Chapter 10

Question 1

avoidance experiment by Vladimir Bechterev (1913)

Answer 1

subjects placed fingers on metal plate and began without instructions:

warning stimulus (light) signaled shock

subjects quickly learned to lift finger when light turned on (AVOIDANCE)

Question 2

US exposure depends upon subject’s behavior, an instrumental process, where the ________ is important

Answer 2

response

Question 3

discriminated avoidance procedure

Answer 3

trials begin with a CS (warning stim)

subject has 2 options:

1. respond (R) correctly before US (shock)
   - CS is turned off
   - US is omitted
   
   • this is AVOIDANCE
2. fail to respond to CS before US
   - CS remains on
   - US remains on until R
   
   • this is ESCAPE

Question 4

is escape or avoidance seen early in training?

Answer 4

escape as organism is still learning

goal is to (usually) maintain avoidance

Question 5

what does the two-process theory of avoidance explain in terms of reinforcement?

Answer 5

how avoidance doesn’t involve getting something and how it can still be reinforcing

Question 6

two-process theory of avoidance

Answer 6

process 1: classical conditioning
- CS + US in escape trials –> fear of the CS

process 2: instrumental conditioning (depends on process 1)
- response terminates CS (fear) in avoidance trials –> decrease CS by CR

thus, responding is reinforced by a tangible event, FEAR

Question 7

does learning need to happen in the first process of the two-process theory of avoidance?

Answer 7

NO, they have to learn fear of the CS but that’s it

Question 8

what part of the brain plays a central role in fear

Answer 8

the amygdala

Question 9

stimulating the amygdala _______ fear responding (and 3 examples)

Answer 9

increases; freezing, enhanced startle, and heart rate increase

Question 10

lesioning the amygdala _____ fear responding (and 3 examples)

Answer 10

decreases; approach predators, loss of conditioned fear, and inability to condition fear

Question 11

acquired drive experiment is an attempt to understand how…

Answer 11

original CS-US experience acquires drive for organism to respond; ultimately CS establishes fear

Question 12

brown and jacobs 1949 acquired drive experiment

Answer 12

training: shuttle door blocked
- experimental: 22 CS (tone) - US (shock) pairings
- control: CS, no shock

test: shuttle door opened
- CS presented w/o US (40 trials)

results:
- previous training reduced latency to shuttle to the CS alone
- ending a fear-conditioned CS s enough to reinforce avoidance

Question 13

acquired drive suggests the opposite of ________, as it shows how responding increases after no more US

Answer 13

extinction

Question 14

______ stimuli can maintain strength overtime (behavioral momentum theory)

Answer 14

aversive

Question 15

Kamin et al 1963 results

Answer 15

increased suppression in rats avoiding 1-9 consecutive shocks

with more training, suppression decreased (27)

fear decreased with more training independent of avoidance

Question 16

spot check:

in escape and avoidance, what drives responding?

Answer 16

fear! (of the CS)

Question 17

what happens when we go below the shock threshold?

Answer 17

this is when we get sloppy/stop paying attention and experience the US again

also know as REINSTATEMENT

Question 18

strength of avoidance may also ______

Answer 18

fluctuate

Question 19

can avoidance persist without reintroduction of the aversive event?

Answer 19

yes!

Question 20

persistence in avoidance

Answer 20

avoidance may continue after US is discontinued, as long as the response turns off the CS+

Question 21

what is the persistence in avoidance explained by?

Answer 21

conservation of fear

Question 22

conservation of fear

Answer 22

after learning avoidance, later parts of the CS are protected/maintain fear-provoking behavior from extinction even when US is removed

Question 23

what is the most effective procedure to confront maladaptive avoidance?

Answer 23

flooding

Question 23

can avoidance become maladaptive?

Answer 23

yes! examples: anxiety, phobias and commitment issues

Question 24

flooding procedure

Answer 24

CS is presented no US is presented (sounds like extinction!) subject is **prevented** from making avoidance response

Question 25

most important variable of floodng?

Answer 25

duration of forced CS exposure!

