Ap psychology Unit 4A: Learning Terms

a relatively permanent or stable change in an organism's behavior due to experience

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)

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 with (2)

believed that psychology should be an objective science based on observable behavior

a type of learning in which an organism comes to associate stimuli. A neutral stimulus that signals an UCS begins the produce a response that anticipates and prepares for the UCS

in classical conditioning, a stimulus that unconditionally-naturally and automatically- triggers a response

in classical conditioning, the unlearned, naturally occurring response to the UCS, such as salivation when food is in the mouth.

in classical conditioning, a stimulus that does not produce an automatic response

in classical conditioning, an originally irrelevant stimulus that, after association with an UCS, comes to trigger a CR

in classical conditioning, the learned response to a previously neutral CS

a behavioral process that happen in response to some stimuli, and is essential to an organism's survival

neutral stimulus is presented, then the UC occurs

neutral stimulus and UC stimulus are presented together

UC occurs before neutral stimulus

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.

the diminishing of a CR; occurs in classical conditioning when an UCS does not follow a CS; occurs in operant conditioning when a response is no longer enforced

the reappearance, after a rest period, of an extinguished CR

the tendency, once a response has been conditioned, for stimuli similar to the CS to elicit similar responses

in classical conditioning, the learned ability to distinguish between a CS and other stimuli that do not signal an UCR

Discovered that rats are biologically prepared to learn the associations between the tastes of a certain food, and its onset illness; Conditioning principles are constrained by the biological predispositions of each species

This can occur when eating a substance is followed by illness. If the food being consume is followed y illness, often it's avoided in the future, even if the food had no relationship to the illness; highly resistant to extinction

the tendency for the CS to evoke similar responses after the response has been conditioned. For example, if a child has been conditioned to fear a stuffed white rabbit, it will exhibit fear of objects similar to the CS such as a white toy rat.

The use of something unpleasant, or a punishment, to stop an unwanted behavior

John Watson/Pavlov for learning to occur, the response must occur in the presence of or very soon after a stimulus is presented, or an association will not occur. In essence, this is a behaviorist view based on the idea that learning will occur only if events occur relatively close together in time.

Robert Rescorla; For learning to take place, a stimulus must provide the subject information about the likelihood that certain events will occur.