acquisition an ability that has been acquired by training (process) aversive conditioning A type of counterconditioning that associates an unpleasant state (such as nausea) with an unwanted behavior (such as drinking alcohol) behavior modification psychotherapy that seeks to extinguish or inhibit abnormal or maladaptive behavior by reinforcing desired behavior and extinguishing undesired behavior biological preparedness In learning theory, the idea that an organism is innately predisposed to form associations between certain stimuli and responses. classical conditioning a type of learning in which one learns to link two or more stimuli and anticipate events
conditioned stimulus in classical conditioning, an originally irrelevant stimulus that, after association with an unconditioned stimulus, comes to trigger a conditioned response contiguity the tendency to perceive two things that happen close together in time as being related contingency Refers to dependent and/or temporal relations between operant behavior and its controlling variables. continuous reinforcement reinforcing the desired response every time it occurs discrimination in classical conditioning, the learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and stimuli that do not signal an unconditioned stimulus
extinction a conditioning process in which the reinforcer is removed and a conditioned response becomes independent of the conditioned stimulus fixed interval reinforces a response only after a specified time has elapsed fixed ratio a schedule where reinforcement happens after a correct number of responses generalization generalized reinforcer (psychology) transfer of a response learned to one stimulus to a similar stimulus A conditioned reinforcer that as a result of having been paired with many other reinforcers does not depend on an establishing operation for any particular form of reinforcement for its effectiveness.
higher-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.) insight the clear (and often sudden) understanding of a complex situation instinctive drift tendency for animals to return to innate behaviors following repeated reinforcement instrumental learning associative learning in which a behavior becomes more or less probable depending on its consequences latent learning learning that occurs but is not apparent until there is an incentive to demonstrate it
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 learning the cognitive process of acquiring skill or knowledge negative reinforcement increasing the strength of a given response by removing or preventing a painful stimulus when the response occurs neutral stimulus a stimulus that does not initially elicit a response observational learning A type of learning that occurs when an organism's responding is influenced by the observation of others, who are called models.
omission training removal of a rewarding consequence that follows a voluntary behavior thereby decreasing the probability the behavior will be repeated. operant conditioning A type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforcer or diminished if followed by a punisher partial reinforcement occasional reinforcement of a particular behavior; produces response that is more resistant to extinction positive reinforcement any stimulus that, when presented after a response, strengthens the response premack principle A principle that states that making the opportunity to engage in a highprobability behavior contingent on the occurrence of a low-frequency behavior will function as reinforcement for the low-frequency behavior.
primary reinforcer an innately reinforcing stimulus, such as one that satisfies a biological need punishment an event that decreases the behavior that it follows secondary reinforcer stimulus such as money that becomes reinforcing through its link with a primary reinforcer shaping an operant conditioning procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior toward closer and closer approximations of the desired behavior spontaneous recovery the reappearance, after a pause, of an extinguished conditioned response
stimulus a change in an organism's surroundings that causes the organism to react superstitious behaviors can result from unintended reinforcement of unimportant behavior token economy unconditioned response an operant conditioning procedure in which people earn a token of some sort for exhibiting a desired behavior and can later exchange the tokens for various privileges or treats in classical conditioning, the unlearned, naturally occurring response to the unconditioned stimulus (US), such as salivation when food is in the mouth. unconditioned stimulus in classical conditioning, a stimulus that unconditionally naturally and automatically triggers a response
variable interval a schedule where reinforcement happens after a varied length of time variable ratio a schedule where reinforcement happens after a varied number of responses