AP Psychology Associative Learning Flashcards

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Questions and Answers

What is learning?

A relatively permanent change in skill or understanding.

What is associative learning?

Learning that certain events occur together.

What is classical conditioning?

A type of learning in which an organism comes to associate events.

Who is Pavlov?

A physiologist known for classical conditioning. Signup and view all the answers

What is an unconditioned stimulus (US)?

A stimulus that always produces a response without needing to be learned. Signup and view all the answers

What is an unconditioned response (UR)?

An automatic response produced by an unconditioned stimulus. Signup and view all the answers

What is a conditioned stimulus (CS)?

A previously neutral stimulus that begins to produce a conditioned response. Signup and view all the answers

What is a conditioned response (CR)?

A response that is the same as the unconditioned response but produced by the CS. Signup and view all the answers

What is acquisition in classical conditioning?

The initial stage of learning when a response is established. Signup and view all the answers

What is extinction in classical conditioning?

The diminishing of a response when a US does not follow a CS. Signup and view all the answers

What is spontaneous recovery?

The reappearance of an extinguished conditioned response after a rest period. Signup and view all the answers

What is generalization in classical conditioning?

When stimuli similar to the CS also produce the CR. Signup and view all the answers

What is discrimination in classical conditioning?

The ability to distinguish between a CS and other stimuli that do not signal a US. Signup and view all the answers

What is the Law of Effect?

Thorndike's principle that behaviors followed by favorable consequences are more likely. Signup and view all the answers

What is shaping?

The process of reinforcing successive approximations of a desired behavior. Signup and view all the answers

What is chaining?

Linking together a series of steps to form a complex behavior. Signup and view all the answers

What is primary reinforcement?

Reinforcement that does not need to be learned. Signup and view all the answers

What is secondary reinforcement?

Reinforcement that is learned through association with primary reinforcers. Signup and view all the answers

What is positive reinforcement?

Adding a pleasant stimulus to increase behavior. Signup and view all the answers

What is negative reinforcement?

Removing an aversive stimulus to increase behavior. Signup and view all the answers

What is a continuous schedule of reinforcement?

Applying reinforcement every time a behavior occurs. Signup and view all the answers

What is a fixed interval schedule?

Applying reinforcement after a specific amount of time has passed. Signup and view all the answers

What is a fixed ratio schedule?

Applying reinforcement after a specific number of behaviors. Signup and view all the answers

What is a variable ratio schedule?

Applying reinforcement after a variable number of responses. Signup and view all the answers

What is a variable interval schedule?

Reinforcing after a variable amount of time. Signup and view all the answers

What is a token economy?

An operant conditioning procedure where individuals earn tokens for desired behaviors. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Learning Concepts

Learning is defined as a relatively permanent change in skill or understanding.
Associative learning involves linking certain events, which can include stimuli pairings (classical conditioning) or responses with consequences (operant conditioning).

Classical Conditioning

Classical conditioning is a learning process where an organism associates a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus (US), leading to a learned response.
Reflexive and automatic responses are characteristic of classical conditioning.

Key Figures

Ivan Pavlov, a physiologist known for his work on digestion, discovered the principles of classical conditioning through experiments with dogs.

Stimuli and Responses

Unconditioned Stimulus (US): A stimulus that automatically elicits a response without prior learning.
Unconditioned Response (UR): The automatic response produced by the unconditioned stimulus.
Conditioned Stimulus (CS): A previously neutral stimulus that begins to elicit a conditioned response (CR) after being paired with the US.
Conditioned Response (CR): A learned response that occurs in reaction to the conditioned stimulus.

Learning Processes

Acquisition: The process where the conditioned stimulus begins to evoke the conditioned response; this is the foundational stage of leaning in both classical and operant conditioning.
Extinction: The reduction of a conditioned response when the conditioned stimulus is presented without the unconditioned stimulus, or when a response is no longer reinforced.
Spontaneous Recovery: The re-emergence of an extinguished conditioned response after a rest period.

Generalization and Discrimination

Generalization occurs when a similar stimulus to the conditioned stimulus also evokes the conditioned response.
Discrimination is the ability to distinguish between different stimuli, allowing specific responses to occur only with the conditioned stimulus.

Operant Conditioning Principles

Law of Effect: Proposed by Thorndike, this principle states that behaviors followed by positive outcomes are more likely to be repeated, while behaviors followed by negative outcomes are less likely to recur.
Shaping: A technique used to teach new behaviors by reinforcing successive approximations towards a desired behavior.
Chaining involves linking together a series of behaviors to form a complex behavior sequence.

Reinforcement Types

Primary Reinforcement: Involves stimuli that do not require learning to appreciate (e.g., food, water).
Secondary Reinforcement: Involves stimuli that require learning to appreciate (e.g., money, praise).
Positive Reinforcement: The introduction of a favorable event to increase the likelihood of a behavior being repeated.
Negative Reinforcement: The removal of an aversive stimulus to increase the future likelihood of a behavior.

Reinforcement Schedules

Continuous Schedule: Reinforcement is applied every time the behavior occurs.
Fixed Interval: Reinforcement is provided after a set amount of time has passed.
Fixed Ratio: Reinforcement is delivered after a specific number of responses.
Variable Ratio: Reinforcement occurs after an unpredictable number of responses, making it more resistant to extinction.
Variable Interval: Reinforcement is given after a varying amount of time, resulting in steady responses.

Token Economy

A behavioral strategy where individuals earn tokens for desired behaviors, which can later be exchanged for various rewards, applying operant conditioning principles.

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Test your understanding of key concepts in associative learning from AP Psychology. This set of flashcards covers essential terminology such as learning, associative learning, and classical conditioning. Enhance your knowledge and prepare for exams with this engaging study tool.