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PSY2012EXAM2

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Question
Answer
stimuli   energies from the world around us that affect us in some way  
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receptors   specialized cells that convert environmental energies into signals for the nervous system  
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electromagnetic spectrum   the continuum of all the frequencies of radiated energy  
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pupil   adjustable opening in the eye  
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iris   the colored structure on the surface of the eye surrounding the pupil  
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retina   a layer of visual receptors covering the back surface of the eyeball  
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cornea   a rigid transparent structure on the outer surface of the eyeball  
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lens   a flexible structure that can vary in thickness  
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accomodate   to adjust its focus for objects at different distances  
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fovea   the central area of the human retina  
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vitreous humor   light passes through this clear jelly-like substance after passing through the pupil  
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cones   adapted for color vision, daytime vision, and detailed vision  
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rods   adapted for vision in dim light  
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dark adaption   gradual improvement in the ability to see in dim light  
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ganglion cells   neurons that receive their input from the bipolar cells  
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optic nerve   the axons from the ganglion cells join to form this  
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blind spot   the area of the retina through which the optic nerve exits  
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opponent process theory   We perceive color in terms of paired opposites- red versus green, yellow versus blue, and white versus black.  
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negative afterimages   experiences of one color after the removal of another  
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color constancy   tendency of an object to appear nearly the same color under a variety of lighting conditions  
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retinex theory   we perceive color when the cerebral cortex compares various retinal patterns  
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trichromatic theory   a.k.a. Young-Helmholtz theory; states that our receptors respond to three primary colors: blue, green, and red  
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sensation   the conversion of energy from the environment into a pattern of response by the nervous system  
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perception   the interpretation of sensation information  
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sound waves   vibrations of the air or of another medium  
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pitch   perception closely related to frequency  
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loudness   perception that depends on the amplitude of sound waves  
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cochlea   fluid-filled canals of the snail-shaped organ that contains the receptors for hearing  
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conduction deafness   results when the bones connected to the eardrum fail to transmit sound waves properly to the cochlea  
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hertz (Hz)   the number vibrations (cycles) per second  
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frequency principle   a sound wave through the fluid of the cochlea vibrates all the hair cells, which produce action potentials in synchrony with the sound waves  
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volley principle   groups of hair cells respond to each vibration by producing an action potential  
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place principle   the highest frequency sounds vibrate hair cells near the stirrup end, and lower frequency sounds vibrate hair cells at points farther along the membrane  
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vestibular sense   detects the tilt of the head, acceleration of the head, and orientation of the head with respect to gravity  
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semicircular canals   lined with hair cells and filled with a jellylike substance  
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otolith organs   report the direction of gravity and excite different sets of hair cells  
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cutaneous senses   skin senses (a.k.a. somatosensory system)  
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histamine   chemical released by tissues recovering from an injury or reacting to a mosquito bite  
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anterior cingulate cortex   brain area responsive to the emotional aspect  
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gate theory   the idea that pain messages must pass through a gate, presumably in the spinal cord, that can block the messages  
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substance P   neurotransmitter released by intense pain  
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endorphins   neurotransmitters that inhibit the release of substance P and thereby weaken pain sensations  
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capsaicin   stimulates receptors that respond to painful heat  
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phantom limb   continuing sensations, including pain, in a limb long after it has been amputated  
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taste   detects chemicals on the tongue, governs eating and drinking  
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taste buds   located on the folds on the surface of the tongue  
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olfaction   sense of smell  
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pheromones   chemicals mammals release into the environment  
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synesthesia   condition in which a stimulus of one type, such as sound, also elicits another experience, such as color  
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vomeronasal organ   set of receptors near, but separate from, the standard olfactory receptors  
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just noticeable difference (JND)   the smallest difference that people could detect between one stimulus and another  
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absolute sensory threshold   the intensity at which a given individual detects a stimulus 50% of the time  
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"hit"   reporting the presence of a stimulus  
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"correct rejection"   reporting the absence of a stimulus  
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"miss"   failing to detect a stimulus that was present  
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"false alarm"   reporting a stimulus when none was present  
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signal-detection theory   the study of people's tendencies to make hits, correct rejections, misses, and false alarms  
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subliminal perception   the idea that stimuli sometimes influence our behavior even when they are presented so faintly or briefly that we do not perceive them consciously  
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brightness contrast   the increase or decrease in an object's apparent brightness by comparison to objects around it  
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feature detectors   specialized neurons in the visual cortex that respond to the presence of simple features, such as lines and angles  
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Gestalt psychology   field that focuses on our ability to perceive overall patterns (suggest feature detectors are not enough)  
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bottum-up process   tiny elements combine to produce larger items  
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top-down process   applying all experience and expectations to interpret what each item must be in context  
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figure and ground   object from the background  
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reversible figures   stimuli that can be perceived in more than one way  
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proximity   tendency to perceive objects that are close together as belonging to a group  
