Learning part 3 Flashcards

Question

What is Trace Conditioning

Answer 1

CS stops before the US appears. Requires memory to form an association. 🎯 Example: Hearing a school bell but lunch isn’t served for a few minutes.

Answer 2

CS lasts a long time before the US appears. Weaker learning because of the long delay. 🎯 Example: Waiting a long time before getting a pop quiz after an announcement.

Answer 3

CS and US happen at the same time. Weak learning because there's no prediction involved. 🎯 Example: If fireworks explode at the same time as the flash, you don’t get a chance to expect the explosion from the flash.

Answer 4

US happens before the CS. Very weak learning because the CS doesn’t predict anything. 🎯 Example: Giving a dog food first and then ringing a bell.

Answer 5

💡 Fact: Control groups are used to make sure learning is happening because of conditioning and not by chance.

Answer 6

Control groups help scientists check if learning is real or just a random response. Sometimes, a stimulus (like food) naturally increases arousal, making an animal respond more to a neutral cue without actual learning—this is called sensitization. Sensitization is NOT real conditioning because no association is formed between the CS and US. 🚀 Key Idea: Control groups separate real learning from other effects like arousal or random responses.

Answer 7

Short-delay conditioning is the most effective for learning fear responses. The subject learns the CS predicts the US, so it can prepare. Short-delay works best (e.g., a tone before a shock makes animals freeze) In simunta: Example: If a dog hears a bell and sees food at the same time, it doesn’t need to associate them—it just reacts to the food. 📌 Why is it ineffective? The CS does not predict the US, so the brain doesn’t form a strong association. 🚀 Special Case in Fear Conditioning: Instead of freezing, subjects tend to try to escape or flee in simultaneous fear conditioning.

Answer 8

The closer the timing between CS and US, the stronger the learning.

Answer 9

The best method depends on what’s being learned: ✅ Fear Conditioning → Short-delay works best (e.g., a tone before a shock makes animals freeze). ✅ Memory-Based Learning → Trace conditioning works (e.g., remembering where you parked your car). ✅ General Conditioning → Short-delay and trace conditioning work well.

Answer 10

A form of classical conditioning where a stimulus signals that an expected event (US) will NOT happen. Example: Feeling Safe Around a Friend 💡 Example: If a bully only bothers you when your friend isn’t around, you learn that your friend’s presence means safety.

Answer 11

Example 1: "Closed" or "No Entry" Signs When we see an "Open" sign, we expect to enter a place. But when we see "Closed," we know we cannot enter—our past learning makes us inhibit our usual response of trying to go in. 🔹 Example 2: "Out of Petrol" at a Gas Station We expect gas stations to have petrol. Seeing an "Out of Petrol" sign only makes sense if we first expected petrol to be available. If we didn’t already associate petrol stations with petrol, the sign wouldn’t mean anything to us. 🚀 Key Idea: Inhibitory learning is only meaningful if there was a prior expectation for the event to occur. The "Closed" or "Out of Petrol" signs act as CS⁻ (inhibitory stimuli). They don’t just appear randomly—they make sense because we’ve learned what to expect from those situations. Inhibitory conditioning only works if the CS (e.g., a sign) was previously associated with the presence of the US (e.g., petrol, an open store). 📌 Example: If you saw an "Out of Petrol" sign at a bakery, it wouldn’t make sense because you never expected petrol there in the first place.

Answer 12

Red Light & Police Officer 💡 Example: A red light means stop (CS⁺), but if a police officer signals you to go (CS⁻), you ignore the red light. The police officer’s signal (CS⁻) tells you that the usual danger (US) is NOT happening. 👉 The red light = stop (CS⁺), 👉 The officer = safety (CS⁻) because danger is absent. 🚀 Key Idea: Our brains use inhibitory learning to know when it’s safe to ignore a normal warning sign.

Answer 13

Dogs learned that a light meant food would NOT come, so they stopped salivating when the light was on. A dog hears a bell (CS+) and sees a light (CS-) together. Normally, the bell means food is coming, but whenever the light is on, food does NOT appear. Eventually, the dog learns that the light means “no food,” even if the bell rings. 📌 Key Idea: The presence of CS- cancels out the expectation created by CS+.

