Pioneering Concepts in Learning - Chapter 3: Pavlov

Flashcards covering key vocabulary, concepts, and experimental designs from the lecture on Ivan Pavlov and pioneering concepts in learning and classical conditioning.

Unconditional Reflex

In Pavlov's terms, a natural reflex, such as dogs naturally drooling when fed.

Conditional Reflex

A reflex created when an animal drools in response to a sight or sound that was associated with food by happenstance.

Classical Conditioning

A learning process described by Pavlov where a neutral stimulus becomes associated with an unconditioned stimulus, eventually eliciting a conditioned response.

Unconditional Stimulus (US)

In classical conditioning, a stimulus that naturally and automatically triggers a response without any prior learning (e.g., food).

Unconditional Response (UR)

In classical conditioning, a natural, unlearned reaction to an unconditional stimulus (e.g., salivation in response to food).

Conditioned Stimulus (CS)

In classical conditioning, a previously neutral stimulus that, after becoming associated with the unconditional stimulus, eventually comes to trigger a conditioned response (e.g., a buzzer or whistle paired with food).

Conditioned Response (CR)

In classical conditioning, the learned response to the previously neutral (now conditioned) stimulus (e.g., salivation in response to a buzzer or whistle).

Reflexes

Innate, automatic responses that humans are born with, such as the sucking reflex, Moro reflex, knee-jerk reflex, eye-blink reflex, and pupillary reflex, which can be classically conditioned.

Contiguity Principle

A principle in Pavlovian conditioning stating that events that occur together in time or space will be associated.

Contingency

The concept that events should be correlated, meaning one event predicts the likelihood of another.

Simultaneous Pairing

A variation in contiguity where the conditioned stimulus (CS) starts and ends at exactly the same time as the unconditioned stimulus (US).

Delayed Pairing

A variation in contiguity where the conditioned stimulus (CS) is presented before the unconditioned stimulus (US) and continues during the presentation of the US.

Trace Pairing

A variation in contiguity where the conditioned stimulus (CS) starts and ends before the unconditioned stimulus (US), creating a brief time lapse between the two.

Backward Pairing

A variation in contiguity where the unconditioned stimulus (US) has already been presented and removed before the presentation of the conditioned stimulus (CS).

Acquisition

The initial stage of classical conditioning where the organism learns to associate the conditioned stimulus with the unconditioned stimulus, leading to an increase in the conditioned response.

Extinction

The weakening and eventual disappearance of a conditioned response when the conditioned stimulus is repeatedly presented without the unconditioned stimulus.

Spontaneous Recovery

The reappearance of a weakened conditioned response after a pause or interruption following extinction, without further conditioning.

Stimulus Generalization

Making the same, or similar, responses when presented with any of a number of related stimuli.

Stimulus Discrimination

Making different responses to related but distinctly different stimuli.

Higher Order Conditioning

A process where responses, stimuli, and reinforcers are linked in complex ways, building upon previously established conditioned associations.

Treatment for Enuresis (Mowrer & Mowrer, 1938)

A classical conditioning application where a child wetting the bed (CS) triggers a bell (US) to wake them up (UR), eventually leading the need to urinate (now CS) to awaken the child (CR) without the bell.

Conditioned Taste Aversion (Gustavson and Gustavson, 1985)

A humane application of classical conditioning where sheep meat (CS) sprinkled with a chemical (US) causing stomachache (UR) makes coyotes avoid live sheep (CR), effectively controlling predators.