Psychology Midterm 2

change in an organism’s behavior or thought as a result of experience

simplest form of learning—process of responding less strongly over time to repeated stimuli

responding more strongly over time (opposite of habituation)

form of learning in which animals come to respond to a previously neutral stimulus that had been paired with another stimulus that elicits an automatic response

initially neutral stimulus (e.g. tone or light)

stimulus that elicits an automatic response (e.g. meatpowder)

automatic response to a nonneutral stimulus that does not need to be learned (e.g. drooling)

response previously associated with a nonneutral stimulus that is elicited by a neutral stimulus through conditioning (e.g drooling, butthis time in reaction to a light or tone)

learning phase during which a conditioned response is established

gradual reduction and eventual elimination of the conditioned response after the conditioned stimulus is presented repeatedly without the unconditioned stimulus

sudden re-emergence of an extinct conditioned response aftera delay in exposure to the conditioned stimulus

sudden re-emergence of a conditioned response following extinction when an animal is returned to the environment in which the conditioned response was acquired

process by which conditioned stimuli similar, but not identical to, the original conditioned stimulus elicit a conditioned response

displaying a less pronounced conditioned response to conditioned stimuli that differ from the original conditioned stimulus

developing a conditioned response to a conditioned stimulus by virtue of its association with another conditioned stimulus

difficulty in establishing a classical conditioning to a conditioned stimulus we’ve repeatedly experienced alone, that is, without the unconditioned stimulus

sexual attraction to nonliving things

an apparent conditioned response that actually turns out to be an unconditioned response to the conditioned stimulus

learning controlled by the consequences of the organism’s behavior

principle asserting if a stimulus followed by a behavior results in a reward, the stimulus is more likely to elicit a behavior in the future

grasping the nature of a problem The “aha” reaction.

small animal chamber constructed by Skinner to allow sustained periods of conditioning to be admininstered and behaviors to be recorded unsupervised

outcome or consequence of a behavior that strengthens the probability of behavior

Positive outcome or consequence of a behavior that strengthens the probability of the behavior

removal of a negative outcome or consequence of a behavior that strengthens the probability of the behavior

outcome or consequence of a behavior that weakens the probability of the behavior

stimulus associated with the presence of reinforcement

only occasional reinforcement of a behavior, resulting in slower extinction than if the behavior had been reinforced

pattern of reinforcing behavior

pattern in which we provide reinforcement following a regular number of responses

pattern in which we provide reinforcement for producing the response at least once following a specified time interval

pattern in which we provide reinforcement after a specfic number of responses on average, with the number varying randomly

pattern in which we provide reinforcement for producing the response following an average time interval, with the interval varying randomly

conditioning a target behavior by progressively reinforcing behaviors that come closer and closer to the target

principle that a less frequently performed behavior can be increased in frequency by reinforcing it with a more frequent behavior

actions linked to reinforcement by sheer coincidence

systems, often set up in psychiatric hospitals, for reinforcing appropriate behaviors and extinguishing in appropriate ones

neutral objects that people can trade in for more desirable primary reinforcers

items or outcomes that are naturally pleasurable

a set of techniques, based on operant conditioning principles, that relies on the careful measurement of behavior before and after implementing interventions

theory that we need both classical and operant conditioning to explain the persistence of anxiety disorders

the fact that classical conditioning can lead us to develop avoidance reactions to the taste of food

assumption that an y conditioned stimulus can be associated equally well with any unconditioned stimulus

evolutionary predisposition to learn some pairings of feared stimuli over others owing to their survival value

tendency for animals to return to innate behaviors following repeated reinforcement