AP Psychology Flashcards: Operant Conditioning
Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026
Review key ideas with interactive flashcards. This set includes 19 cards to help you master important concepts.
What is shaping?
The process of gradually rewarding successive approximations of a desired behavior until the final, complex behavior is achieved.
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What is shaping?
The process of gradually rewarding successive approximations of a desired behavior until the final, complex behavior is achieved.
What is negative reinforcement?
The removal of an undesirable consequence to increase the likelihood of a behavior.
What is the difference between positive and negative punishment?
Positive punishment adds an undesirable consequence to decrease a behavior, while negative punishment removes a desirable consequence to decrease a behavior.
What is a partial reinforcement schedule?
A schedule where a behavior is reinforced only some of the time, rather than every time it occurs.
What is operant conditioning?
A type of learning where behavior is controlled by consequences; it associates consequences like reinforcement or punishment with specific behaviors.
What is a fixed-ratio schedule?
A behavior-based partial reinforcement schedule where a response is reinforced only after a specified, unchanging number of responses.
What is positive reinforcement?
The addition of a desirable consequence to increase the likelihood of a behavior.
What is a continuous reinforcement schedule?
A schedule that delivers reinforcement for every single correct behavior that occurs.
What is a variable-interval schedule?
A time-based partial reinforcement schedule where a response is rewarded after an unpredictable amount of time has passed.
How does operant conditioning apply to mental processes?
It influences our expectations and decision-making by teaching us to associate our actions with specific outcomes, thereby shaping our future behavior.
What are 'successive approximations'?
The small, incremental steps toward a final desired behavior that are rewarded during the process of shaping.
What is a secondary reinforcer?
A stimulus that gains its reinforcing power through its learned association with a primary reinforcer (e.g., money).
What is a variable-ratio schedule?
A behavior-based partial reinforcement schedule where a response is reinforced after an unpredictable number of responses.
How does superstitious behavior develop through operant conditioning?
It can result when a reward is accidentally associated with a coincidental behavior, leading the organism to repeat the action believing it caused the reinforcement.
What is a primary reinforcer?
An innately satisfying stimulus, such as one that fulfills a biological need, that acts as a natural reinforcer.
What is the function of a reinforcement schedule?
It is a rule stating which instances of a behavior will be reinforced, and it determines the strength and persistence of the association between response and consequence.
What is the Law of Effect?
The principle that behaviors followed by favorable consequences become more likely, and behaviors followed by unfavorable consequences become less likely.
What is learned helplessness?
A state that can result from operant conditioning when an organism learns that its behaviors have no effect on consequences, leading it to give up trying.
What is a fixed-interval schedule?
A time-based partial reinforcement schedule where a response is rewarded only after a specified, unchanging amount of time has elapsed.