Ch 1 Learning Flashcards
Classical conditioning (or Pavlovian or respondent conditioning) is
Learning through association. A form of learning in which animals come to respond to a previously neutral stimulus that had been paired with another stimulus that elicits an automatic response.
Describe how Pavlov’s experiment was designed
Pavlov paired the neutral stimulus (a metronome) again and again with an unconditioned stimulus (UCS). a stimulus that elicits an automatic—that is, a reflexive—response. In the case of Pavlov’s dogs, the UCS was the meat powder, and the automatic, reflexive response it elicits is the unconditioned response (UCR). For the dogs, the UCR was salivation. The key point is that the animal does not need to learn to respond to the UCS with the UCR: dogs naturally drool in response to food.As Pavlov repeatedly paired the CS and the UCS, he observed something remarkable. If he now presented the metronome alone, it elicited a response, namely salivation. This new response is the conditioned response (CR): a response previously associated with a non-neutral stimulus that comes to be elicited by a neutral stimulus. Lo and behold, learning has occurred. The metronome had become a conditioned stimulus (CS)— a previously neutral stimulus that comes to elicit a conditioned response as a result of its association with an unconditioned stimulus. The dog, which previously did nothing when it heard the metronome except perhaps turn its head towards it, now salivates when
it hears the metronome.
What is the CR?
CR is the conditioned response. For example in Pavlov’s experiment, the CR was the dog salivated when he hears the metronome.
What is the CS?
CS is the conditioned stimulus. In Pavlov’s experiment the CS was the metronome.
What is the UCS?
UCS is the unconditioned stimulus. In Pavlov’s experiment the UCS is the meat powder. Dogs will naturally react to meat powder by salivating.
What is the UCR?
UCR is the unconditioned response. It is a product of nature. In Pavlov’s experiment the UCR is the dog salivated from smell of the meat powder.
What are the three phases classical conditioning occurs in?
1) Acquisition 2) extinction 3) spontaneous recovery
What is acquisition?
In acquisition, we gradually learn—or acquire—the CR. As the CS and the UCS are paired over and over again, the CR increases progressively in strength. The steepness of this curve varies somewhat depending on how close together in time the CS and UCS are presented.
What is extinction?
The CR decreases in magnitude and eventually disappears when the CS is repeatedly presented alone—that is, without the UCS. After numerous presentations of the metronome without the meat power, Pavlov’s dogs eventually stopped salivating. Psychologists used to think this was forgetting but
What is spontaneous recovery?
Spontaneous recovery is a sudden re- emergence of an extinct conditioned response after a delay in exposure to the conditioned stimulu. A seemingly extinct CR reappears (often in a somewhat weaker form) if the CS is presented again. It is as though the CR were lurking in the background, waiting to appear following another presentation of the CS. In a classic study, Pavlov (1927) presented the CS (the tone from a metronome) alone again and again, and extinguished the CR (salivation) because there was no UCS (mouth-watering meat powder) following it. Two hours later, he presented the CS again and the CR returned. The animal had not really forgotten the CR, just suppressed it
What is a renewal effect?
Renewal effect is a sudden re-emergence of a conditioned response following extinction when an animal is returned to the environment in which the conditioned response was acquired.
What is stimulus generalisation?
Stimulus generalisation is a process by which conditioned stimuli similar, but not identical, to the original conditioned stimulus elicit a conditioned response.
What is stimulus discrimination?
Stimulus discrimination Displaying a less pronounced conditioned response to conditioned stimuli that differ from the original conditioned response. (watching a scary movie)
What is higher-order conditioning?
Higher-order conditioning is developing a conditioned response to a conditioned stimulus by virtue of its association with another conditioned response.
Pairing products with pleasurable stimuli succeeds in demonstrating classical conditioning effects - what field is this?
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