Learning and Conditioning

Question 1

What is classical conditioning?

Answer 1

• learning by association
  1. Acquisition
  2. Reinforcement
  3. Extinction
  4. Spontaneous recovery
  5. generalisation

Question 2

How does classical conditioning come about?

Answer 2

• A neutral stimulus e.g. sound
• gets conditioned response e.g. salivation
• bc it is paired with an unconditioned stimulus e.g. food
• previously neutral stimulus (sound) becomes a conditioned stimulus (associated with food)
• Like a reflex
  o EXAMPLE: Patient attending hospital for chemotherapy becomes nauseous on just entering hospital.

Question 3

How can you intervene in classical conditioning?

Answer 3

e. g. if arachnophobic
- gradual exposure
- small spiders
- then larger ones
- until confident with spiders

Question 4

What is operant conditioning?

Answer 4

• learning through consequences

Question 5

Give an example of operant conditioning:

Answer 5

• A bird in a box.
• when bird speaks it gets a seed through the chute
• when bird stops speaking, chute closes
• bird realises it needs to earn the seed by speeking
• this conditioning helps modify behaviour
• e.g. used in CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy)