Association
Definition
In psychology, association refers to any connection between thoughts, feelings, or experiences that leads one to recall another. It's often used in learning theories such as classical conditioning and operant conditioning.
Analogy
Association can be thought of like connecting dots on paper. If dot A reminds you of dot B, then you've made an association. For example, if smelling fresh baked cookies (dot A) reminds you of your grandmother's house (dot B), that's an association.
Related terms
Classical Conditioning: A learning process in which two stimuli are repeatedly paired; a response that is at first elicited by the second stimulus is eventually elicited by the first stimulus alone.
Operant Conditioning: A type of learning where behavior is controlled by consequences. Key concepts in operant conditioning are positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment and negative punishment.
Cognitive Psychology: The scientific study of mental processes such as "attention, language use, memory, perception, problem solving, creativity and thinking."
"Association" appears in:
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Practice Questions (3)
Which type of statistical analysis would be most appropriate for determining if there's an association between two variables?
In classical conditioning, what is known as the initial stage when an association between a neutral stimulus and an unconditioned stimulus takes place?
What could result in a person recalling seeing a nonexistent item on a list due to its association with listed items?
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