearance, after a pause, of an extinguished conditioned response.12
6468931033generalizationthe tendency, once a response has been conditioned, for stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus to elicit similar responses.13
6468931034discriminationin classical conditioning, the learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and stimuli that do not signal an unconditioned stimulus.14
6468931035learned helplessnessthe hopelessness and passive resignation an animal or human learns when unable to avoid repeated aversive events.15
6468931036operant conditioninga type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforcer or diminished if followed by a punisher.16
6468931037law of effectThe principle that behaviors are selected by their consequences17
6468931038operant chamberin operant conditioning research, a chamber (also known as a Skinner box) containing a bar or key that an animal can manipulate to obtain a food or water reinforcer; attached devices record the animal's rate of bar pressing or key pecking.18
6468931039shapingan operant conditioning procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior toward closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior.19
6468931040reinforcerin operant conditioning, any event that strengthens the behavior it follows.20
6468931041positive reinforcementincreasing behaviors by presenting positive stimuli, such as food. Any stimulus that, when presented after a response, strengthens the response.21
6468931042negative reinforcementincreasing behaviors by stopping or reducing negative stimuli, such as shock. Any stimulus that, when removed after a response, strengthens the response.22
6468931043primary reinforceran innately reinforcing stimulus, such as one that satisfies a biological need.23
6468931044conditioned reinforcera stimulus that gains its reinforcing power through its association with a primary reinforcer; also known as a secondary reinforcer.24
6468931045continuous reinforcementreinforcing the desired response every time it occurs.25
6468931046partial reinforcementreinforcing a response only part of the time; results in slower acquisition of a response but much greater resistance to extinction than does continuous reinforcement.26
6468931047fixed-ratio schedulein operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified number of responses.27
6468931048variable-ratio schedulein operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses.28
6468931049fixed- interval schedulein operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified time has elapsed.29
6468931050variable-interval schedulein operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response at unpredictable time.30
6468931051punishmentan event that decreases the behavior that it follows.31
6468931052cognitive mapa mental representation of the layout of one's environment.32
6468931053latent learninglearning that occurs but is not apparent until there is an incentive to demonstrate it.33
6468931054observational learninglearning by observing others (also called social learning).34
6468931055modelingthe process of observing and imitating a specific behavior35
6468931056mirror neuronsfrontal lobe neurons that fire when performing certain actions or when observing another doing so. The brain's mirroring of another's action may enable imitation and empathy.36

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