Answer 14

A CS⁺ predicts an event, but a CS⁻ signals that the event will NOT happen. 🎯 Example: A substitute teacher (CS⁻) means no strict rules compared to the regular teacher (CS⁺)

Answer 15

Bidirectional responses are behaviors that can naturally increase or decrease, making it easy to see both excitation and inhibition. Examples: Heart rate → Excitation increases heart rate, inhibition decreases it. Breathing rate → Excitation speeds up breathing, inhibition slows it down. Drinking behavior → Excitation increases drinking, inhibition reduces it. Why is inhibition easy to measure? Since these responses naturally move in two directions, inhibition is clearly seen when the response goes the opposite way from excitation.

Answer 16

Some behaviors don’t have a clear opposite, so inhibition doesn’t create a reverse effect—it just reduces or stops the response. Examples: Freezing in fear → An inhibitory CS doesn’t make the subject move more, it just freezes less. Blinking to a fearful stimulus → An inhibitory CS doesn’t make someone blink less than normal, it just stops extra blinking. Key Issue: Since we can’t measure an opposite reaction, scientists use indirect tests (like the Compound-Stimulus Test) to detect inhibition.

Answer 17

A CS⁻ occurs alone, signaling that the US is less likely to happen. 🎯 Example: A teacher being present (CS⁻) means no bullying will occur. Suppose an animal is given food (US) at random intervals. But every time a light (CS) turns on, no food appears. Over time, the animal learns that the light predicts the absence of food. The light becomes a conditioned inhibitor—a signal that prevents expectations of food.

Answer 18

If a CS⁻ predicts the absence of something, it should cancel out a CS⁺ that predicts it. Example in an Experiment: Rats hear a tone (CS⁺) → they freeze in fear because it predicts a shock. Rats hear a tone + a light (CS⁻) → they stop freezing. The light (CS⁻) cancels out the fear response! 🎯 Example: A flashlight cancels fear of the dark.

Answer 19

If a CS⁻ signals safety, it should take longer to turn it into a CS⁺ predicting danger. Example in an Experiment: A tone (CS⁻) was previously a safety signal. Later, it was paired with a shock (US). The rats took longer to learn fear because their brain already associated the tone with safety. 🎯 Example: If you always felt safe at your grandma’s house, it would take longer to associate it with fear, even if something bad happened there.

Answer 20

The study tested whether a conditioned inhibitor (X-) could reduce fear responses in rats. Fear was measured using a lick-suppression procedure (rats drink less when afraid). A+ (light + shock) created fear, while AX- (light + tone, no shock) created safety. If X- was a true inhibitor, it should reduce fear when paired with A or B

Answer 21

Rats froze less and drank more when X- (tone) was present. This confirmed X- acted as a safety signal, reducing fear. A control stimulus (Y) ensured the effect was due to learned inhibition, not novelty. Key Takeaway: Inhibitory conditioning can override fear, showing how safety cues reduce anxiety. The control tone (Y) did not have the same effect, confirming that inhibition was learned and not due to novelty

Answer 22

✔ The CS should be distinct (not weak or irrelevant). ✔ Timing matters (CS should happen just before US). ✔ Predictability (CS must consistently predict the US).

Answer 23

If the CS appears too early or too late, it won’t form a strong association with the US.

Answer 24

When a familiar CS is harder to associate with a US because the brain already ignores it. ✅ Example: If you’ve heard a ringtone every day, then try to link it to food, your brain ignores it because it already decided it’s unimportant.

Answer 25

If a stimulus has been repeatedly experienced without consequences, your brain filters it out. ✅ Example: If you pass by a bakery every day and never buy anything, it takes longer to associate the smell with hunger.

Answer 26

He notices small details that most people filter out, which makes him a better detective. ✅ Example: Most people ignore background noises, but Holmes pays attention to everything.

Answer 27

When a previously learned CS is used to condition a new CS, without the original US being present. ✅ Example: 1️⃣ A woman is pushed in a crowd (CS1) → Injury (US) → Fear (CR). 2️⃣ Crowds (CS1) now cause fear. 3️⃣ Later, she associates cinemas (CS2) with crowds (CS1). 4️⃣ Now, she fears cinemas (CS2), even though she was never injured there!

