Intro to Psychology (PSYC101): Module 19: Basic Learning Concepts and Classical Conditioning

The process of acquiring through experience new and relatively enduring information or behaviors.

Learning that certain events occur together. The events may be two stimuli (as in classical conditioning) or a response and its consequence (as in operant conditioning).

Any event or situation that evokes a response.

Behavior that occurs as an automatic response to some stimulus.

Behavior that operates on the environment, producing a consequence.

A type of learning in which we link two or more stimuli; as a result, to illustrate with Pavlov’s experiment, the first stimulus (a tone) comes to elicit behavior (drooling) in anticipation of the second stimulus (food).

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).

In classical conditioning, a stimulus that elicits no response before conditioning.

In classical conditioning, an unlearned, naturally occurring response (ex. salvation) to an unconditioned stimulus (ex. such as food in mouth).

In classical conditioning, a stimulus that unconditionally - naturally and automatically - triggers an unconditioned response.

In classical conditioning, a learned response to a previously neutral, but now conditioned, stimulus.

In classical conditioning, an originally neutral stimulus that, after association with an unconditioned stimulus, comes to trigger a conditioned response.

In classical conditioning, the initial stage, when one links a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus so that the neutral stimulus begins triggering the conditioned response. In operant conditioning, the strengthening of a reinforced response.

Diminishing of a conditioned response; occurs in classical conditioning when an unconditioned stimulus doesn’t follow a conditioned stimulus. Occurs in operant conditioning when a response is no longer reinforced.

The reappearance, after a pause, of an extinguished conditioned response.

The tendency, once a response is conditioned, for stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus to elicit similar responses. (In operant conditioning, it occurs when responses learned in one situation occur in other, similar situations).

In classical conditioning, the learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned stimulus and similar stimuli that don’t signal an unconditioned stimulus. (In operant conditioning, the ability to distinguish responses that are reinforced from similar responses that aren’t reinforced.