AP Psychology Unit 6 Vocab

Learning Concepts

• Learning is a lasting change in behavior resulting from experience.
• Habituation refers to a decrease in response to a stimulus after repeated exposure.
• Associative learning involves linking events, whether it's two stimuli or a response to its consequences.

Classical Conditioning

• Classical conditioning links multiple stimuli and allows anticipation of events.
• Unconditioned stimulus (US) triggers an automatic response, while the unconditioned response (UR) is the natural reaction to the US.
• Conditioned stimulus (CS) is initially neutral but becomes associated with the US, leading to a conditioned response (CR).
• Acquisition is the initial learning phase where a neutral stimulus and US are paired, leading to the CR.

Conditioning Processes

• Higher-order conditioning involves pairing a neutral stimulus with a previously conditioned stimulus to create a second conditioned stimulus.
• Extinction occurs when the US no longer follows the CS, weakening the conditioned response.
• Spontaneous recovery is the reappearance of an extinguished CR after a pause.

Generalization and Discrimination

• Generalization is the tendency to respond similarly to stimuli that are similar to the conditioned stimulus.
• Discrimination is the learned ability to differentiate between the conditioned stimulus and other stimuli that do not signal a US.

Behavior Types

• Respondent behavior is an automatic reaction to a stimulus.
• Operant conditioning strengthens behaviors through reinforcement or weakens them via punishment.

Key Theories in Operant Conditioning

• Learned helplessness is the state of passivity in animals or humans that occurs when they cannot escape aversive situations.
• Operant behavior actively operates on the environment to produce effects.
• The law of effect posits that favorable consequences increase behavior likelihood, while unfavorable consequences decrease it.

Research Tools and Techniques

• The operant chamber (Skinner box) is a device used to measure the frequency of operant behaviors by providing reinforcers.
• Shaping involves guiding behavior towards the desired outcome through successive approximations.
• Discriminative stimuli signal the potential for reinforcement, prompting specific responses.

Reinforcement and Its Effects

• A reinforcer is any event that enhances the behavior it follows.
• Positive reinforcement boosts behaviors by presenting desirable outcomes.

Test your knowledge with these flashcards for Unit 6 vocabulary in AP Psychology. This quiz covers key terms like learning, habituation, and associative learning, essential for understanding the principles of psychology. It's a great way to prepare for exams and reinforce your learning.