Chapter 6: Learning

Chapter 6: Learning

1. Classical Conditioning

   • Is a type of learning in which a stimulus acquires the capacity to evoke a response that was originally evoked by another stimulus. Conditioning involves learning connections between events that occur in an organisms environment.

2. Conditioned Stimulus (CS)

   • Is a previously neutral stimulus that has, through conditioning, acquired the capacity to evoke a conditioned response.

3. Conditioned Response (CR)

   • Is a learned reaction to a conditioned stimulus that occurs because of previous conditioning.

4. Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS)

   • Is a stimulus that evokes an unconditioned response without previous conditioning.

5. Unconditioned Response (UCR)

   • Is an unlearned reaction to an unconditioned stimulus that occurs without previous conditioning.

6. Evaluative Conditioning

   • Refers to changes in the liking of a stimulus that result from pairing that stimulus with other positive or negative stimuli.

7. Acquisition

   • Refers to the initial stage of learning something.

8. Extinction

   • The gradual weakening & disappearance of a conditioned response tendency.

9. Spontaneous Recovery

   • Is the re appearance of an extinguished response after a period of nonexposure to the conditioned stimulus.

10. Stimulus Generalization

    • Occurs when an organism that has learned a response to a specific stimulus responds in the same way to new stimuli that are similar to the original stimulus.

11. Preparedness

    • Involves a species-specific predisposition to be conditioned in certain ways & not others.

12. Operant Conditioning

    • Is a form of learning in which responses come to be controlled by their consequences.

13. Reinforcement

    • Occurs when an event following a response increases an organisms tendency to make that response.

14. Shaping

    • Consists of the reinforcement of closer & closer approximations of a desired response.

15. Emit

    • To emit it means to send forth.