Question 26

the ______ the CS, the _____ trials to extinction

Answer 26

longer; fewer

Question 27

free operant avoidance

Answer 27

avoidance learned without an explicit CS+

Question 28

main difference of free operant vs. discriminative avoidance

Answer 28

free: implicit CS+ dis: explicit CS+

Question 29

free operant avoidance procedure

Answer 29

2 time intervals: - S-S (shock-shock): time between shocks in absence of response - R-S (response-shock): time of safety after a response responding can occur @ anytime over repeated exposure, time becomes an implicit CS+

Question 30

safety signal hypothesis

Answer 30

response feedback stimuli in the environment signal the absence of aversive stimulation these "safety signals" may become positive reinforcers ex. a "rough neighborhood" elicits fear, but elm st. may become positive reinforcer because it is safe!

Question 31

shock frequency hypothesis

Answer 31

avoidance of aversive stimuli is the critical determinant of responding subjects distribute behaviors to maximally decrease aversive stimuli (sounds like behavioral regulation theory/bliss point!)

Question 32

example of shock frequency hypothesis

Answer 32

having 4 classes at varying levels of difficulty and workload and need to choose the distribution of studying that decrease failing

Question 33

species-specific defense reactions (SSDR)

Answer 33

aversive stimuli elicit strong **unconditioned responses (instincts)** **environment** determines the response subjects cycle through SSDRs and are punished by choosing incorrectly (this is the learning portion!)

Question 34

predator imminence theory

Answer 34

the likelihood of predator appearance, detection and contact determine avoidance behavior like SSDR, US are determinants of responding **does not** postulate a role for punishment like SSDR (**no learning required**)

Question 35

punishment vs. avoidance

Answer 35

p - attention-provoking to decrease responding a - limited awareness to increase responding

Question 36

t/f: punishment is the most studied out of the 4 approaches in the golden square

Answer 36

False; least well studied

Question 37

punishment procedure

Answer 37

presentation of an aversive stimulus after a specified response

Question 38

is a time-out punishment or omission training?

Answer 38

omission training!

Question 39

characteristics of the _______ stimulus in punishment determine its effectiveness

Answer 39

aversive

Question 40

______ intensity = increase suppression of behavior

Answer 40

increase

Question 41

increase duration = __________ suppression of behavior

Answer 41

increase

Question 42

t/f: the order of the stimulus exposure in punishment is important

Answer 42

true!

Question 43

most effective order of presentation for stimulus exposure in punishment (and what does this suggest)

Answer 43

high intensity before low intensity most effectively suppresses behavior suggests that our penal system is doing it wrong!

Question 44

what are the definitions of contingency and contiguity in relation to punishment?

Answer 44

contingency: instrumental responses are more easily modifies by punishment contiguity: delays in punishment may render it ineffective

Question 45

availability of _________ determines punishment effectiveness (example)

Answer 45

alternatives; if a dog gets punished for chewing on shoes but has nothing else to chew on the punishment won't be effective

Question 46

offering alternative responses with punishment _______ suppression of the targeted behavior (example)

Answer 46

hastens; punishing a dog for chewing on a shoe while also providing a new dog toy to chew on

Question 47

discriminative punishment and example

Answer 47

responding is punished in the presence of a discriminative stimulus, but not when that stimulus is absent (know when/times you will/won't be punished) ex) speed traps, you speed but know when to slow down where a cop usually sits so you avoid a speeding ticket

Question 48

we are built to ________ when punishment (Sdp) is likely to occur

Answer 48

discriminate

Question 49

attention can serve as a strong ________ reinforcement

Answer 49

positive

Question 50

if a child tends to seek attention, ________ may serve as the attention they are seeking

Answer 50

punishment

Question 51

conditioned emotional response theory (give an example)

Answer 51

punishment suppresses behavior by conditioning **pre-response cues** with fear reactions incompatible with the targeted response ex) electric dog fence: cues in the yard will elicit fear and freezing incompatible with escape

Question 52

avoidance theory of punishment (give an example)

Answer 52

organisms learn to find a way around punishment by **responding with avoidance behaviors** that are incompatible with the punished response punishment actually strengthens avoidance responding ex) punish under-aged drinking AND provide the "lockdown" prom night

Question 53

5 misuses of punishment

Answer 53

1. first punishment is low intensity 2. often intermittent (not applied every time) 3. usually delayed (lack contiguity) 4. clear discriminative stimuli are present (know when to get away with things) 5. punishment may be a source of attention