Habituation and sensitisation Flashcards
(28 cards)
Name the ways that reflex behaviour changes (4)
Response becomes more/less vigorous, eliciting stimulus can become more/less likely to elicit a response, response can more/less effectively produce an outcome, stimulus can elicit a new respone
Why does reflex behaviour change? (4)
Bodily injury/muscle fatigue, increases/decreases in physical strength, internal state/mood, learning as a result of experience
List the 2 ways that organisms learn not to respond to stimuli
Nothing will be gained by responding, when it loses something e.g. time and money
How can you determine whether decline in vigour is sue to learning or fatigue?
Wait for fatigue to wear off and then test to see if behaviour change persists (train-rest-retest protocol)
Explain the 2 outcomes of the train-rest-retest protocol
Retention test where response vigour is restored or not restored
If habituation has occurred during the train-rest-retest protocol, what does this mean decline is due to?
Habituation present = learning, no habituation = fatigue
Describe the acoustic startle reflex
Rat jumps in response to loud and brief noise. Force exerted by rat is measured by instrumental noise, startle amplitude declines each day
Does learning wear off?
No, has permanent changes
Which reflex cannot be habituated?
Learning not to respond to a stimulus vestibular-ocular reflex cannot be habituated
Describe reflex habituation
A learning process that leads to reduced responsiveness of a reflex as a result of repeatedly eliciting the response
What is short-term habituation?
Learning process that effects last for less than an hour and can be established during one session on a single day
Define dishabituation
Undoing habituation effect by the presentation of an intense, aversive stimulus.
What is meant by behaviour potential?
Performances after the experience are different than before
Accidental experience is when…
Experiences are consequences of being in a particular place at a particular time
What is deliberate experience?
Deliberately doing something as to experience the doing of it, thinking the experience will enable you to perform better
List the factors that change behaviour (5)
Performance, fatigue, alertness, motivation, fitness/strength
Define synaptic depression
A reduction of synaptic strength
Explain decline in vigour with repeated elicitation
Can be due to learning, fatigue and boredom wear off.
What are habituation and sensitisation examples of?
Non-associative learning
Define reflex threshold
Lowest strength of eliciting stimulus capable of a reflex
What does sensitisation increase?
Sensitisation increases responsiveness
What is meant by synaptic facilitation?
Increase in strength of synaptic connections
List the 3 reasons decline isn’t due to habituation
Decline only observed when standing, short intervals, decline not reserved by presentation of a short sequence of aversive stimuli
Explain the gill withdrawal reflex in Aplysia
Stimulation of gill which elicits withdrawal.
