Classical and Operant Conditioning

Intro psych flashcards — Pavlovian conditioning, Skinnerian reinforcement, and core exam distinctions.

12 cards· by GuruOwl

Make a deck like this from your own PDF — free.

Try it
  1. 01
    What is classical conditioning?
    Learning by association: a neutral stimulus becomes conditioned after pairing with an unconditioned stimulus that elicits a reflex.
    classical
  2. 02
    In Pavlov’s experiment, what were the UCS, UCR, CS, and CR?
    UCS = food; UCR = salivation to food; CS = bell (after pairing); CR = salivation to bell.
    classical
  3. 03
    What is extinction in classical conditioning?
    The CR weakens when the CS is repeatedly presented without the UCS.
    classical
  4. 04
    What is spontaneous recovery?
    Reappearance of an extinguished CR after a rest period.
    classical
  5. 05
    What is operant conditioning?
    Learning in which behavior is strengthened or weakened by its consequences (reinforcement/punishment).
    operant
  6. 06
    What is positive reinforcement?
    Adding a desirable stimulus after a behavior to increase that behavior.
    operant
  7. 07
    What is negative reinforcement?
    Removing an aversive stimulus after a behavior to increase that behavior (not the same as punishment).
    operant
  8. 08
    What is positive punishment?
    Adding an aversive stimulus after a behavior to decrease that behavior.
    operant
  9. 09
    What is negative punishment?
    Removing a desirable stimulus after a behavior to decrease that behavior (e.g., time-out / response cost).
    operant
  10. 10
    What is shaping?
    Reinforcing successive approximations toward a target behavior.
    operant
  11. 11
    Continuous vs partial reinforcement — which resists extinction better?
    Partial (intermittent) reinforcement schedules produce behavior more resistant to extinction.
    schedules
  12. 12
    Key difference: classical vs operant conditioning?
    Classical associates stimuli (involuntary responses); operant associates voluntary behavior with consequences.
    comparison