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PSYCHOLOGY AP – CHAPTER 8

VOCABULARY

VOCABULARY LIST

1. learning – a relatively permanent change in an organism's behavior due to


experience
2. 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).
3. classical conditioning – a type of learning in which an organism comes to
associate stimuli. A neutral stimulus that signals an unconditioned stimulus
(UCS) begins to produce a response that anticipates and prepares for
unconditioned stimulus. Also called Pavlovian conditioning.
4. behaviorism – the view that psychology (1) should be an objective science
that (2) studies behavior without reference to mental processes. Most
research will agree with (1) but not (2).
5. unconditioned response (UCR) – in classical conditioning, the unlearned,
naturally occurring response to the unconditioned stimulus, such as
salivation when food is in the mouth.
6. unconditioned stimulus (UCS) – in classical conditioning, a stimulus that
unconditionally-naturally and automatically-triggers a response.
7. conditioned response (CR) – in classical conditioning, the learned response
to a previously neutral conditioned stimulus (CS).
8. conditioned stimulus (CS) – in classical conditioning, an originally irrelevant
stimulus that, after association with an unconditioned stimulus (UCS),
comes to trigger a conditioned response.
9. acquisition – initial learning, of the stimulus-response relationship
10. extinction – the diminishing of a conditioned response
11. spontaneous recovery – the reappearance, after a pause, of an
extinguished conditioned response.
12. generalization – the tendency, once a response has been conditioned, for
stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus to elicit similar responses.
13. discrimination – unjustifiable negative behavior toward a group and its
members
14. operant conditioning – a type of learning in which behavior is strengthened
if followed by a reinforcer or diminished if followed by a punisher.
15. respondent behavior – behavior that occurs as an automatic response to
some stimulus.
16. operant behavior – behavior that operates on the environment, producing
consequences.
17. law of effect – Throndike's principle that behaviors followed by favorable
consequences become more likely, and that behaviors followed by
unfavorable consequences become less likely.
18. operant chamber (skinner box) – in operant conditioning research, a
chamber(skinner box) containing a bar or key that an animal can
manipulate to obtain a food or water reinforcer. Attached devices record
rate of animals pressing the key.
19. shaping – an operant conditioning procedure in which reinforcers guide
behavior toward closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior.
20. reinforcer – in operant conditioning, any event that strengthens the
behavior it follows.
21. primary reinforcer – an innately reinforcing stimulus, such as one that
satisfies a biological need
22. conditioned reinforcer (secondary reinforcers) – a stimulus that gains its
reinforcing power through its association with a primary reinforcer; also
known as secondary reinforcer
23. continuous reinforcement – reinforcing the desired response every time it
occurs
24. partial (intermittent) reinforcement – reinforcing a response only part of
the time; result in slower acquisition of a response but much greater
resistance to extinction than does continuous reinforcement
25. fixed-ratio schedule – in operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule
that reinforces a response only after a specified number of responses.
26. variable-ratio schedule – in operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule
that reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses.
27. fixed-interval schedule – in operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule
that reinforces a response only after a specified time has elapsed.
28. punishment – the event that decreases the behavior that it follows.
29. cognitive map – a 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.
30. latent learning – learning that occurs but is not apparent until there is an
incentive to demonstrate it
31. overjustification effect – the effect of promising a reward for doing what
one already likes to do. The person may now see the reward, rather than
intrinsic interest, as the motivation for performing the task.
32. intrinsic motivation – a desire to perform a behavior effectively for its own
sake.
33. extrinsic motivation – a desire to perform a behavior to receive promised
rewards or avoid threatened punishment.
34. observational learning – learning by observing others.
35. modeling – the process of observing and imitating a specific behavior.
36. mirror neurons – frontal lobe neurons that fire when performing certain
actions or when observing another doing so.
37. prosocial behavior – positive, constructive, helpful behavior. The opposite
of antisocial behavior.
PART 1 - SIMPLIFIED

1. learning – relatively permanent change in behavior due to experience


2. associative learning – learning to associate two stimuli, and thus to
anticipate events
3. behaviorism – view that psychology should be an objective science based
solely on observable behavior and not on mental processes
4. conditioned response – learned response to a previously neutral
conditioned stimulus
5. acquisition – initial learning of a conditioned response; associate a neutral
stimulus with an UCS so that the neutral stimulus produces a CR.
6. extinction – diminishing of a conditioned response
7. generalization – responding to stimuli similar to original CS
8. discrimination – distinguishing a CS from other stimuli that don't signal on
UCS
9. operant behavior – learning to associate actions with their consequences
10. law of effect – Thorndike's principle that behaviors followed by pleasant
consequences are more likely to be repeated while behaviors followed by
unpleasant are less likely to be repeated.

PART 2 - SIMPLIFIED

1. reinforcer - any event that strengthens the behavior it follows


2. continuous reinforcement
3. fixed-ratio schedule - reinforces a response after a specific number of
responses
4. variable-ratio schedule - reinforces a response after varying periods of time
5. punishment - event that weakens the behavior it follows
6. latent learning - learning that occurs but isn't apparent until there is an
incentive to demonstrate it
7. overjustification effect - doing something that one already likes to do in
order to receive a promised reward or to avoid something
8. desire to perform a behavior due to promised rewards or threats of
punishment
9. observational learning - learning by watching and imitating others
10. modeling - process of observing and imitating a specific behavior

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