1.
Acquisition: In 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
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.
Behaviorism: The view that psychology should be an objective science that studies behavior without reference to mental processes. Most research psychologists today agree with 1 but not 2
4.
Classical Conditioning: A type of learning in which one learns to link two or more stimuli and anticipate events
5.
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
6.
Conditioned Reinforcer: A stimulus that gains its reinforcing power through its association with a primary reinforcer; also known as secondary reinforcer
7.
Conditioned Response (CR): In classical conditioning, the learned response to a previously neutral (but now conditioned) stimulus (CS)
8.
Conditioned Stimulus (CS): In classical conditioned, an originally irrelevant stimulus that, after association with an unconditioned stimulus (US), comes to trigger a conditioned response
9.
Continuous Reinforcement: Reinforcing the desired response every time it occurs
10.
Discrimination: In classical conditioning, the learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and stimuli that do not signal an unconditioned stimulus
11.
Discriminative Stimulus: In operant conditioning, a stimulus that elicits a response after association with reinforcement (in contrast to related stimuli not associated with reinforcement
12.
Extinction: The diminishing of a conditioned response; occurs in classical conditioning when an unconditioned stimulus does not follow a conditioned stimulus; occurs in operant conditioning when a response is no longer reinforced
13.
Extrinsic Motivation: A desire to perform a behavior to receive promised rewards or avoid threatened punishment
14.
Fixed-interval Schedule: In operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified time has elapsed
15.
Fixed-ratio Schedule: In operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response only after a specified number of responses
16.
Generalization: The tendency, once a response has been conditioned, for stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus to elicit similar responses
17.
Habituation: An organism's decreasing response to a stimulus with repeated exposure to it
18.
High-order Conditioning: A 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)
19.
Insight: A sudden and often novel realization of the solution to a problem
20.
Intrinsic Motivation: A desire to perform a behavior effectively for its own sake
21.
Latent Learning: Learning that occurs but is not apparent until there is an incentive to demonstrate it
22.
Law of effect: Thorndike's principle that behaviors followed by favorable consequences become more likely, and that behaviors followed by unfavorable consequences become less likely
23.
Learned helplessness: The hopelessness and passive resignation an animal or human learns when unable to avoid repeated aversive events
24.
Learning: A relatively permanent change in an organism's behavior due to experience
25.
Mirror Neurons: Frontal 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 empathy
26.
Modeling: The process of observing and imitating a specific behavior
27.
Negative Reinforcement: 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 (note: negative reinforcement is not punishment)
28.
Observational Learning: Learning by observing others. Also called social learning
29.
Operant Behavior: Behavior that operates on the environment, producing consequences
30.
Operant Chamber: In operant conditioning research, a chamber 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
31.
Operant Conditioning: A type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforcer or diminished if followed by a punisher
32.
Partial (intermittent) reinforcement: Reinforcing a response only part of the time; results in slower acquisition of a response by much greater resistance to extinction than does continuous reinforcement
33.
Positive reinforcement: Increasing behaviors by presenting positive stimuli, such as food. A positive reinforcer is any stimulus that, when presented after a response, strengthens the response.
34.
Primary reinforcer: An innately reinforcing stimulus, such as one that satisfies a biological need
35.
Punishment: An event that decreases the behavior that it follows
36.
Reinforcer: In operant conditioning, any event that strengthens the behavior it follows
37.
Respondent Behavior: Behavior that occurs as an automatic response to some stimulus
38.
Shaping: An operant conditioning procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior toward closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior
39.
Spontaneous Recovery: The reappearance, after a pause, of an extinguished conditioned response
40.
Unconditioned Response (UR): In classical conditioning, the unlearned naturally occurring response to the unconditioned stimulus (US), such as salivation when food is in the mouth
41.
Unconditioned Stimulus (US): In classical conditioning, a stimulus that unconditionally-naturally and automatically-triggers a response
42.
Variable-interval Schedule: In operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals
43.
Variable-ratio Schedule: In operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of response
