Comparative Psychology Exam 2 Classical Conditioning

Ivan Pavlov

Discovered classical conditioning, learning associations between two stimuli.

(bell→food→salivation)

Unconditioned Stimulus (US)

Naturally elicits a response (food)

Unconditioned Response (UR)

Automatic reaction (salivation to food)

Conditioned Stimulus (CS)

Neutral stimulus that gains meaning through pairing (bell)

Conditioned Response (CR)

Learned response to CS (salivation to bell)

Learning vs. Performance

Learning is an internal process that leads to long-term change, while performance is visible behavior that may not immediately show learning.

ex. rats explore maze→seem aimless (performance), but later learn faster whn food added (learning)

Habituation

Reduced response with repeated exposure to a stimulus.

Sensitization

Increased response with repeated exposure to a stimulus.

Habituation and sensitization are different from associative learning because

no connection between stimuli if formed

Three core aspects of associative learning

short-term acquisition, long-term storage, and retrieval

Short-term acquisition

gaining information through experience

Long-term storage

translation of acquired information into a neural record

Retrieval

reactivation of information previously stored

Internal representations

animals form mental links between CS and US 

green light (CS)→cheese (US) rat salivates (CR) when light predicts cheese

Reinforcer devaluation technique

when US loses value, CR disappears

shows animal learned CS→US relationship, not just a reflex

Second-Order Conditioning

CS1→US

CS2→CS1

animal responds to CS2 alone (light→tone→food-.salivation)

suggests animals form mental chains between stimuli

Contiguity & Timing

Shorter CS-US intervals→stronger learning

ex. bell right before food= effective

long delay=weak

Latent Inhibition

Familiar stimuli are harder to condition

ex. if rat hears bell daily with no food, later conditioning to bell is slower

Conditioning types

forward, simultaneous, backward

Compound conditioning

multiple cues presented together

(light + tone)

important for studying real-world, multisensory learning

Overshadowing

stronger cue dominates learning 

bright light + soft tones→animal learns light, ignores tone

Blocking

prior learning to one CS prevents learning new CS

light→food learned first; then light+tone→food→tone fails to gain meaning

Extinction

present CS without US repeatedly→CR fades

ex. bell rings without food→dog stops salivating

Spontaneous recovery

CR returns after rest

Disinhibition

new stimulus triggers return of CR after extinction

Inhibitory conditioning

CS signals absence of US (green light = no food)

tested via retardation (slower learning) and summation (CS suppresses CR)

Thorndike's Law of Effect

Behaviors followed by satisfaction are repeated, while those followed by discomfort are weakened.

Omission Training

A procedure where a reinforcer is withheld if a specific response occurs.

Shaping

Reinforcing small steps toward a final desired behavior.

Avoidance Learning

Learning to perform behaviors to avoid unpleasant stimuli.