Unit 4: Learning

AP Psychology: 61 practice questions with detailed explanations.

Unit Study Guide

Executive Summary

Unit 4 covers how experience changes behavior: classical and operant conditioning plus observational learning.

Classical conditioning (Pavlov)

A neutral stimulus (bell) paired with an unconditioned stimulus (food) becomes a conditioned stimulus that triggers a conditioned response (salivation). Key processes: acquisition, extinction, spontaneous recovery, generalization, and discrimination. Watson's Little Albert study demonstrated conditioned fear.

Operant conditioning (Skinner)

Behavior is shaped by consequences. Reinforcement increases behavior; punishment decreases it. Positive = adding a stimulus; negative = removing one. Schedules matter: fixed/variable and ratio/interval — variable-ratio (slot machines) produces the highest, most persistent responding. Shaping reinforces successive approximations.

Bandura's Bobo doll experiment showed children imitate observed aggression — observational learning. Latent learning (Tolman's cognitive maps) shows learning can occur without reinforcement. Insight learning solves problems suddenly.

Exam traps

Negative reinforcement is not punishment — it REMOVES something unpleasant to strengthen behavior. Classical conditioning links stimuli; operant conditioning links behavior and consequences. Extinction is not forgetting — it is new learning that suppresses the old association.

Top 5 Concepts to Master

1Label US, UR, CS, CR in Pavlovian scenarios.
2Distinguish positive/negative reinforcement from punishment.
3Rank reinforcement schedules by response persistence.
4Explain acquisition, extinction, and spontaneous recovery.
5Apply Bandura’s modeling to aggression and media effects.

Key Terms & Definitions

Practice with Flashcards

Unconditioned stimulus

Stimulus that naturally triggers a response.

Unconditioned response

Natural, unlearned reaction to a US.

Conditioned stimulus

Originally neutral stimulus that, after pairing, triggers a response.

Conditioned response

Learned response to a conditioned stimulus.

Acquisition

Initial learning of the association.

Extinction

Weakening of a conditioned response when the US stops following.

Spontaneous recovery

Reappearance of an extinguished response after a pause.

Generalization

Responding to stimuli similar to the conditioned stimulus.

Discrimination

Responding only to the specific conditioned stimulus.

Reinforcement

Consequence that increases a behavior.

Punishment

Consequence that decreases a behavior.

Shaping

Reinforcing successive approximations of a target behavior.

Variable-ratio schedule

Reinforcement after an unpredictable number of responses.

Observational learning

Learning by watching others (modeling).

Common Misconceptions: Exam Traps

Negative reinforcement is punishment.

Correct: Negative reinforcement removes something bad to INCREASE behavior; punishment decreases it.

Punishment is the best way to teach.

Correct: Punishment suppresses behavior temporarily and teaches avoidance; reinforcement builds lasting skills.

Extinction means the memory is erased.

Correct: The association remains; extinction lays new learning over it — hence spontaneous recovery.

Classical and operant conditioning are the same.

Correct: Classical links stimuli; operant links behavior to consequences.

Reinforcement schedules are just lab trivia.

Correct: They explain slot-machine addiction and why intermittent rewards persist.

Question Bank Breakdown

By difficulty

easy 23medium 25hard 13

By topic

Operant Conditioning 26Classical Conditioning 16Social and Cognitive Learning 7Introduction to Learning 3