Lecture 6: Avoidance Learning Flashcards
(23 cards)
Direct response to aversive outcome is not necessary for the development of avoidance. Emotional state is the critical outcome.
Observational learning
Behavior is motivated and maintained by _____________
Fear
Rituals are used to ward off unpleasant events. Individuals experiences negative thoughts, which causesanxiety
Superstitious outcome
What are some examples of superstitious outcome?
- Empty pill jars
- Lucky item of clothing
- Routines or sayings
what are the treatments for avoidance
- Flooding
2. Systematic desensitization
What are the 4 problems with exposure therapy?
- Change in context
- Pavlovian conditioning inhibition of fear
- Safety signals protect warning signals from extinction
- Relapse
What are the two types of response in negative reinforcement
- Escape
2. Avoidance
This is involved when something is not happening
Avoidance
When avoidance behaviour (R) leads to reduction of fear (RFT)
Instrumental conditioning
What does two-process theory assumes
- Avoidance behaviour is maintained by classical and instrumental conditioning
- Classical (fear) conditioning must come first
- Treats avoidance as escape from a tangible event and disregards the (absent) shock itself.
Basically it assumes that avoidance is motivated and maintained by fear
What can develop without warning signal
Avoidance
What species-specific defense reactions are easier to condition
Natural fear responses
What safety signals from aversive outcomes
What are the 3 safety signals in avoidance?
- Offset of the warning signal
- Stimulus associated with escape ( e.g. Doorway)
- The avoidance response itself
What does safety signals in avoidance do
- Improve acquisition of avoidance
- Maintain avoidance in the absence of overt fear
- Protect warning signals from extinction
What are the two cognitive theory of avoidance of Seligman & Johnston (1973)
- A preference for no outcome over outcome
2. An expectancy that response leads to no outcome and no response leads to outcome
What are the evidence that aversive outcome is not necessary for the development of avoidance
- Observational learning in monkeys
- Development of phobias
3, perceived threat is sufficient
What is the critical outcome in observational learning
Emotional state (fear and anxiety)
What do you call the rituals or objects that people ward off
Superstitious avoidance
What is the hardest thing to extinguish
Vigilant performance of ritual
Why is vigilant performance of ritual hard to extinguish
- Less opportunity to observe the real consequence of the eliciting stimulus (I.e. Stimulus - no aversive outcome)
- Ritual protects stimulus from extinction
What protects a stimulus from extinction
Rituals
What is a form of behaviour therapy that is based on the principles of respondent conditioning. is used to treat phobias and anxiety disorders
Flooding
What is a behaviour type therapy that is based on the principle of classical conditioning. This removes the fear response of a phobia and substitute a relaxing response to the conditional stimulus using counter conditioning
Systematic desensitization
