Associative Learning

The creation of a pairing, or association, either between two stimuli or between a behavior and a
response
Classical Conditioning
A type of associative learning that takes advantage of biological, instinctual responses to create
associations between two unrelated stimuli
Unconditioned Stimulus
Stimulus which produces a response from the subject naturally, or without conditioning
Unconditioned Response
An involuntary and natural reaction to a stimulus
Conditioned Stimulus
A normally neutral stimulus that, through association, now causes a reflexive response
Conditioned Response
A newly formed reaction to a once unassociated stimulus
Neutral Stimuli
Any stimulus that produces no conditioned response prior to learning
Acquisition
The pairing of a conditioned stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus
Operant Conditioning
Links voluntary behaviors with consequences in an effort to alter the frequency of those behaviors
Reinforcement
The process of increasing the likelihood that an individual will perform a behavior
Positive Reinforcement
Adds a stimulus to continue a behavior
Negative Reinforcement
Removes a stimulus to continue a behavior
Punishment
Uses conditioning to reduce the occurrence of a behavior
Positive Punishment
Adds a stimulus to reduce a behavior
Negative Punishment
Removes a stimulus to reduce a behavior
Discriminative Stimulus
A stimulus that exerts control over a particular form of behavior; the subject discriminates between
closely related stimuli and elicits a specific behavior more frequently or less frequently only in the
presence of that stimulus
Habituation
An organism decreases or ceases its responses to a stimulus after repeated presentations
Dishabituation
The recovery of a response to a stimulus after habituation has occurred
Sensitization
Occurs when a repeated administration of a stimulus results in the progressive amplification of a
response
Desensitization
Diminished emotional responsiveness to a negative, aversive or positive stimulus after repeated
exposure to it
Generalization
Occurs when a stimulus similar enough to the conditioned stimulus can also produce the conditioned
response
Discrimination
Distinguishing between two similar stimuli
Extinction
A process by which a response that has been learned is weakened by the absence or removal of
reinforcement
Spontaneous Recovery
The recovery of a conditioned response after extinction
Extinction Burst
A sudden and temporary increase in the response's frequency, followed by the eventual decline and
extinction of the behavior targeted for elimination
Aversive Conditioning
Exposure to an unpleasant stimulus while engaging in the targeted behavior, the goal being to create an
aversion to it
Escape
The role of the behavior is to reduce the unpleasantness of something that already exists
Avoidance
Meant to prevent the unpleasantness of something that has yet to happen
Taste Aversion
Occurs when an animal associates the taste of a certain food with symptoms caused by a toxic, spoiled,
or poisonous substance
Systematic Desensitization
A form of treatment or therapy for phobias, fears, and aversions that people have through
counterconditioning
Counterconditioning
A type of therapy based on the principles of classical conditioning that attempts to replace bad or
unpleasant emotional responses to a stimulus with more pleasant, adaptive responses
Primary Reinforcers
Anything that provides reinforcement without the need for learning to an organism
Secondary Reinforcers
A stimulus that reinforces a behavior after it has been associated with a primary reinforcer
Token Economy
A system of contingency management based on the systematic reinforcement of target behavior. The
reinforcers are symbols or "tokens" that can be exchanged for other reinforcers and is based on the
principles of operant conditioning and behavioral economics
Instinctual Drift
The animal no longer performs the behaviors it has been taught, but goes back to behaviors that are in
its nature
Shaping
A method of training by which successive approximations toward a target behavior are reinforced
Reinforcement Schedules
Determine how and when a behavior will be followed by a reinforcer
Fixed-Ratio
Reinforce a behavior after a specific number of performances of that behavior
Continuous Reinforcement
A fixed-ratio schedule in which the behavior is rewarded every time it is performed
Fixed-Interval
Reinforce the first instance of a behavior after a specified time period has elapsed
Variable-Ratio
Reinforce a behavior after a varying number of performances of that behavior
Variable-Interval
Reinforce the first instance of a behavior after a varying time period has elapsed
Latent Learning
Learning that occurs without a reward but that is spontaneously demonstrated once a reward is
introduced
Observational Learning
The process of learning a new behavior or gaining information by watching others
Insight Learning
Occurs when people recognize relationships that can help them solve new problems