learning - a relatively permanent change in knowledge or behaviour that is the result of experience
classical conditioning - learning that occurs when a neutral stimulus elicits a response that was
originally caused by another stimulus
unconditioned stimulus - A stimulus that evokes an unconditioned response without previous
conditioning
unconditioned response - a reflexive reaction that is reliably produced by an unconditioned stimulus
conditioned stimulus - a stimulus that elicits a response only after learning has taken place
conditioned response - a learned response to a previously neutral stimulus
extinction - the diminishing of a conditioned response; occurs in classical conditioning when an
unconditioned stimulus (US) does not follow a conditioned stimulus (CS); occurs in operant
conditioning when a response is no longer reinforced.
generalization - the tendency, once a response has been conditioned, for stimuli similar to the
conditioned stimulus to elicit similar responses
discrimination - in classical conditioning, the learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned
stimulus and stimuli that do not signal an unconditioned stimulus
second-order conditioning - an existing conditioned stimulus can serve as an unconditioned stimulus
for a pairing with a new conditioned stimulus
phobia - a strong and irrational fear of a specific object, activity, or situation
PTSD - a severe anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to a fearful event, such as the threat
of death
, operant conditioning - learning that occurs based on the consequences of behaviour
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
punishment - any event that weakens or reduces the likelihood of a behaviour
positive punishment - weakens a response by presenting something unpleasant after the response
negative punishment - weakens the response by reducing or removing something pleasant
continuous reinforcement schedule - the desired response is reinforced every time it occurs
partial (intermittent) reinforcement schedule - schedule in which the responses are sometimes
reinforced and sometimes not
fixed-interval schedule - reinforcement occurs for the first response made after a specific amount of
time has passed
variable-interval schedule - reinforcers appear on an interval schedule, but the timing is varied
around the average interval, making the actual appearance of the reinforcer unpredictable
fixed-ration schedule - a behaviour is reinforced after a specific number of responses
variable-ratio schedule - provides reinforcers after a specific but average number of responses
shaping - the process of guiding an organism's behaviour to the desires outcome through the use of
successive approximation to a final desired behaviour
primary reinforcers - stimuli that are naturally preferred or enjoyed by the organism, such as food,
water and relief from pain