| A | B |
|---|
| classical conditioning | Ivan Pavlov's method of conditioning, in which associations are made between a natural stimulus and a learned, neutral stimulus |
| stimulus | anything that elicits a response |
| response | a reaction to a stimulus |
| unconditioned stimulus | a stimulus that automatically elicits a response, as meat causes salivation |
| unconditioned response | an automatic response to a particular natural stimulus, such as salivation to meat |
| conditioned stimulus | a previous neutral stimulus that has been associated with a natural (or unconditioned) stimulus |
| conditioned response | a response to a stimulus that is brought about by learning - for example salivating at the word pickle |
| stimulus generalization | process in which a response spreads from one specific stimulus to other stimuli that resemble the original |
| extinction | the gradual loss of an association over time |
| spontaneous recovery | the sudden reappearance of an extinguished response |
| operant conditioning | conditioning that results from the individual's actions and consequences they cause |
| reinforcement | something that follows a response and strengthens the tendency to repeat that response |
| primary reinforcement | something necessary for psychological or physical survival that is used as a reward |
| secondary reinforcement | anything that comes to represent a primary reinforcer, such as money |
| positive reinforcement | reinforcement that involves strengthening the tendency to repeat a response by following it with something pleasant |
| negative reinforcement | reinforcement that involves strengthening the tendency to repeat a response by following it with the removal of something unpleasant |
| punishment | the process of weakening a response by following it with unpleasant consequences |
| generalization | a behavior that spreads from one situation to a similar one |
| discrimination learning | learning to tell the difference between one event or object and another; the opposite of generalization |
| shaping | the process of gradually refining a response by successively reinforcing closer approximations of it |
| chaining | reinforcing the connection between the parts of a sequence |
| continuous reinforcement | reinforcement given each time a behavior occurs |
| schedules of reinforcement | different methods of reinforcing |
| partial reinforcement schedule | reinforcement not given each time an act is performed |
| variable ratio schedule | schedule in which reinforcement occurs after a desired act is performed but a variable number of times |
| fixed ratio schedule | schedule in which reinforcement occurs after a desired act is performed a fixed number of times |
| variable interval schedule | schedule in which reinforcement occurs after a desired act is performed following a variable amount of time |
| fixed interval schedule | schedule in which reinforcement occurs after a desired act is performed following a fixed amount of time |
| social learning | learning from the behavior of others |
| observational learning | a form of social learning in which the organism observes and imitates the behavior of others |
| cognitive approach | an approach to the study of learning that emphasizes abstract mental processes and previous knowledge |
| latent learning | learning that is not obvious but goes on under the surface |
| expectancies | beliefs about our ability to perform an action and to get the desired reward |
| reinforcement value | the preference for certain types of reinforcement over other types |
| cognitive map | a mental image of where one is located in space |
| strategies | methods for solving problems |
