Rescola Wagner model of CC

Question 1

What are we looking at in the RW model of CC

Answer 1

The history of CC & how the rules came to be

Question 2

What are CER rules?

Answer 2

1:1 ratio
Never CS without US
ID competition and weaken
Order of event CS then US

Question 3

What do we have when applying CC in the real world?

Answer 3

Compound stimuli

Question 4

Which rules did we learn from RW model?

Answer 4

1:1 ratio
ID & weaken competing CS’s

Question 5

When was CC first studied bty Pavlov

Answer 5

1900’s

Question 6

When was RW model published

Answer 6

1972

Question 7

What was the belief in first half of 20th century?

Answer 7

Neutral + something very strong (e.g. food naturally makes animal salivate)
As long as they are close enough in time, and in the right order, you’ll get the animal salivating earlier in time - when they see the neutral stimuli

Question 8

What is the belief now in reference to cc??

Answer 8

Dogs have filters and are constantly gathering and categorising information from their environment.

There is a lot of learning & revision of their learning

I.e learning rather than just reflexes happening earlier

Question 9

What did the old model of cc say

Answer 9

1)All you need for conditioning to occur is contiguity i.e. close enough in time

2) The CR is a “mini me” UCR i.e clone

3) Neutral stimulus –> US Which elicits natural responses

4) All CS are created equal

Question 10

Which of the old model ideas have been revised?

Answer 10

All of them!

Question 11

How has the contiguity rule changed?

Answer 11

It’s more complex than just being close in time

Question 12

How has the CR being a clone changed

Answer 12

The UCR is more adaptive, it might look similar to the CR but not necessarily!

Question 13

How has the CS must be neutral rule changed??

Answer 13

Animals will catalogue and learn even if the CS isn’t neutral
The US may be learnt even if it doesn’t have a strong visual presentation.
Learning still happens

Question 14

How has the all CS’s are created equal rule changed?

Answer 14

This isn’t true! animals can discriminate between different neutral stimuli. They learn faster where there is a logical connection –> part to whole <–
e.g. pigeon does better if its a hexagon than a circle
e.g. rats getting ill he learns better if its a taste rather than a light

Question 15

Who are the descendants of RW

Answer 15

Nicholas Mackintosh
Van Hamme & Wasserman
Pearce & Hall

Question 16

What is the most studied phenomenon in all of psychology?

Answer 16

CC

Question 17

What Q did R&W ask?

Answer 17

What do animals learn during CC?
Is it just about contiguity & the response kicking in earlier?

Question 18

Does number of trials effect the strength of conditioning?

Answer 18

No, less trials is often more. What matters is contingency NOT contiguity:

Strict 1:1 ratio with good US and
Good inter trial interval

Question 19

What is an important contingency question in cc?

Answer 19

Does the CS provide information about the US?

The dog would be asking:
Is it important
How do I know when it’s coming

Question 20

what does the dog need in cc trials????

Answer 20

Good/reliable intel that IT is coming!
It is really important e.g. beef burger!

Question 21

What are the competing stimuli, usual suspects

Answer 21

Food delivery - treat bags, camera, pocket reaches, smell, crinkles, context, reaching for toy

Question 22

What will the dog do if there are enough reps

Answer 22

The best tip off!! ignore it at your peril!

Question 23

What does the RW theory say?

Answer 23

The biggest bang for buck - change in strength of conditioning - has diminishing returns over time. The biggest change (wt novel stimuli) is early on.

Question 24

What does negatively accelerated function mean?

Answer 24

The most significant change in conditioning strength is early on in the number of trials. the curve and level of change will decrease wt each additional trial. `

Question 25

What are the features of the RW & its successors?
4 points

Answer 25

1) It’s precise
2) It accounts accurately for numerous CC phenomena (e.g. treat bag is the tip off)
3) Allows for testable predictions
4) Richer conception of how CC helps animals learn about their world

Question 26

What is the hallmark of a good theory?

Answer 26

It has the seeds of its own falsification

Question 27

What does RW say about CR’S being clones of UCRs?

Answer 27

The CR is the animal preparing himself for the US, not a clone of the UCR

e.g., fear often includes freezing and bracing himself for the inevitable rather than just an action - or doing the thing earlier

Question 28

Learning vs performance

Answer 28

if we do conditioning trials of stimuli 1 to stimuli 2 where both are neutral [learning no performance]

Then we condition the second stimulus with a shock

What happens when we see the first neutral stimuli?

We prepare for shock! [performance]

Learning and performance are not the same

Question 29

What are the implications of the RW model for dog trainers

Answer 29

1) Salience is partly a function of novelty
2) Biggest bang for buck in early trials
3) Pre exposed CS’s are at a disadvantage
4) We usually don’t have the luxury of novel & surprising CS’s (we are often dealing with fear pre-exposure)
SO
1) get em young! don’t waste early opportunity

2) Get the contingency right so they re categorise the information they have already banked.

3) Use heavy artillery when you are behind the 8 ball.

Question 30

What’s the key in CC

Answer 30

Few trials = Massive payoff

Question 31

How do we weaken competition

Answer 31

Elimination trials
1) Get rid of competitions where you can
2) Weaken-reaching means nothing much
3) time shift - order if events you’re CS rides alone & comes first

Question 32

When do we have novel CS’s?

Answer 32

Pups!
don’t squander them!
….The first time …. foooooood!

Question 33

how do we define CS = nothing in pups

Answer 33

Tradegdy

Question 34

How do we define CS = bad in pups?

Answer 34

Catosphoric