Pavlovian Conditioning and Learning

Flashcards covering vocabulary and key concepts from lectures on Pavlovian conditioning, prediction error, and related learning theories.

Conditioned Stimulus (CS)

A previously neutral stimulus that, through conditioning, elicits a conditioned response.

Unconditioned Stimulus (US)

A stimulus that naturally and automatically triggers a response.

Conditioned Response (CR)

A learned response to a previously neutral stimulus.

Unconditioned Response (UR)

The natural response to an unconditioned stimulus.

S-R Link

An association between the CS and the UR

S-S Link

A link in memory between the CS and US 'representations'.

Asymptote of conditioning

The plateau where further training yields minimal increase in CR strength.

Prediction Error Model of Learning

Learning happens when predictions are incorrect; a discrepancy exists between expectation and outcome (surprise).

Summation Test

Testing the inhibitory properties of a cue by combining it with an excitatory cue.

Second Order Conditioning

Conditioning where a CS is paired with another CS, rather than a US.

US Potency

The US becomes unsurprising and less potent over repeated trials.

ΔV (Delta V)

Learning: change in associative strength on a trial.

λ (Lambda)

Total associative strength supported by the outcome (US).

ΣV (Sigma V)

The expected outcome (given all cues present).

α (Alpha)

Attention to cues (salience of the CS).

Renewal

The CR returns in a different context from extinction.

Spontaneous Recovery

The CR returns with a delay between extinction and test.