Answer 28

A harmless event (e.g., cinemas) can become feared because it is linked to a previously learned fear (e.g., crowds). ✅ Example: A child first fears a loud vacuum (CS1). Then, they see a toy vacuum (CS2) and start fearing that too! Kids love money because it buys them toys, candy, and fun things (CS1 → US). If a child’s uncle gives them money every time they visit, the uncle (CS2) becomes associated with positive emotions. Now, even when the uncle doesn’t give money, the child feels happy around him. 🔹 Lesson: Higher-order conditioning applies to both fears and positive emotions!

Answer 29

Higher-order conditioning: CS1 → CS2 → CR AFTER US is introduced. Sensory pre-conditioning: CS1 & CS2 are linked BEFORE any US is introduced. 1️⃣ You often eat cinnamon (CS1) and vanilla (CS2) together in desserts. 2️⃣ Your brain links them before anything bad happens. 3️⃣ One day, cinnamon (CS1) makes you sick (US) → Now you avoid cinnamon. 4️⃣ Even though vanilla (CS2) never made you sick, you avoid it too!

Answer 30

Your brain groups related things together, so if one becomes bad, the others seem bad too. ✅ Example: If you always listen to a song while driving and then get into a car crash, you might feel uneasy whenever you hear that song, even though the song itself wasn’t dangerous.

Answer 31

A: The nature of the unconditioned stimulus (US) determines the form of the CR. 🔹 Example: Food (US) → Causes salivation (UR), not an eye blink. Air puff to the eye (US) → Causes eye blink (UR), not salivation The CR depends on the type of US used in conditioning. 🔹 Example: When pigeons were given grain (US), they pecked with an open beak. When given water (US), they lowered their beak into the water and opened it to drink.

Answer 32

The CR resembles the UR. 🔹 Example: Food-predicting key (CS) → Fast pecking with an open beak. Water-predicting key (CS) → Slower pecking with a closed beak. 💡 Conclusion: The CR is shaped by the specific US it is associated with.

Answer 33

The nature of the CS also affects the CR. 🔹 Example: Food (US) normally causes biting and gnawing (UR). But when another rat was the CS, the CR was social behaviors like sniffing and approaching, not biting. 💡 Conclusion: The CS itself influences the form of the CR, not just the US.

Answer 34

S-R Learning: The CS directly triggers a CR (CS → CR). S-S Learning: The CS activates the memory of the US, which then triggers a CR (CS → US → CR). 🔹 Example: S-R: You hear a ringtone (CS) and automatically reach for your phone (CR). S-S: You hear a ringtone (CS), it reminds you of an important call (US), which makes you feel anxious (CR).

Answer 35

Blocking occurs when a previously learned CS (CS-A) prevents learning of a new CS (CS-B) because the US is no longer surprising. 🔹 Example: If you always hear a tone before food, your brain expects food. If a light appears with the tone, you ignore it, because the tone already predicts food. 💡 Key Idea: New learning happens when something unexpected occurs! If something is already predicted, your brain doesn’t bother learning a new association. 🔹 For new learning to happen, there must be a surprise! That’s why unexpected things—like a fire alarm suddenly going off—grab your attention and form strong memories.

Answer 36

Learning happens when there is a difference between what occurs (λ) and what is expected (V). 🔹 Mathematical Explanation: λ (Reality) = What actually happens (food arrives). V (Expectation) = What was expected (how much the CS predicts the US). (λ - V) = Surprise Factor (How much learning occurs). 🔹 Example: Early training: Big difference (food is unexpected) → Fast learning. Later trials: Expectation catches up to reality → Slower learning. 💡 Final Conclusion: The more surprising something is, the faster learning happens

Answer 37

Learning happens when the US is surprising (not expected). 🔹 Example: If you expect a small gift for your birthday but get a car, you’re very surprised! If you expect a big gift and get a big gift, there’s no surprise → No new learning.

Answer 38

At first, expectation (V) is low, so the difference between reality (λ) and expectation (V) is large → Fast learning. Over time, expectation (V) matches reality (λ) → No new learning. 🔹 Example: If a fire alarm randomly goes off, you pay attention (unexpected). If the fire alarm rings every day at 2 PM, you start ignoring it (expected). 💡 Once something becomes predictable, you stop paying attention to it.

Learning part 3 Flashcards

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