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similarity   tendency to perceive objects that resemble each other as a group  
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continuation   filling in of the gaps  
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closure   imagining the rest of the figure  
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common fate   perceiving objects as part of the same group if they change or move in similar ways at the same time  
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good figure   simple, familiar, symmetrical figure  
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visual constancy   tendency to perceive objects as keeping their shape, size, and color, despite certain distortions in the light pattern reaching our retinas  
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induced movements   incorrectly perceive the object as moving against a stationary background (apparent movement)  
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stroboscopic movement   illusion of movement created by a rapid succession of stationary images  
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depth-perception   perception of distance (depending on several factors)  
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retinal disparity   the difference in the apparent position of an object as seen by the left and right retinas  
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convergence   degree to which they turn into focus on a close object  
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binocular cues   depend on both eyes  
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monocular cues   enable someone to judge depth and distance with just one eye  
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motion parallax   the difference in speed of movement of images across the retina as you travel  
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optical illusion   misinterpretation of a visual stimulus  
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moon illusion   the moon at the horizon appears about 30% larger than it appears when it is higher in the sky  
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chromosomes   strands of hereditary material  
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genes   sections along each chromosome that control the chemical reactions that direct development  
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dominant   a single copy of the gene is sufficient to produce its effect  
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recessive   effects appear only if the dominant gene is absent  
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sex chromosomes   determine whether an individual develops as a male or as a female  
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sex-linked genes (x-linked genes)   genes located on the x-chromosome  
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sex-limited gene   occurs equally in both sexes but exerts its effects mainly or entirely in one or the other  
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heritability   an estimate of the variance within a population that is due to heredity [ranges from 1-0]  
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multiplier effect   a small initial advantage in some behavior, possibly genetic in origin, alters the environment and magnifies that advantage  
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monozygotic twins   develop from a single-fertilized egg and therefore have identical genes [same sex only]  
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dizygotic twins   develop from two eggs and share only half their genes [like brothers and sisters do]  
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interaction   an instance in which the effect of one variable depends on some other variable  
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temperament   the tendency to be active or inactive, outgoing or reserved, and to respond vigorously or quietly to new stimuli  
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Phenylketonuria (PKU)   inherited condition that, if untreated, leads to mental retardation  
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phenylalanine   common constituent of proteins  
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zygote   fertilized egg cell  
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fetus   about 8 weeks after conception  
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fetal alcohol syndrome   a condition marked by stunted growth of the face head and body; malformations of the face, heart, and ears; and nervous system damage, including seizures, hyperactivity, learning disabilities, and mental retardation  
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habituation   decreased response to a repeated stimulus  
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dishabituation   when a change in a stimulus increases a previously habituated response  
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cross-sectional study   compares groups of individuals of different ages at the same time  
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longitudinal study   follows a single group of individuals as they develop  
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selective attrition   the tendency for certain kinds of people to drop our of a study  
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sequential designs   researchers start with groups of people of different ages, studied at the same time, and then study them again at one or more later times  
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cohort   a group of people born at a particular time or a group of people who enter an organization at a particular time  
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schema   an organized way of interacting with objects  
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assimilation   applying an old schema to new objects or problems  
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accommodation   modifying an old schema to fit a new object or problem  
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equilibration   the establishment of harmony or balance between assimilation and accommodation  
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sensorimotor stage   birth - 2 years  
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preoperational stage   2 years - 7 years  
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concrete operations stage   7 years - 11 years  
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formal operations stage   11 years onward  
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object permanence   the idea that objects continue to exist even when we do not see or hear them  
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operations   reversible mental processes  
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egocentric   the child sees the world as centered around himself/herself and cannot easily take another person's perspective  
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theory of mind   an understanding that other people have a mind, too, and that each person knows some things that other people don't know  
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conservation   understand that objects conserve such properties as number, length, volume, area, and mass after changes in the shape or arrangement  
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stage of formal operations   mental processes that deal with abstract, hypothetical situations; demand logical, deductive reasoning and systematic planning  
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zone of proximal development   distance between what a child can do alone and what he can do with help  
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attachment   a long term feeling of closeness toward another person  
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identity crisis   when an adolescent is concerned with decisions about the future and the quest for self-understanding  
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identity diffusion   those who have not yet given any serious thought to making any decisions and who have no clear sense of identity  
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identity moratorium   considering the issues but not yet making decisions  
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identity foreclosure   a state of reaching firm decisions without much thought  
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identity achievement   outcome of having explored various possible identities and then making one's own decisions  
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midlife transition   a time when they reassess their personal goals, set new ones, and prepare for the rest of life  
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terror-management theory   use cope with our fear of death by avoiding thoughts about death, and by affirming a world view that provides self-esteem, hope, and value in life  
