pysc exam 3 - classical conditioning

What is learning?

The process of acquiring through experience new & relatively permanent information or behaviors; change in behavior based on experiences

What is associative learning?

Learning that certain events occur together

What are the two types of associative learning and why are they valuable?

Classical conditioning (value in prediction) & operant conditioning (shapes future decisions)

What is being associated with classical conditioning?

Two stimuli

What are the criteria for classical conditioning success?

-Timing; NS & US must be paired closely in time

-Frequency; NS & US must be paired together repeatedly

-NS has to come before US (prediction)

Who was Ivan Pavlov?

A behaviorist who’s famous psychological experiment with dogs, bells, and drooling laid the groundwork for classical conditioning

What is the unconditioned response (UR)?

The unlearned, naturally occurring response to the US

What is the unconditioned stimulus (US)?

The stimulus that naturally & automatically triggers the UR without conditioning

What is the conditioned response (CR)?

The learned response to a previously neutral stimulus (CS); response is same as UR

What is the conditioned stimulus (CS)?

The originally neutral stimulus (NS) that, after association with an US, comes to trigger a CR

What two stimuli are being paired in classical conditioning? What is the result?

The neutral stimulus & unconditioned stimulus; the neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus

In Pavlov’s experiment what are the US, UR, CS & CR?

US: plate of food

UR: salvation at plate of food

NS → CS: sound of the bell

CR: salvation at only the sound of the bell

What is acquisition?

The initial pairing of the CS & US

What is extinction?

The diminishing of a CR when an US doesn’t follow a CS

What is spontaneous recovery?

The reappearance, after a pause/resting period, of an extinguished CR

What is generalization?

The tendency, once a response has been conditioned, for stimuli similar to the CS to elicit similar responses

What is discrimination?

The learned ability to distinguish between a CS & similar stimuli that don’t signal an US; limits generalization

Is classical conditioning voluntary?

No, it is automatic/involuntary & adaptive

What is taste aversion? Why is it valuable?

The aversion to foods once one has experiences nausea after consumption; is a biological predisposition that prevents the eating of poisonous food

How did Garcia discover taste aversion?

Rats were either allowed/not allowed to drink sweet water before experiencing radiation to cause nauseation. After the radiation the rats who drank the sweet water refused to drink it again.

What makes Garcia’s findings on taste aversion unique in terms of classical conditioning?

There was a time delay between the initial sweet water & radiation - meaning the two stimuli didn’t have to be closely paired in time, and the conditioning only needed to happen once - not repeatedly.

What were the components of Watson’s experiment on Little Albert?

US: loud noise

UR: fear of loud noise

NS → CS: white rat

CR: fear of white rat

Why was the Little Albert case study unethical?

Watson did not counter-condition the 11 month old boy

What is behaviorism?

The view that psychology should be an objective science that studies behavior without reference to the mental process