| A | B |
|---|
| a chamber, containing a bar or key that an animal can manipulate to obtain a food or water reinforcer, with attached devices to record the animal’s rate of bar pressing or key pecking. | operant chamber (Skinner Box) |
| an operant conditioning procedure in which reinforecers guide behavior toward closer and closer approximations of a desired goal | shaping |
| in operant conditioning, any event that strengthens the behavior it follows | reinforcer |
| an innately reinforcing stimulus, such as one that satisfies a biological need | primary reinforcer |
| reinforcing a response only part of the time; results in slower acquisition of a response but much greater resistance to extinction than does continuous reinforcement | partial (intermitttent) reinforcer |
| in operant conditioning, a schedule of reinforcement that reinforces a response only after a specified number of responses | fixed-ratio schedule |
| in operant conditioning, a schedule of reinforcement that reinforces a response after an unpredictable number of responses | variable ratio schedule |
| in operant conditioning, a schedule of reinforcement that reinforces a response only after a specified time has elapsed | fixed-interval schedule |
| in operant conditioning, a schedule of reinforcement that reinforces a response at unpredictable time intervals | variable-interval schedule |
| an event that decreases the behavior that it follows | punishment |
| learning that occurs but it is not apparent until there is an incentive to demonstrate it | latent learnig |
| reinforcing the desired response every time it occurs | contiuous reinforcement |
| a desire to perform a behavior for its own sake and to be effective | intrinsic motivation |
| a desire to perform a behavior due to promised rewards or threats of punishment | extrinsic motivation |
| learning by observing others | observational learning |
| the process of observing and imitating a specific behavior | modeling |
| frontal lobe neurons that fire when performing certain actions or when observing another doing so. | mirror neurons |
| Thorndike’s principle that behaviors followed by favorable consequences become more likely, and that behaviors followed by unfavorable consequences become less likely | law of effect |
| behavior that operates on the environment, producing consequences | operant behavior |
| behavior that occurs as an automatic response to some stimulus; Skinner’s term for behavior learned through classical conditioning | respondent behavior |
| a type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforcer or diminished if followed by a punisher | opernat conditioning |
| in classical conditioning, the learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and other stimuli that do not signal an unconditioned stimulus | discrimination |
| the tendency, once a response has been conditioned, for stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus to elicit similar responses | generalization |
| the reappearance, after a rest period, of an extinguished conditioned response | spontaneous recovery |
| the diminishing of a conditioned response; occurs in classical conditioning when an unconditioned stimulus (UCS) des not follow a conditioned stimulus (CS); occurs in operant conditioning when a response is no longer reinforced | extinction |
| the initial stage in classical conditioning; the phase associating a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus so that the neutral stimulus comes to elicit a conditioned response. In operant conditioning, the strengthening of a reinforced response | acquisition |
| in classical conditioning, an originally irrelevant stimulus that, after association with an unconditioned stimulus, comes to trigger a conditioned response | conditioned stimulus |
| in classical conditioning, the learned response to a previously neutral conditioned stimulus | conditioned response |
| in classical conditioning, a stimulus that unconditionally-naturally and automatically-triggers a response | unconditioned stimulus |
| in classical conditioning, the unlearned, naturally occurring response to the unconditioned stimulus, such as salivation when food is in the mouth | unconditioned response |
| the 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 (2) | behaviorism |
| a type of learning in which an organism comes to associate stimuli. A neutral stimulus that signals an unconditioned stimulus begins to produce a response that anticipates and prepares for the unconditioned stimulus. | classical conditioning (Pavlovian conditioning) |
| a relatively permanent change in an organism’s behavior due to experience | learning |
| learning that certain events occur together. The events may be two stimuli or a response and its consequences. | associative learning |
| increasing behaviors by presenting positive stimuli | positive reinforcement |
| increasing behaviors by stopping or reducing negative stimuli, such as shock | negative reinforcement |
| in operant conditioning, any event that strengthens the behavior it follows | reinforcer |
| a stimulus that gains its reinforcing power through its association with a primary reinforcer | conditioned reinforcer |
| a mental representation of the layout of one’s environment. For example, after exploring a maze, rats act as if they have made a cognitive map of it. | cognitive map |
| positive constructive, helpful behavior. The opposite of antisocial behavior | prosocial behavior |