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sex roles   the different activities expected of males and females  
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androgyny   the ability to display both male and female characteristics  
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biculturalism   partial identification with two cultures  
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authoritative parents   parents who set high standards and impose controls, but are also warm and responsive to the child's communications  
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authoritarian parents   set firm controls, but tend to be emotionally more distant from the child  
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permissive parents   are warm and loving but undemanding  
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indifferent or uninvolved parents   spend little time with their children and do little more than provide them with food and shelter  
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behaviorist   insist that psychologists should study only observable, measurable behaviors, not mental processes  
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methodological behaviorists   study only the events that they can measure and observe  
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intervening variable   something that we cannot directly observe but that links a variety of procedures to a variety of possible responses  
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radical behaviorists   deny that hunger, fear, or other internal, private events cause behavior  
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stimulus-response psychology   the attempt to explain behavior in terms of how each stimulus triggers a response  
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unconditioned reflexes   between a stimulus such as food and a response such as secreting digestive juices  
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classical (Pavlovian) conditioning   the process by which an organism learns a new association between two stimuli-a neutral stimulus and one that already evokes a reflexive response  
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unconditioned stimulus (UCS)   an event that automatically elicits an unconditioned response  
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unconditioned response (UCR)   an action the the unconditioned stimulus elicits  
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conditioned stimulus (CS)   response to it depends on the preceding conditions  
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conditioned response (CR)   whatever response the conditioned stimulus begins to elicit as a result of the conditioning (training) procedure  
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acquisition   process that establishes or strengthens a conditioned response  
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extinction   to extinguish a classically conditioned response, repeatedly present the conditioned stimulus (CS) without the unconditioned stimulus (UCS)  
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stimulus generalization   extension of a conditioned response from the training stimulus to similar stimuli  
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spontaneous recovery   a temporary return of an extinguished response after a delay  
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discriminate   respond differently because the two stimuli predict different outcomes  
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drug tolerance   users of certain drugs experience progressively weaker effects after taking the drugs repeatedly  
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blocking effect   the previously established association to one stimulus blocks the formation of an association to the added stimulus  
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learning curve   a graph of the changes in behavior that occur over the course of learning  
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reinforcement   the process of increasing the future probability of the most recent response  
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operant (instrumental) conditioning   the process of changing behavior by providing a reinforcement after a response  
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visceral responses   responses of the internal organs  
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skeletal responses   movements of leg muscles, arm muscles, etc.  
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reinforcer   an event that follows a response and increases the later probability or frequency of the response  
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primary reinforcers   are reinforcing because of their own properties  
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secondary reinforcers   became reinforcing because of previous experiences  
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punishment   decreases the probability of a response  
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positive reinforcement   the presentation of an event that strengthens or increases the likelihood of a behavior  
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passive avoidance learning   the individual learns to avoid an outcome by being passive  
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negative reinforcement   a kind of reinforcement, and therefore, it increases the frequency of a behavior  
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reinforcement   absence of something  
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escape learning   if the response stops an outcome  
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avoidance learning   if it prevents the outcome altogether  
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negative punishment   punishment by avoiding something good  
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omission training   the omission of the response leads to restoration of the usual privileges  
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extinction   occurs if responses stop producing reinforcements  
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similar generalization   the more similar a new stimulus is to the original reinforced stimulus, the more likely is the same response  
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discrimination   yielding a response to one stimulus and not the other  
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discriminative stimulus   a stimulus that indicates which response is appropriate or inappropriate  
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stimulus control   the ability of a stimulus to encourage some responses and discourage others  
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shaping   establishing a new response by reinforcing successive approximations to it  
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chaining   reinforcing each behavior with the opportunity to engage in the next one  
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continuous reinforcement   provide reinforcement for every correct response  
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intermittent reinforcement   reinforcement for some responses and not for other  
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schedules of reinforcement   rules for the delivery of reinforcement  
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fixed-ratio schedule   provides reinforcement only after a certain number of correct responses  
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variable-ratio schedule   reinforcement occurs after a variable number of correct responses  
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fixed-interval schedule   provides reinforcement for the first response after a specific time interval  
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variable-interval schedule   reinforcement is available after a variable amount of time  
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applied behavior analysis (behavior modification)   a psychologist tries to remove the reinforcers for unwanted behaviors and provides reinforcers for more acceptable behaviors  
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preparedness   concept that evolution has prepared us to learn some associations more easily than others  
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conditioned taste aversion   associating a food with illness  
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sensitive period   early in first year of life where one learns most readily  
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social-learning approach   we learn about many behaviors by observing the behaviors of others  
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vicarious reinforcement (punishment)   substituting someone else's experience for your own  
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self-effacacy   the belief of being able to perform the task successfully  
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