Two-Process Theory of Avoidance: Classical and Operant Conditioning in Fear Reduction

What does active avoidance involve?

A negative R-O contingency where making a response prevents something bad from happening.

Why was active avoidance puzzling to early psychologists?

Because conditioned responding appeared to develop in the absence of reinforcement (shock delivery).

What are the two learning mechanisms involved in the Two-Process Theory of Avoidance?

Classical conditioning and operant conditioning.

What is the first process in the Two-Process Theory of Avoidance?

Learning to associate the warning stimulus with an aversive stimulus (e.g., shock).

What is the warning stimulus in the Two-Process Theory of Avoidance?

The conditioned stimulus (CS) such as a light that signals an impending shock.

What is the unconditioned stimulus (US) in the Two-Process Theory of Avoidance?

The aversive stimulus, such as shock.

What is the conditioned response (CR) in the Two-Process Theory of Avoidance?

Fear in response to the conditioned stimulus (CS).

What does the second process in the Two-Process Theory of Avoidance involve?

Learning to make a response that reduces fear during the warning stimulus.

What does the Two-Process Theory of Avoidance reduce avoidance learning to?

Escape learning, where the organism learns to escape from the CS and the fear it elicits.

What did Brown & Jacobs (1949) demonstrate in their experiment?

That animals learn to escape from a fear-inducing CS, supporting the Two-Process Theory of Avoidance.

What was the setup of the classical conditioning phase in Brown & Jacobs' experiment?

Rats were isolated in a shuttle box with a pulsating light/tone CS paired with foot shock.

What was the outcome of the instrumental task phase in Brown & Jacobs' experiment?

Rats learned to move to the opposite side of the box to escape the CS, with response latency measured.

What did Esmorís-Arranz et al. (2003) study in their acquired-drive experiment?

The effects of delayed and simultaneous conditioning on rats' ability to escape from a fear-inducing CS.

What was the result of the delayed conditioning group in Esmorís-Arranz et al.'s experiment?

They learned to escape from fear effectively.

What was the control group in Esmorís-Arranz et al.'s experiment?

Rats that were presented with the same CS and US but were unpaired.

How does the Two-Process Theory of Avoidance relate to fear reduction?

As subjects become better at avoiding the aversive US, their fear should decrease.

What stimuli were used in the college students' conditioning study?

Three colored block stimuli: A+, B+, and C-.

What was the difference between Stimulus A+ and Stimulus B+?

A+ allowed avoidance of shock by pressing a button, while B+ did not allow avoidance.

What was the control stimulus (C-) in the college students' study?

A stimulus that was never paired with shock.

What was measured to assess fear in the college students' study?

Skin conductance and shock expectancy ratings.

What trend was observed in fear levels for Stimulus A+ over trials?

Fear decreased as subjects became better at avoiding the shock.

What trend was observed in fear levels for Stimulus B+ over trials?

Fear increased as subjects could not avoid the shock.