Learning -A relatively long last lasting change in behavior resulting from experience

Habituation -An organism's decreasing response to a stimulus with repeated exposure to it

Classical Conditioning -A type of learning in which an organism comes to associate a neutral stimuli
with a stimuli that produce reflexive, voluntary responses. and will learn to respond similarly to the
new stimulus as they did to the old one. Also called Pavlovian or respondent conditioning.
Unconditioned Stimulus (US/UCS) -In classical conditioning, a stimulus that evokes an unconditioned
response without previous conditioning
Unconditioned Response (UR/UCR) -In classical conditioning, an unlearned response elicited by the
presentation of an unconditioned stimulus.
Conditioned Stimulus (CS) -A previously neutral stimulus that has, through conditioning, acquired the
capacity to evoke a conditioned response.
Conditioned Response -In classical conditioning, the learned response to a previously neutral (but now
conditioned) stimulus (CS).
Aquisition -In classical conditioning, the initial stage, when one links a neutral stimulus and an
unconditioned stimulus so that the neutral stimulus begins triggering the conditional response. In
operant conditioning, the strengthening of a reinforced response.
Delayed Conditioning -In Pavlovian conditioning, learning that takes place when the conditioned
stimulus is presented just before the unconditioned stimulus is presented and continues until the
organism begins responding to the unconditioned stimulus
Trace Conditioning -the presentation of the CS, followed by a short break, followed by the presentation
of the US
Simultaneous Conditioning -The UCS and CS are presented at the same time.
Backward Conditioning -CS presented after UCS; proven ineffective; accomplishes only inhibitory
conditioning, causes a harder time pairing CS with UCS later even with forward conditioning
Extinction -The process of unlearning a behavior
Spontaneous Recovery -Recurrence of an extinguished conditioned response, usually following a rest
period
Generalization -transfer of a response associated with one stimulus to a similar stimulus
Discrimination -In classical conditioning, the learned ability to distinguish between a conditioned
stimulus and stimuli that do not signal an unconditioned stimulus.
Aversive Conditioning -A type of counter-conditioning that associates an unpleasant state (such as
nausea) with an unwanted behavior (such as drinking alcohol)

Second-order/Higher-order Conditionng -Once a CS elicits a CR, the ability to use a CS as an US to

create a response to something else
Operant Conditioning -A type of learning in which behavior is strengthened if followed by a reinforcer
or diminished if followed by a punisher.
Law of Effect -Thorndike's Principle that behaviors followed by favorable consequences become more
likely, and that behaviors followed by unfavorable consequences become less likely. A.K.A.
Instrumental Learning
Operant Chamber -A chamber also known as a Skinner box, containing a bar or key that an animal can
manipulate to obtain a food or water reinforcer, with attached devices to record the animal's rate of bar
pressing or key pecking.
Reinforcer -In operant conditioning, any event that strengthens the behavior it follows.
Positive Reinforcement -Increasing behaviors through the addition of something pleasant such as food;
any stimulus that, when presented after a response, strengthens the response.
Negative Reinforcement -Increasing behaviors by stopping or reducing negative stimuli, such as shock;
any stimulus that, when removed after a response, strengthens the response. (Note: negative
reinforcement is not punishment.)
Escape Learning -An organism acquires a response that decreases or ends some aversive stimulation
(ex: a loud noise is stopped every time a rat presses a lever)
Avoidance Learning -Enables one to avoid an aversive stimulus altogether rather than just escape
Punishment -An event that decreases the behavior that it follows.
Positive Punishment -following an undesired response by adding an unpleasant stimulus to decrease the
likelihood of the behavior reoccuring
Negative Punishment -Decreasing behavior by stopping or reducing positive stimuli (A.K.A. Omission
Training)
Shaping -An operant conditioning procedure in which reinforcers guide behavior toward closer and
closer approximations of the desired behavior.
Chaining -A process in which subjects are taught to perform a number of responses successively in
order to get a reward.
Discriminative Stimulus -A specific stimulus in the presence of which a particular response is more
likely to be reinforced, and in the absence of which a particular response is not reinforced (only
performing an action when a stimulus is present).
Primary Reinforcers -Events that are inherently reinforcing because they satisfy biological needs
Secondary Reinforcers -Learned reinforcers that develop their reinforcing properties because of their

association with primary reinforcers (A.K.A. conditioned reinforcer).

Premack Principle -A principle that states that a preferred activity can be used to reinforce an activity
that is not preferred (ex: giving a child candy every time he/she does their homework).
Continuous Reinforcement -Reinforcing the desired response every time it occurs.
Partial Reinforcement -Only occasional reinforcement of a behavior, resulting in slower extinction than
if the behavior had been reinforced continually; also called Intermittent Reinforcement.
Fixed-Ratio Schedule -In operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response
only after a specified number of responses
Variable-Ratio Schedule -In operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response
after an unpredictable number of responses
Fixed-Interval Schedule -In operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a response
only after a specified time has elapsed
Variable-Interval Schedule -In operant conditioning, a reinforcement schedule that reinforces a
response at unpredictable time intervals
Instinctive Drift -Tendency for animals to return to innate behaviors following repeated reinforcement
Observational Learning -Learning by observing others. Also called social learning
Modeling -The process of observing and imitating a specific behavior
Latent Learning -Learning that occurs but is not apparent until there is an incentive to demonstrate it
Abstract Learning -involves understanding of concepts rather than learning simply to perform an action
in order to secure a reward
Mirror Neurons -Frontal lobe neurons that fire when performing certain actions or when observing
another doing so. The brain's mirroring of another's action may enable imitation, language learning, and
empathy